Delivery review: NENI’s delivery meal
During these crazy coronavirus times, restaurants are closed, so we’re happily dining out at home. Luckily, many new and special delivery and takeaway restaurants are joining the scene. And we’re going to test them for you. Today: NENI in Amsterdam.
My last restaurant visit before this whole corona hell broke loose was at NENI, one of my favorite restaurants in the city, located in the old Citroën garage near the Olympic Stadium. Ever since it opened, I’ve had a serious crush on this place, because I love everything that comes out of this kitchen. A table full of little bowls and plates with the most delicious dishes from the Middle East (more specifically: Eastern Mediterranean cuisine); wonderful! To brighten up my weekend a little, I ordered the Balagan Box for home and picked it up myself.
Uh, Balagan? What’s up with that?
Balagan style means ‘sympathetic chaos’. And that in turn means something like sharing and enjoying food together. Just put everything on the table, sharing is caring (or as we say at home: grab whatever you can get your hands on).
The packaging
All the dishes are neatly packaged, and since we don’t know what’s in the box—or actually, the large bright yellow bag—I finally understand what’s so fun about unboxing. A different surprise in every box!
The menu
It consists of Labaneh, Baba Ghanoush, Spicy Caramelised Eggplant, Cheesecake, Jerusalem Plate, Pita and NENI Hummus. And how fun: it also comes with a few sachets of homemade shots of semi-sweet white vermouth. Each dish looks absolutely delicious, and they survived the half-hour journey perfectly.
Everything on the table
We don’t bother with starters or mains; Balagan style means putting everything on the table at once. I immediately dig into NENI’s hummus. It’s just as delicious as it is in the restaurant, so velvety smooth… Once you’ve tasted this, you’ll never want that sour supermarket stuff again. A dollop of silky hummus on a fluffy pita, mmm! And then there’s the tahini… This sesame paste gives pretty much every dish that extra touch of love.
Comfy chicken
The same goes for the Jerusalem Plate, a dish of roasted chicken, bell pepper, onion, fresh herbs, hummus and tahini that is so incredibly tender, subtle, spiced and comfy that I really don’t want to share it at all. But if I’m not careful, a hungry teenager will snatch the bowl right from under my nose. Luckily, he’s kind enough (well, actually, threatening to take away the PlayStation worked really well) to give me the last bit, and with my last piece of pita I scrape the final leftovers from the bowl. Divine!
Perfect eggplant
Another top dish: the Spicy Caramelised Eggplant, caramelised eggplant with ginger, chili and toasted sesame, served with steamed rice. The eggplant is mildly spicy, sweet and savory all at once. Combined with the steamed rice, it’s another heartwarming and comforting dish in this corona hell. More substantial, but also wonderfully fresh, is the Labaneh: soft yogurt cheese with olives, sumac and za’atar—the herbs that are indispensable in Middle Eastern cuisine. Make sure to order extra pitas, because you’ll want to mop up every last bit with your bread here too.
Can NENI join us more often?
Please do! And next time I’ll definitely order the popcorn falafel with the famous NENI tahini-ginger sauce too. Everyone who has ever eaten falafel at NENI agrees: this is the queen of falafel: flavorful, airy and perfectly fried. The popcorn falafel wasn’t included in the Balagan Box, but luckily you can order it separately (and psssst… here is the popcorn falafel recipe, which actually contains popcorn as well as corn!)
How much does a box like that cost?
You can order a Balagan Box for €65, which is plenty for two people to enjoy. For twenty euros more, you’ll get a light, fruity white Verdejo from Spain or a spicy red Syrah from South Africa. Would you rather order individual (and different) dishes? You can do that too (order the falafel and extra pita!). The Balagan Box and other dishes can be ordered here, after which you can pick them up at NENI. L’Chaim!
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