HappyHappyJoyJoy: the Asian street food spot where it’s always fun and delicious

Asian street food, combined with crazy Asian soft drinks, ‘Happy beer’, great music and a lovely atmosphere—that’s HappyHappyJoyJoy in a nutshell. Whether you’re dining here as a couple or with a (large) group, it’s always delicious and fun.

At HappyHappyJoyJoy, you can enjoy Asian street food without the unpleasant fluorescent lighting and white plastic chairs, but in a lively, colorful setting with normal lighting. And it’s a hit: there are now 4 HappyHappyJoyJoy locations in Amsterdam. The restaurant on Amsterdam’s Ceintuurbaan is spacious and sleek, yet has a cozy Eastern vibe. The terrace gets plenty of sun in the evening, but if you’d rather not eat on the busy street side, there’s plenty of room indoors.

Large yet intimate

The large bar and kitchen in the middle immediately catch the eye. Behind the kitchen, there are both high and low tables, and you can sit along the sides and at the front. Whether you’re a party of two or a large group, there are enough spots to keep things intimate despite the size of the space.

Deliciously chaotically Eastern

HappyHappyJoyJoy was born from travels through the heart of Asia. The menu therefore features dishes with Thai, Malaysian, Vietnamese, Indonesian and Chinese influences—Indonesian Gado Gado as well as Chinese Dim Sum; they’ve got it all. Inside, it’s deliciously chaotically Eastern, with a wall covered in Asian posters, brightly colored sauces, buns and juices. HappyHappyJoyJoy—the name fits perfectly, because that instant cheerfulness infects you as soon as you step inside.

Snacks, Dim Sum, Baos

The menu is divided into different sections and is wonderfully clear. If you’ve ever been to Asia, you’re guaranteed to find your favorite street food here. From Rendang to Tom Kha Kai, as well as Edamame and Duck Gyoza. Delicious with a cold Bintang (‘Star Beer’ from Indonesia) or Singha beer from Thailand.

And of course, the most fun thing is to go all out and order as many different dishes as possible. That’s also immediately the danger, because all the snacks sound delicious, and the same goes for the Dim Sum and Baos (steamed buns, which come in cheerful colors here); you won’t be the first person to roll out of the restaurant in a food coma.

Crispy, tender chicken with chili mayonnaise

The best things on the menu? Hard to choose! This is the kind of place where everything is delicious. Take the Chongquing chicken wings with nuoc mam, a Vietnamese dipping sauce made with lime juice, fish sauce, garlic, sugar and red chili. The chicken is wonderfully tender, and the combination with the dipping sauce is heavenly. Also delicious: the vegetarian Chon Kuun—Chinese mini spring rolls with vegetables and chili mayonnaise.

Cool down with fresh coconut juice

That chili mayonnaise also comes with the Tjioen Kauw: a fried dumpling with chicken and pak choi. What a knockout!

The colorful baos are wonderfully cheerful: soft buns begging for a crispy counterpart, such as Crispy Chicken in the steamed pink bun. It also comes with white cabbage and yuzu and chili mayonnaise. The chicken is coated in a good layer of panko (Japanese breadcrumbs), and the mayo is nicely spicy. There are also extra bottles of spicy mayo on the table for those who like it hot. (Tip: cool down with juice straight from a fresh coconut!)

That eggplant… absolutely delicious!

New on the menu is the Yu Xiaang Qie Zi: a vegan dish of roasted eggplant, fried onions, red chili, spring onion and cilantro. This dish has everything: it’s soft and crunchy, heartwarming and spicy, and simply delicious. Vegans are well catered for here anyway, because the Khaeng Phak Ruammit—a spicy yellow curry with pumpkin, among other ingredients—is also highly recommended. And for the first time, ramen is on the new menu too.

They also have a broad selection of crazy Asian soft drinks, such as the sweet, fruity Sparkling Ramune, Chinese beer (Tsingtao) and their own ‘Happy Bier’ (with beautiful labels!) on the drinks menu.

There’s always room for dessert

And you can’t leave without having a mango bun for dessert, because this fried bun with vanilla ice cream, mango and caramelized peanuts is the happy ending to a happy evening!

Four locations

You’ll find HappyHappyJoyJoy at four different locations in Amsterdam: Zuid (Ceintuurbaan 256), West (Bilderdijkstraat 158hs), Downtown (Singel 460) and on the Zuidas (George Gershwinlaan 1).

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