Q&A with Daan Sterken
Daan Sterken is the manager of restaurant The Lobby on the Nes in Amsterdam. You can go there from early morning until late at night for well-executed classics. And they never make a fuss about mimosas or a glass of champagne before noon. Alongside his job as a restaurant manager, Daan is closely involved in organizing parties around the Homomonument on Westermarkt in 020.
Which food trend should we put an immediate end to?
Over-“biologizing” food. As far as I’m concerned, not everything always has to be healthy. A frikandel speciaal is sometimes just fucking delicious and it really won’t kill you.
Most memorable dining experience?
Eating at restaurant BAK in Amsterdam. I was wonderfully pampered there. The service is personal and incredibly welcoming. And I love how creatively the kitchen team works with relatively simple products. For example, I ate fried milk with horseradish ice cream there. A very special and delicious dish made from two completely ordinary products. Oh, and the building is so beautiful. Yes, when you’re welcomed with such warmth and hospitality, served food that knocks your socks off, and have an incredible wine list to choose from, you’ve got me.
Favorite drink?
A good glass of Chardonnay or Champagne on Sunday afternoon.
Indispensable kitchen gadget?
A good sharp knife. Without a good knife, you ruin your products. Just try cutting a beautiful piece of fish or meat with a blunt, crappy knife—it simply won’t work. Such a waste.
What will you never eat again?
Semolina pudding. My mother once made it for me and my two brothers. She was very proud of it, and we had to eat it. We sat at the table all evening; I think there may even have been tears. Even now, when we come over for dinner, my mother jokingly says, ‘and for dessert we’re having delicious semolina pudding.’ I really hate it.
Which country is your favorite when it comes to food?
France. Classic, indulgent food—that’s enough to get me out of bed.
But I also think the food in Scandinavia is fantastic. The different ways they prepare fish there are absolutely incredible. When I was a child, I used to go to Scandinavia by car very often. You can eat fish there in such a pure way: you catch it yourself, fillet it, and grill it over a fire. My father used to catch fish in the river. We would eat them in front of the tent. But in a restaurant they do much more with them: curing, cooking in acid, roasting. And it’s always fresh—it literally comes from everyone’s backyard.
A frikandel speciaal is sometimes just fucking delicious and it really won’t kill you
What should everyone have eaten at least once?
Côte de boeuf. Eat this cut of meat in a good restaurant. We sometimes have côte de boeuf at The Lobby; at Rijsel, it’s always on the menu. Preferably simply with potatoes and lettuce on the side and hollandaise or béarnaise sauce on top. I like my boeuf as rare as possible. Nice and bloody—that’s what I like.
What is the best product from the supermarket?
Yogurt—I eat it every morning. Greek yogurt from Albert Heijn’s own brand with fruit and granola. What exactly goes in it depends on what I have at home. Bananas, berries, anything.
What’s still on your food wish list?
Going to Noma in Denmark. The restaurant closed its doors at the end of 2016, but it’s reopening. As soon as the restaurant opens again, I have to go. I’ve heard so many good stories about it. On Dutch soil? De Librije.
Because I’m basically always hungry
Which cookbook should everyone have on their shelf?
I never cook from a cookbook. If I want to know something, I look it up online.
What do you like to make at home when you want to eat quickly and well?
Mexican wraps. With beans, corn, peppers, lettuce—very classic. They’re super easy, delicious, ready quickly. And they’re filling, so they’re the perfect dinner if you still have things to do afterward.
Which dish makes you lose all self-control?
Not so much a dish, but when I go out to eat, I’m hard to stop. Because I’m basically always hungry. So if the courses arrive at the right intervals and the portions are good, I can just keep eating. It’s only because the restaurant kitchen closes at some point; otherwise, I think I could go on eating forever.
Image: Isabel Janssen
