Taste of Landsmeer’s braised chicken is absolutely worth the detour (and the rendang is incredible too!)
Oh guys, I’ve made quite a discovery, and I just have to share it with you. In Landsmeer, just outside Amsterdam, there’s a caterer selling the most delicious braised chicken ever. And their homemade rendang is—honestly—better than what you’ll find at many an Indonesian takeaway.
A 9 from Johannes van Dam
The chef behind these dishes is no ordinary cook; Leo Bronkhorst catered for Carré for years, and his former establishment, ‘Het Waepen van Monnickendam’, was once awarded a 9 by the ultra-critical Johannes van Dam.
After taking a break from hospitality to work in the corporate world, Leo and his girlfriend Diana had a dream: to open a traiteur. With Taste of Landsmeer, that dream has come true. Because food brings people together, and they’re eager to share their passion for food. Lucky for everyone who loves good food, because this place is worth its weight in gold.
Grandma’s braised chicken, Auntie’s rendang
Take the braised chicken from grandma, for example, as it’s sold here. A dish with a story. Leo’s grandmother used to let the braised chicken simmer for hours at her home in Amsterdam East. “My grandmother used to make it for us in a large gravy pan. Add a splash of red wine and let it simmer. And the funny thing was, she couldn’t cook at all! She could bake cake and make delicious lentil, tomato and chicken soup. And this braised chicken. That was it. And now I make it according to her recipe, only without the bones.”
And believe me when I say this is the most delicious braised chicken you’ll ever taste. Comfort food at its best, with seemingly simple ingredients such as chicken, tomato and onion given hours to release their flavours. The result: a silky-soft dish that warms your heart with every bite.
Leo learned how to make rendang from Aunt Cocky—his mother’s sister. Aunt Cocky was the head chef of Indonesian restaurant Mooi Zeist for twenty years, and they also sell her rendang here, made from the recipe she gave Leo. Aunt Cocky’s rendang is better than many a rendang from an Indonesian takeaway; Indonesian food fans queue up for it, if that tells you anything.
Sambal from Stick-Up Indo Food
Besides incredibly delicious homemade meals, they also sell other culinary gems, such as Zuur van de Leeuw and sambal from Stick-Up Indo Food. They discovered the sambal years ago at World of Food. They were so enthusiastic about it that they encouraged the brother and sister behind Stick-Up Indo Food to start selling the sambal separately. It’s now a hit. I stir it into my peanut butter, mix it through hummus, use it to make the most delicious fried rice, spread it on a cheese sandwich and add it to my soto ayam.
So do yourself a favour, take the ‘Landsmeer’ exit on the A10 and get shopping. You’ll find Taste of Landsmeer at Zuideinde 2B.
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