ESSA Amsterdam: Balinese Food

 

    The first thing I noticed was the depth of the restaurant. The exciting but narrow storefront gave way to a deceptively large establishment with several rooms filled with places to sit and one very long line of tables placed end to end. This is where we sat: all thirty-four of us at what was essentially one long, continuous table. There were metal trays in the center heated from beneath by candles on which the various dishes would be placed so they would keep warm throughout the meal. They brought out large bowls of rice--one for every four or five of us--and then they brought out about five different dishes made with lamb, chicken, tofu, and veggies drizzled in peanut sauce, coriander, spicy peppers, and many other delicious combinations. It was superb.

    It was an interesting choice on the part of our professors to go to a Balinese restaurant in the heart of the Netherlands, but after spending some time here I think it highlights an interesting aspect of Dutch culture. A country we might associate today with art museums, Vincent van Gogh, and idyllic windmills was once an enormous colonial power with a vast trade company that made up one of the first multinational businesses. While the days of such intense colonial domination may be behind us, this restaurant proves that a multiethnic culinary scene is still part of Dutch culture. 

    Turning our attention now more specifically to Amsterdam, I think this culinary culture contributes to its status as a cultural capital. Having come from the United States with a restaurant scene dominated, at times, by cheap restaurant chains and having been to Belgian restaurants that will stop selling food completely if Belgian ingredients are not available, Amsterdam stands apart. Amsterdam has Peruvian food. It has Jarritos bottled in Mexico in their grocery stores. The Balinese spread of different dishes we experienced at the restaurant was obviously new to the Netherlands at its introduction hundreds of years ago but remains distinct from Bali today. Just as Mexican food in the United States was a product of Mexican-American fusion, so too is Balinese food in the Netherlands unique, and its concentration in Amsterdam makes the city a cultural culinary capital.