I have to confess, after weeks of feasting on pasta and pizza throughout Italy, both Stephen and I were craving Asian flavours. We had walked around Amsterdam’s Chinatown the night before and were drooling over the BBQ ducks hanging in shop windows and the aroma of stir fry. After a quick Google search, we headed to Ramen-ya for our first bowl of noodles in weeks (basically forever for us).

Atmosphere: Located in central Amsterdam, Ramen-ya was easy to find. While the storefront was at street level, the restaurant actually occupied the basement of the building and managed to feel spacious with high ceilings and an assortment of industrial pendant lights and chandeliers. Large round leather booths occupied much of the real estate in the dining area. While bulky, the booths spaced out tables, providing privacy and comfort, a rarity in most ramen shops.

Service: English menus were available and we had no difficulty communicating with our server. While placing our ramen order, we were asked to choose the broth richness and Stephen opted for extra rich. The server warned us that their tonkotsu broth was already super thick and many customers were not used to how rich it was. Stephen stuck to his choice and was happy with the bowl that appeared. Reading reviews online, quite a few people did rate Ramen-ya poorly because they felt the broth was too heavy. I could understand the server’s concern, but if you have an option for extra rich, and someone orders it, I feel it’s odd to deter them.

Food: Stephen ordered the Miso Hakata (tonkotsu broth with chashu, menma, ramen egg, leek, nori and sesame seeds), while I chose the Kimchi Ramen (chicken broth with kimchi, chashu, ramen egg, wood ear mushroom, green onions, nori and sesame seeds), two very different bowls.

My chicken broth was rich and well seasoned with a good amount of salt. I could really taste the layers of flavours in the broth, and it wasn’t all that light. Toppings felt a touch sparse with only half an egg and extra charges for black garlic oil and homemade layu (chili oil). Each table did have a small bottle of non homemade layu. My favourite component of my bowl was the thin noodles that had a nice bite and was great to slurp. Stephen’s broth was definitely thick, but too fatty. It clung to the noodle nicely and the topping of green onion threads helped to balance the richness.

Overall, Ramen-Ya served up solid bowl of ramen with a decadent broth and authentic flavours. It was a pricey bowl, over $20 Canadian, but I love being able to eat ramen all over the world and we will continue slurping up noodles wherever we go.

The last stop of our Europe vacation was a layover in Amsterdam (yay for multiple country flight deals), my second visit to the city and Stephen’s first. With just a day in the city we kept our schedule light and flexible. We weren’t able to fit in a canal ride or visit the Van Gogh Museum, two of my favourite activities from my previous visit, but enjoyed walking along the canals, dutch pancakes and even a bowl of ramen.

Using points we stayed at the W Hotel, which was a great central location that allowed us to walk everywhere. The breakfast buffet at their restaurant Mr Porter was also ridiculous. A wide assortment of freshly squeezed juices, plates of cured meats, hot dishes, cooked vegetables, fresh fruit, so much cheese and a menu with made to order egg dishes. I will be missing Stephen’s platinum status on our next trip.

What We Ate

Cafe de Klos – Deemed the best ribs in Amsterdam by the Internet, Stephen and I headed to Cafe de Klos for lunch after checking into our hotel. After an almost hour wait (you had the option to wait at their sister pub down the street), we were seated at the bar with beers and menus. Unfortunately I was still feeling the after effects of food poisoning from Italy so only nibbled on a smoked rib. We ordered a French Onion Soup for me, which was cheesy and delicious but overpriced at €6.75 for the portion size. Overall, Stephen liked the ribs and the restaurant was cozy but the most memorable part of the meal was the wait.

The Pancake Bakery – Eating Dutch pancakes are a must in Amsterdam and The Pancake Bakery is a popular spot for savoury and sweet crepes. I recommend ordering one savoury and one sweet pancake to split, we opted for the bacon, ham and cheese and lemon and sugar, to get the best of both worlds. The crepes are thin but large and filling. Even though we arrived early in the day, here was a line and I find the queue moves slowly. Once we were inside, it’s easy to spot the slow turnover of tables. On a next visit, I’d be happy to venture elsewhere for my pancake fix.

Ramen-Ya – Full Review Post

Vleminckx – Belgian fries are another must eat in Amsterdam. We headed to Velminckx, a hole-in-the-wall stand, and self proclaimed best fries in the city, which the Internet agrees with. This judgement I could get behind. The thick cut fries were freshly made with a perfect crispy exterior and soft, fluffy interior. The mayo was thick and creamy. We really should have bought two cones instead of splitting one.

What We Did

Sandeman Walking Tour – Aside from wandering around the city on our own, we signed up for the free walking tour of Amsterdam with SANDEMANs (optional tips for the guide at the end of the tour). The 2.5 hour tour covered most of the inner city and was a good mix of history, fun facts, humour and information. It was a great introduction to Amsterdam with a tour guide who was super engaging and lively. After the tour ended, he stayed around to chat and give out recommendations.