When on holiday in a foreign country, you’ll want to experience that particular culture to the fullest. You have schnitzel in Frankfurt, drink wine in Paris, eat tapas in Madrid, and…. grab some falafel in Amsterdam?
It’s certainly not typically Dutch, but if you’re on a budget and find yourself needing a bite to eat in the capital city of the Netherlands, look no further than Amsterdam Central Station and the little falafel cart on the center divide of the street.
Don’t be fooled by the size of this tiny kiosk. It has seating for maybe 5 people on a good day and standing room only the rest of the time but for under 5€, you can have some freshly made falafel a la carte, or in a pita sandwich. My favorite choice is the salad box where you are given 3 falafel balls in a small box with lettuce and you are free to add toppings as you wish. Doesn’t really sound like much yet right?
When you order they hand you only the bread and falafel and there is a small help-yourself salad bar where you can pile on as much goodies and condiments as you want. From fresh tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, roasted peppers, couscous salad, marinated mushrooms, onions, and a few different sauces to choose from, you can build your perfect falafel as you like it. You are free to add as much as your pita or box will hold which means you can make yourself a full meal or keep it to a simple mid-day snack.
If you need to take your falafel to go, you can ask them to wrap up your creation for you in foil or if you chose to eat standing (or if you’re lucky, sitting) there, you can continue to add condiments to your meal as you go. Many of the toppings can be eaten as salads on their own and occasionally they offer roasted eggplant which is also very tasty.
Because of the location right in the middle of the busiest intersection, many locals stop here on their way into Amsterdam city center or on their way to Central Station. With the prices so low, you can’t really go wrong either. It’s definitely a tastier alternative to MacDonald’s or another cup of French fries and for vegetarians, this makes an ideal to-go snack or meal. But even if you aren’t vegetarian, the next time you’re around Central Station give it a try—it’s quite delicious and it could be the flavor you remember Dutch culture by.
Picture of falafel originally posted by A Princess
Topic: Restaurants & Food |
2 Comments
Tags: amsterdam, budget, vegetarian
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2 responses to “Where to eat freshly made falafel in Amsterdam”
Report an inappropriate commentJune 3rd, 2008 at 9:06 pm
With the amount of Turkish and Morrocan immgrants living in Holland, these food really almost as Dutch as cheese and bread. The doner and kebab places are the only ones open late at night in small towns, and even the most conservative dutch person worships the turkish pizzas.
June 4th, 2008 at 2:05 am
You’re very right–I think it adds to the cosmopolitan charm of the city and makes for GREAT food that’s inexpensive and available even late into the night.
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