Dead Animals?! We don't fucking need that!
This little piece is intended to be a small guide for vegetarian and vegan people that want to eat well, cheap and healthy. I know quite a few squatters who have very little money, so they rarely eat out. For these people perhaps the places below are a good to go to when a richer relative or friend wants to buy you dinner! :-)
Most of the food mentioned in this guide costs between E 1.25,- and E 5.50,-.
In all the places I have asked myself but make sure you check if the dishes are really vegan/vegetarian, just in case!
My rating is as follows:
****
-Kickass in every way
***
-Good!
**
-Only if it appeals to you
*
-Sucks the bag, avoid!
~
Take-away or standing only (no seating)
What is Roti? Well a description would never do it justice, just go and try it!
Remember there are dozens of places that sell Roti in Rotterdam and elsewhere but a lot of them sell truly bad variants of it. The most horrible and disgusting pile of shit of so-called Roti can be gotten in * Kong's Corner on the Witte de Withstraat, avoid that place like the Plague!!
**** but only * for the owner. Rotiland, on the corner of the Vierambachtstraat, Rotterdam West, closed Mondays. Great and very healthy vegan Roti here, you get lots of vegetables and pumpkin squash. At the time of writing they are closed but should be re-opening in about 4 months (extended vacation or something). They have a few other vegetarian and vegan dishes that are also very good. The only downside to this place is that the owner (who isn't always there luckily) is a bit of a dipshit, he's got a whack and impolite attitude.
* Close to Rotiland there is a Large McDonalds type place called Roopram Roti. They stink, expensive for what you get and not very good food, don't bother.
**** For the most amazing vegetarian/vegan Roti you have to go to the Hague -although not everyone will agree with me of course- it is the best I ever ate and I have tried quite a few. The place in question is located just of the main shopping street thoroughfare in the center of the Hague, it's a 7 minute walk from the station. You will find it right on the left of the small (and good) 'Wings Army Dump' which is on the Boekhorststr. 1. In this district you will also find quite a concentration of good second hand stores where you can find anything from woodheaters to guitars.
Anyway in this big, clean Roti Heaven you get great service and their both Roti comes with both Tofu AND Tempeh prepared in a delicious way, various vegetables, and very nicely done potatoes and a pancake. It is a large meal for little money.
? In the Hague there are also one or two reputedly very good squatted restaurants. Ask some Squattah's for details, I don't have 'em.
**** A place which sells similar (almost as good) Roti in Rotterdam is located on the Witte de Withstraat between the cop station and the RSI skate store. It's the place that is below ground level and the inside looks all brown and almost tropical because of all the woodwork.
****
While you are in the Hague I recommend checking out the Vegetarian
Toko,
this is located near the Boekhorststr. It has an amazing array of
edibles
for at home. From vegetarian Boeuf Bourguignon to Cheap and very tasty
dried “soja broken” like products, everything
vegetarian,
quite some vegan!
Some of the cheapest (but not healthiest food) you will find in the Netherlands is the type they sell in Snack bars. About 75% of their dishes contain meat. But there is always french fries. About 9 out of 10 times Snack bars fry their fries in Soja oil and separate from their meat products simply because this is more economical. It is fairly common that you can not sit down in snackbars.
****
~ Snack bar 'T Oosten, Lusthofstraat 88 (Kralingen Area)
This
snack bar are special in that:
1.
They offer VERY god value for money.
2.
They have about various things which are vegetarian. Namely Bamihappen,
Nasischijven, Vegetarian Kroket, Kaassouflees, and an Extra Large
Kaassouflee.
Their
fries cost E 1.30 but for that amount you get TONS of fries. Mayonnaise
costs E 0.25 more. They also do a mean chocolate Milkshake. Very polite
and nice people too!
The
only negative thing I could say about them is that some people that I
known
said their Pindasaus (Peanut sauce) very gross, I have to agree with
that.
afraid.
****
~ On the corner of the Henegouwerlaan and the Middellandstraat (6
minutes
walk from Central Station) there is a quite famous somewhat dark
grillroom
called Koolmees. Next to this grillroom there is a really brightly lit,
small and white-tiled take-away chicken place. This is the place for
the
best value for money and tastiest fries I have eaten in Rotterdam. If
you
order a grote patat in a paper bag you really get a truckload and it is
cheap! In case you were wondering, I am certain they do fry the fries
and
their meat shit in different oils.
**** ~ Then there is –of course- falafel. There are three places I know to sell extremely good falafel in the Rotterdam center. Falafel King on the Eendrachtsplein is great; the falafel place by the Donner bookstore (lijnbaan) is just as good.
If
you want your falafel to be vegan make sure you don't slap on
the Aubergine (=Eggplant) white sauce and the garlic Sauce! The runny
white
sauce is supposed to be ok though. You can't sit down at any
of these places.
****
Thirty Meters from the Falafel King there is an Italian ice cream store
–Venetia- that sells one kind of vegan ice cream, which is
actually
creamy! Get it in a paper cup if you want to be vegan, some of those
cones
contain egg I think.
****
Another nice vegan dish is Gado Gado the only really good place for
this
I know is on the Jonker Frans straat. In case you don't know
Gado Gado is basically stir-fried vegetables, white rice and peanut
sauce
on top. You get lots (one dish is enough for two people) and it is
cheap.
The place to go is another brightly lit, white tiled affair on the
Jonker
Fransstraat near the large intersection across from a small bike store.
The fat guy with glasses behind the counter is a nice fellow, just make
sure you clearly state what you want: vegetarian Gado Gado with Tahoe
and
no eggs!
*** Poortgebouw, three course vegetarian and sometimes? vegan dinner, good people. Stieltjesstraat 38, R'dam South. On Wednesdays and Sundays? Cheap, nice location and has been around for years. Make sure you are there between 19:00 and 19:30 because on occasion it is very busy and the food sometimes runs out. There are a few summer months during which this cafe is shut, ask Mike behind the counter. Assume their food is not vegan even if you are told it is. Unfortunately i've known them to make such mistakes on a few occasions.
Both the Poortgebouw and especially 't Lachende Varken (as it is the most expensive but most normal looking) are the best places to take your mom ha ha.
***
For food but ** and a 1/2 for the price. This Lachende Varken place is
very clean, nicely decorated and has a very friendly atmosphere. You
gotta
call ahead: 010-411 61 48, this place is located on the Vlinderstraat 3
near the Gerdesiaweg Metro. Open Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and
Saturdays.
Every Last Thursday of the month is 'cheap day' which
means the two course meal is around 5.50,- On other days it costs
around
8.50,- except on Saturday when there is an extra elaborate/luxury meal
which is around 10.50,-
You
need to become a member the first time you show up. This costs 5,-
/year.
All a bit complicated but the food and the atmosphere are well worth it.
*** And if you (or your mom) really want to Splash out there is the 'Bla Bla' restaurant in Delfshaven, still not super expensive by most “normal” people's standards and located in 'Historic Delfshaven' if you go for that sort of thing… This place is good but not worth the money I would say unless you like being served and dig interesting interior decorating.
***
Lastly there is 'het Slaakhuys', Slaak 34, 2 minutes
walk from Oostplein Metrostation. Every Thursday and Friday (although
the
Friday has been added recently and it remains to be seen if it is here
to stay) they serve a cheap two or three-course vegetarian/vegan meal.
Show your support by giving them a little extra donation. This place is
a huge, nice squat that will probably be around for a while.
The
quality of the food differs, sometimes it is amazing, sometimes it is
ok
and often it is in between. This is because different people cook
almost
every week, they are always looking for people to help out! Also they
have
events and parties with bands, dj's, film etc. on a fairly regular
basis. Check the posters and flyers inside or ask the people behind the
bar.
However
if you are a super clean type person this place is probably not for you.
'Cooking....? What's That?' -E=Mp3