Rijsttafel
You're detecting a trend.
Is there more to this trip than food?
No.
Well, yes, but the food and drink seem to accompany most other things, and it serves as a good anchor for trying to describe what we're doing here.
So, last night, after returning from Emmen, Cathy and I and Gerry and Christina were joined by John, a friend of theirs and ours who we met at SXSW in Austin some years ago, and his girlfriend Sorcha (pronounced Circa), who is from Dublin, and we went out to share an Indonesian feast they call Rijsttafel, or Rice Table. The place was very nice, elegant, manned by Indonesian folks who, I must say, it was very surprising and interesting to see speaking Dutch. Funny, the same goes for kids--it always amuses me to see children speaking another language.
The table was filled with small bowls of Indonesian food, like the famed and lauded beef randang made dear to me at Java Noodles in Austin, along with rice and wine and beer. It was a magnificent spread, and every single dish was unique and laid out in increasing levels of heat and spiciness. The beef randang, you Austinites will be happy to know, was almost exactly like the one served at Java Noodles, and the rest of it was equally fascinating and delicious. Stir-fried pork in chile sauce, spicy lamb, some veggie salads, a hard-boiled egg encrusted in something and bathed in red sauce (which was AMAZING), chicken, everything, all fantastic.
Tonight, apparently, John and Gerry and I are having a boys' night out, going to the Paradiso to see the Kings of Leon, a band that's getting quite a buzz over here. The Paradiso is one of the premier venues in Europe, and I'm very excited to see it. Cathy, also is very excited for me to see it, as it will provide she and Christina with some time to sit and talk without me hanging about. So, much to report tomorrow, though it may not happen tomorrow, as early in the morning we end our time in the Netherlands and head off to Portugal.
(Thanks for all your comments so far, and Hilary, thanks for the dog updates, they make Cathy and me very happy and at ease.)
2 comments:
Hi from Jan-I gained weight just reading about your hours of eating. All you needed was a "belly dancer." Be safe and enjoy your journey to spain.
hi from tracy, just returned from the company holiday party! pleasepleaseplease, in your next life become a restaurant reviewer, or maybe just review whatever *i* cook, LOL - i am so pea-green with envy over your culinary adventures, i can barely stand it! in fact, i'm compelled to tell you *my* first Rijsttafel experience was in jakarta. there are no words. :) glad you're having such a great time, and looking forward to killing hours looking at your pictures!
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