Pop-up power food restaurant with popular writer Rens Kroes
16-7-2015
For lovers of healthy and delicious food the popular writer Rens Kroes is a true hero. She is no longer ‘the little sister’, the Friesian has built her own health empire.
The second book of Rens Kroes ‘Power Food – From Friesland to New York’, was launched mid-June. In a sold out pop-up restaurant, guests could enjoy a very healthy dinner with dishes from her new book.
First pop up
Rens personally welcomed herthe guests, and had a culinary contribution to the diner as well, supported by a team of chefs. It was the first time that Rens presented her dishes to the public this way and all guests received a copy of the new book to take home. With two dinners and one lunch, a total of 135 guests could enjoying the food. That’s only a fraction of the 72.000 Facebook fans, 17.600 followers on Twitter and 223.000 followers (!) on Instagram and thus screaming for more events like these!
Friesland to New York
Rens was inspired by what she has seen, tasted and learned in Friesland and New York. She uses fresh, pure ingredients, and makes tasty dishes with nice combinations of spices. For every moment of the day Rens offers delicious and original, easy recipes. In daily life Rens is a nutrition coach and advises people in adapting a healthy lifestyle and diet.
Participants
Rens’ pop-up restaurant is made possible by Sien Concepts and sponsored by Amsterdam Flavours, Vedett, Bountiful, Arisz et al, Lemonaid – Charitea, V2Cgin, Bowls and Dishes, Catchii and Bloomon.
Inspiration: food blogger evening
For restaurants, it is interesting to consider a special evening with a popular food blogger or writer, it will amaze you how many loyal fans are waiting for events like these!
Restaurant in Leiden with homely atmosphere
15-7-2015
The historic building ‘The Volharding’ at the harbour in Leiden in The Netherlands is the home base of homely restaurant ‘Lot & de Walvis’ since a few weeks now.
Homely atmosphere at restaurant in Leiden
The fictional tour of Lot and her van that was named ‘De Walvis’ (translated as The Whale) went through Southern Europe and South Africa and recently ended at the port of Leiden. At ‘Lot & de Walvis’ American Barn wood and authentic weathered materials are used, mostly gleaned together by co-owner Rob van Wijnen himself. In the opening week, neighbours were personally invited for a drink and 80 people attended the neighbourhood drink. Friends and residents got a 25% discount to have a taste of the food in the first week.
Nightmare
The walls are plastered and transformed from sleek and straight into coarse and wavy. It was a nightmare for the plasterer who was used to deliver plain walls, but the result feels very natural. The various areas are named after the various rooms as you would expect in someone’s house. By using the same tables and style both inside and outside, the various areas of ‘Lot & de Walvis’ feel as one. On the toilet hangs a sign “The toilet design is Lot’s next project”, indicating why this space is less connected to the rest of the restaurant and still needs a make-over.
Food and drink
The extensive menu provides the opportunity to have breakfast all day. In addition, there is a cacophony of categories with headings like ‘bites’, ‘sandwiches’, ‘soups’, ‘small dishes’, ‘homemade burgers’, ‘Lot’s favourite dishes’, ‘desserts’ etc. The fans of refreshing fruit water can eat their hearts out with complimentary glasses of water from three jars with for example fresh melon water, citrus water or lemongrass water. There are beers available from the local brewery Pronck Leiden, wine lovers can definitely enjoy themselves and trendy Gin and Tonic lovers are served as well.
The Hospitality Group Leiden
Just as you would expect when visiting someone’s home, new guests are given a tour of the property, which, with its many nooks and spaces is well suited for a discovery tour. The waiters are already experienced in welcoming guests because a part of the crew worked at the party centre La France in Oegstgeest. Lot & de Walvis is part of the Hospitality Group Leiden together with Van der Werff, La France and City Hall. The board consists of the brothers Richard and Wouter van Leeuwen and Rob van Wijnen. Wouter van Leeuwen and Rob van Wijnen are responsible for the hospitality companies in Leiden. Richard van Leeuwen focuses on four Harbour Clubs based in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Scheveningen and Ibiza.
It was a warm welcome at the harbour of Leiden. Although we would have loved to get acquainted with the real Lot!
Unique pop-up restaurants in Amersfoort
15-7-2015
Coming Friday, 17 July there will be a pop-up dinner at a secret location in Amersfoort. There are still some seats left for adventurous food lovers.
Adventurous dining at pop-up restaurants
Visitors of pop-up restaurants are open to adventure and often naturally spontaneous. In addition, the hosts do a lot to break the ice and the reactions to the diners are positive. An interesting side effect is the free publicity the host location gets with such a dinner, and it offers unique closing events for locations as well. Two weeks after a dinner at the Porsche dealer one of the dinner guests bought a car and a number of sites closed shortly after the pop-up event, where the dinner leaves a nice final memory. There have been dinners at a gym, a library, a car dealer, a farmer barn and an art gallery. The initiative for the pop-up restaurants at special locations in the region was created three years ago at restaurant ‘Bergpaviljoen’ in Amersfoort.
Surprise
The dinners host never more than 50 people at a communal table. Visitors come alone, in pairs or small groups. The location of the dinner will be a surprise until the day itself. When ordering tickets, guests fill in their mobile number and dietary wishes and leave their mobile number. They receive a text message with the location on the afternoon before the dinner. For € 59.00 per person, guests receive a welcome cocktail, appetizer, a 3-course dinner, plenty of white and red wine and mineral water, bread, coffee and tea with a digestive and sweets.
Affordable quality in cosy and casual restaurant Jack Dish
10-7-2015
Restaurant Jack Dish opened at the Stadionplein in Amsterdam on 7 July.
Sometimes you stumble upon something and everything seems to fit in. After a spontaneous visit to the unfortunately fully booked BautZuid, a round at the major construction site of the Stadionplein in Amsterdam didn’t gave much hope for another proper cosy and casual dining place. Until we spotted Jack Dish. At first glance, a small cafe, but once inside it was visible that the restaurant consist of two rooms. Add a huge terrace to that, and you have a restaurant that can feed many mouths and steel as many hearts this summer.
Affordable quality
With a cosy interior, a lot of plants and a half open kitchen, the restaurant is decorated with a fine touch. The Facebook page gives an impression of the recent renovations of the restaurant. The high kitchen counter is the best spot in our opinion. There you are at eye level with the enthusiastic former chefs of Restaurant Braque who are already nicely attuned with each other and the equipment (including a Big Green Egg). Restaurant Braque got a 10- by late Johannes van Dam (famous Dutch food critic) in 2010 and restaurant Jack Dish continues the aim for affordable, high quality and tasty food.
Holy Günter
The menu offers various main courses such as chicken, salmon, eggplant (vega) and rib-eye. Although the rib-eye unfortunately was sold out, the pain was eased by a drink on the house. The crowd was relatively young and was merely from the neighbourhood, which made it a fine casual atmosphere with congratulations, greetings and smiling faces all around. With crispy fries and a variety of specialty beers, of which Holy Günter is my absolute favorite, this restaurant will provide a lasting boost to the Stadionplein. ^Armand Sol
Local touch
6-7-2015
Restaurant Joelia at the Hilton Rotterdam has incorporated a local touch of ‘Rotterdam’ in their restaurant and in their menu.
Local touch
Those who visit horecatrends.com on a regular basis know that I like to share distinctive details and small welcoming gestures. Last week I had dinner at restaurant Joelia, where Mario de Ridder is the chef. The interior of Joelia has had a lot of attention in many magazines with its striking design. My eyes immediately fell on the original placemats at the bar and the back of the bill afterwards. The reference to the Coolsingel in the Monopoly game is a nice local touch to this cosmopolitan concept.
Also a local touch on the menu
In his menu Mario de Ridder (former owner of the Zwethheul**) also added a local touch: ‘Colors or Rotterdam’. And although I have some ties with the city, I must confess that I had no idea of the colors of the city. That seems to be green and white, which was reflected in a delicious fish entree. And if you have the possibility to eat at Joelia’s at least try the ‘uitsmijter Joelia’, it’s so delicious! As listed on the website, Mario offers his guests an experience of top-gastronomy in all its facets. You can enjoy the Joelia’s Bites in the food corner or sitting at the bar, enjoy an aperitif in the wine cellar or experience Mario’s talent at the chef’s table or in the restaurant. We will be back, Rotterdam has a new top-level restaurant which we certainly recommend! ^Marjolein
Terrace Café Rotterdam offers panoramic view of the skyline and the Maas
30-6-2015
Café Rotterdam was already an icon on the Maas, but is lifted to a higher level after a major renovation. With the reopening of Café Rotterdam directly above the Cruise Terminal, the ‘Wilhelminapier’ gets a real boulevard look.
Terraces with panoramic views are popular
We already know for a while that rooftop terraces have become very popular worldwide. Paris, New York, Istanbul, every metropolis is graced with (roof)terraces with beautiful views. In Amsterdam we have some pretty roof terraces with great views, such as the Skylounge at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel and the roof terrace ‘s at the former oil rig at the REM Island which is now a restaurant. The terrace of Café Rotterdam, at the same level of the Erasmus Bridge and the Cruise Terminal, offers a unique panorama of the Maas and the skyline. A new hotspot in Rotterdam this summer!
Café Rotterdam
The interior of Café Rotterdam breathes Pre-war Rotterdam class: large windows that offer plenty of light, high ceilings and modern details. The Chef Merijn Sips (formerly Librije’s Zusje ** in Amsterdam) serves a Mediterranean cuisine with international appeal. A business lunch, a delicious Sunday brunch or a romantic dinner, it’s all there. Apart from the restaurant area, there is a long bar where you can enjoy a cocktail, Gin & Tonic, authentic Schiedam Jenever, beer or a glass of wine with the Dutch delicacy ‘bitterballen’ (small round croquettes). The new Café Rotterdam is the youngest member of the Dudok Group which is a leading company in the hospitality and event industry since 1991.
Allergens Legislation: you can make it easier on yourself
19-6-2015
Look for vendors who sell allergen free products! It can make your life a lot easier.
Do you already have an allergy information menu? Is it part of your food safety plan? Late last year we were busy with the new legislation but it’s no news anymore. A lot of restaurants have an indication on the menu that an allergy information menu is available, but there are also restaurants without any information. And of course you also have restaurants who think they can get away with mentioning the possible allergies you could have.
VA Foods, allergen free products
Meanwhile, there are several producers entering the market who have taken the allergens as a guideline for their products. Like for example the Valuas croquette developed by Master Chef Eric Swaghoven from restaurant Valuas (*). Recently we came across the products of VA Foods (in the Netherlands) they sell a line of snacks for those with allergies. They use high-quality fresh and pure ingredients as much as possible and try to avoid flavor enhancers, preservatives and colorants.
The couldn’t make the law easier but you can make it easier on yourself
If you find it difficult to make meals without the allergens, start looking for producers who have already done a lot of work for you. For example, VA Foods sells products such as croquettes, hot dog, puff pastry, ragout and bread. Their products all meet the internationally recognized VITAL-2 standard. So the products are gluten free, lactose free, peanut free, nut free and free from other common allergens. By finding this kind of suppliers, you can make it easier on yourself …
Changing pop-up location Rotterdam Central Station
18-6-2015
Pop-up food concept ‘Eten Centraal’ opened at Rotterdam Central Station on 16 June. It is a new initiative by The Food Line-up in collaboration with NS Stations. The pop-up location changes every two weeks with another small street food entrepreneur from the city.
Changing pop-up
The Food Line-up was one of the initiators of the street food debate about new permits that would benefit diverse and sustainable street food. Now they’ve set their crosshairs on high traffic destinations like the Rotterdam Central Station. With pop-up stores like ‘Eten Centraal’ railway stations will surprise travellers with a weekly changing selection of several local entrepreneurs. The focus is now on empty shop spaces that require temporary filling at Rotterdam Central. If successful, this may result in temporary fillings of empty spaces at other stations. It makes stations thus even more attractive for everyone.
The Switch
Every two weeks during “the Switch” a new business will build up in the pop-up store. In 46 days, more than seven Rotterdam heroes will serve a diverse menu including Old Scuola Pizza Napolitana, Man met Bril Coffee, Saté man with Toko to go, Fritez Haute friture, Pinky Rose lemonade, Jumble Korean Food and Rotterdam brewers. The website and Facebook will show the complete list of entrepreneurs and time tables.
Groundbreaking
“The pop-up street food concept is truly groundbreaking,” according to Lotte Wouters and Maartje Nelissen. “For the first time a high traffic location like this provides room to small local businesses next to the fixed formulas and usual suspects on locations like these. Travellers can now also enjoy the offerings of local entrepreneurs at Rotterdam Central Station, one of the most prominent places in the city, and taste the identity of the city and its inhabitants. “
Asian Baba Rafi format starts in Alkmaar
18-6-2015
The initial establishment of an innovative European kebab franchise will soon start in Alkmaar.
Baba Rafi adapted to European standards
Entrepreneurs Sinan Gul, Hans Verloop and Baris Kürkcü took the very popular Baba Rafi format from Asia to Europe and adjusted them fully to European standards and trends. With a strong focus on healthy and sustainable dishes, Baba Rafi also wants to reach out to women and children and that distinguishes the formula from all existing kebab, döner or shawarma formats.
Confidence in the format of Baba Rafi
In order to finance the initial establishment of Baba Rafi Europe, the entrepreneurs made a successful appeal to the public: 176 private investors invested € 250.000,= in the company via Collin CrowdFund.
Kebab for today’s conscious consumer
Baba Rafi is the largest franchise chain in the world in the field of kebab products. With more than 1.300 locations in Asia where the concept is immense popular. The Asian concept is fully adapted to the European market where respect for the food, the customers and the environment play an important role. One of the initiators, Baris Kürkcü: “Every niche in the food industry, from fries-, hamburger and chicken formats to sandwiches, has seen a trend towards more sustainable and responsible food, in the recent years. With Baba Rafi we introduce a kebab concept that is tailored entirely to the needs and desires of the modern conscious consumers. The dishes are freshly prepared with a minimum of E-numbers and maximum sustainable and organic ingredients. We have worked closely with a culinary consultant and nutritionist during the development of the dishes. The dishes are suitable to eat for lunch. For everyone, thus emphatically including women and children.”
The future: being the largest kebab chain in Europe
Along with financial expert Hans Verloop and former McDonald’s CEO, Herman de Haas, the team of Baba Rafi wants to realize the largest kebab chain in Europe. There is no comparable franchise concept in Europe but there is a 10 billion euros sales in kebab fastfood restaurants. The facility in Alkmaar will be the flagship store and serves as a model for the next Baba Rafi in comparably sized cities in the Netherlands and Europe.
Chef Michael Wolf opens Wolf Atelier
17-6-2015
The 31-year-old chef Michael Wolf (Oud Sluis ***, Vila Joya ** and Envy) will officially open Wolf Atelier on 21 June. He does this in 1920 railway bridge transformed into a glass surrounded restaurant next to the Central Station of Amsterdam.
Wolf Atelier
Wolf Atelier is light and spacious, the monumental railway bridge has a characteristic industrial design and is equipped with 80 high glass windows. This workshop offers a 360 degree view of Amsterdam, due to the large amount of plants and earthy tones it looks like an urban garden. The open kitchen and small chef’s table provide constant interaction between Michael Wolf and his guests.
Gallery and Workshop-section at the menu
The menu contains two main sections. The so-called Gallery-section of the menu lists some of Michael Wolf’s current signature dishes such as ‘lacquered pork belly with fried langoustines, carrot cream and a sauce of spices.’ The Workshop-section is to pre-test dishes and consists out of experiments and cool innovations. After feedback from guests, only the best dishes will be continued in the ‘Gallery-section’ of the menu.
Chef Michael Wolf
Michael Wolf: “This workshop space is tough and metropolitan, the ideal setting to strive for perfection. Everything must be right, really. Not only the food and wine but the ambiance, the music, the service and the cocktails as well, each telling its own story. I can’t judge whether I ask too much from myself and my team, the only thing that matters is that I’ve lived up to this moment since I was fifteen and can’t wait to start!”
© Lisa Galesloot
