Amsterdam, kind of became a hub for my trips in Europe and around. The first time I visited the beautiful country of Netherlands was to see the Tulips on a bike and barge trip in spring of 2017. The weather was amazing and so were the people. I met up with Chirag and his family at his home and also a few other colleagues from CLSA that I hadn't met before. I also met Trupti and Samir who are originally from Mumbai. It was so good to hear and speak native languages in a foreign land. There was an instant connection.
During my Iceland trip in 2019, I again had a layover in Amsterdam so it was a good chance to catch up with these friends. After resting for a while, I headed off to Amsterdam Centraal for some last minute shopping before my flight to Reykjavik next morning. I had a late lunch around 3 PM and walked around the streets for a while - it was a rainy day in Amsterdam.
In the evening, I headed over to Leiden to catch up with Trupti and Samir for dinner. Leiden is a city with a rich cultural heritage, not only in science, but also in the arts. One of the world's most famous painters, Rembrandt, was born and educated in Leiden.
We walked a short distance from the railway station to the Street Way Leiden, which is a Vietnamese Street-food restaurant. I had never expected that my first experience of Vietnamese food would be in Europe! Since I had a very late lunch, I wasn't particularly hungry. The restaurant also had limited vegetarian options on the menu. We were greeted by Mr. Hing who got us seated. The restaurant is very cozy and seemed like a family-run place (I could be wrong though).
I don't quite remember what my friends had for dinner, but I was suggested to have Spring Rolls since I wanted something very light to munch on. It took a while for the food to arrive. It was all very freshly made and piping hot. Very welcome on a cold evening. The Spring Roll was very crisp and the vegetable stuffing was crunchy too. Extremely well made dish.
For dessert, I opted for the Creme Brulee (which was listed as a Vietnamese Dessert for some reason) and it was extremely well made too.
Mr. Hing was an amazing host and suggested dishes suitable for vegetarians and vegans. Nice place to visit if you want a quiet meal with friends.
Address: Street Way Leiden, Vrouwensteeg 16, 2311 EB Leiden, Netherlands