Sao Lao

Last Tuesday (22nd, August 2006) I went on a lunch date at where else but Hotel New York Restaurant. Since it was Tuesday I thought there will be less people and so the service will not be that bad. What’s the verdict? I will only go there when I have a craving for oysters and I can’t go to another place.

A view from the parking lot.

Let’s just say I can really chow down when I want to. I ate all of these!

My date surprised me with one dozen roses on Friday night when he picked me up for dinner at my favorite Chinese restaurant. He also gave me a card but I am not going to tell you what was written on it. I don’t kiss and tell you know.

What does red rose mean? Hmm….

Sample pics of the Dim Sum Menu

A walk after dinner. Bad idea to take pictures after a full meal.

A more natural happy me.

Since I’ll be going back to the US for a month starting next week my date has decided to take one week off to show me around the country. He asked me what town I want to see first and I chose Voldendam. I’ve been there with my friends before and want to see how much the town has changed the last couple of years.

At the center of the village is the main Church.

Just another tourist in the crowd.

There are more shops and restaurants now along the tiny street by the harbour. While sitting at the side walk cafe you have to be careful not to get run over by the countless tour buses. This tiny fisherman’s village has been taken over by too many tourists in my opinion. I didn’t take the boat to Marken like the last time but took a nice stroll in the town’s center. I kept asking myself how this small town has become such a hot tourist spot.

On August 13, 2006, it was time to head back to the Netherlands. Vienne took me to the Asiatic House to say good bye to some of the A Team members. I was treated to a good old Lao dishes, with Laap Moo, Tum Maak Houng and Ping Kai, served with warm sticky rice. It was a perfect meal before heading to the airport. The week has gone by so quickly and I must depart and get back to the colder NL climate. Until next time the A Team.

At 23:41 hour I was back at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. It’s hard to believe at a couple of hours earlier I was in the sunny and warm Spain.

On Wednesday (10, August 2006) we went to Ronda. It is a very beautiful town and the scenery is breathtaking. I was treated to a fantastic 21 course Gastronomic meal that evening. Now I can say I’ve been there and done that.

Chef Vienne states that he and I were on a Culinary Holiday. Well said! For an entire week I did nothing but ate, ate, and ate some more. When we were not eating, we were either hanging out at the beach to digest what we’ve eaten or in Chef Vienne’s case, taking his siesta. I didn’t take siesta because I am a cranky napper, LOL.

The pictures speak for themselves. Here are some highlight pics of the food (lunch) and the sunny beaches.

Sample of our first lunch at a garden restaurant.

We shouldn’t have taken pictures after a full meal.

Chef Vienne

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The A-Team resides at the Asiatic House with access to the swimming pool. After putting long hours in the kitchen, having a BBQ party and going for a swim afterward is a great way to kill the long summer evening hours.

So on the second day of my visitation, we started the week off right by having a BBQ party, Lao style that is.

Setting up for the BBQ party by the pool side.

In the kitchen, members of the A-Team were cooking up a storm. Left to right: Junior, Khamsene, Kuchi, and Khamhoung.

Khamhoung prepares larb sien as raw as it gets.

The meat is almost ready.

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I had a wonderful time in Spain. I know I should have updated my blog on a daily basis while I was visiting the A-Team but eh I was on a vacation (eating vacation is more like it) so you have to excuse me for my lack of posting.

On the first night Chef Vienne took me to the Asiatic Restaurant. We were treated to a small (not that small) “Tasting Menu“. The dishes were beautifully prepared and tasted delicious. Don’t take my words for it, go there for yourself and sample the cooking of the A-Team at Fairplay Golf Hotel & Spa (5 stars luxury suite hotel).

Salad Dressed with “Laotian Salad Dressing” and Beef “Lorn”, dried marinated Sesame beef strips.

Sea Bass Rose with Yuzu Dressing.

Tuna Toro with Avocado Tower.

New Style Goong Che Nam Pla with Caramelised Shallots and Cilantro Oil.

Homemade Prawn and Pork Dumplings, deep fried and served with Sweet Soy and Sesame Sauce.

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I started going to Hotel New York Restaurant in the spring of 2004. I first went there with a group of people for a party and was introduced to oysters. I wanted to show the others how brave I was so I tried one. Later I expanded my choice of food from simply shrimps to sashimi and other types of shells seafood. The service is not that great and Vienne can vouch for me on this. I met Vienne there for the first time a few days after Christmas and we had a great time eating oysters and finished an entire seafood platter.

No more oysters

Let’s go on to the seafood platter

Yes, Vienne and I can be silly at times

The last time I was at Hotel New York Restaurant I ran out of patience. Since I was a waitress for a few months during the first year of college I can be somewhat forgiving. But the service was really terrible the last time. I did get my sashimi right but the small seafood platter for one person had to be made three times. How difficult can it be to just grab a few portions of shells seafood that are ready to go? It’s not just the service that is bad. The price went up so much while the portion became smaller.

I know we are facing an energy crisis and these restaurants have to raise their prices to keep up with delivery charges for their supply. But paying twice the price and having 1/3 of the previous serving is crazy. Anyway, let’s just say that I will not go there anymore for my oysters craving. My date left some tips nevertheless. It was because of me, knowing that I tried to be a good waitress. Most of my Dutch friends however tell me not to give tips. They said when they do their job well they don’t get tips so why should these waiters and waitresses receive some tips.

They do have a point there. Unlike in the US where servicing people have to earn tips to survive because they get paid less than minimum wages. Normally Dutch people don’t give tips because the servicing people get an annual salary. There is no such thing as good customer service here. If you are a tourist, you will find out soon and will learn to get use to the system, after sitting there for 20 minutes and no one comes by to say “may I take your order sir.” In a big city like Amsterdam, which caters to tourists, servers are a bit faster on their toes. Having said that it is not always true in most cases.

Now I can only look at my last sashimi. Hopefully it’s not my last and I will be treated very special in Spain (hint, wink).

Standing in front of the restaurant. Why do I always take pictures after I am full? It just makes me look more fat, hahaha.

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Using beautiful women in beer commercials is nothing new. Dutch beer company, Heineken tends to create funny commercials.

If you are man, which one will you choose? Jennifer Aniston or Heineken?

Women don’t know football? Also a funny commercial by Amstel Dutch beer.

I saw this commercial during the World Cup games. The theme was Hulp Holland or Help Holland.

It’s a pity the Dutch team didn’t advance that far. Oh well, there is always hope for the next World Cup. When will we see Laos compete with the big boys?