Restaurant Jun
Rijsttafels are always a good idea, but they’re an even better one when people are visiting. While there are plenty of great Italian restaurants around Amsterdam, family and friends can pretty much find one anywhere. But Indonesian food? Not that common. Well, definitely not in Dallas.
Hayden’s parents visited, so we were on an “eating out every night” roll. I’ve chosen a couple of tried and tested places, but also ended up at an old spot from my list that I haven’t checked off yet: Restaurant Jun.
I liked the vibe of the place as soon as we walked in. White napkins, kinda classy, but not enough to make you feel like you’re underdressed or in the wrong place. The staff was super nice from the beginning, the chef personally checked on us, and pretty sure we’ve also met the owner?
We chose the second rijsttafel on their menu, which includes more options – you know, getting the full experience. To kickoff the dinner, we started with a local beer and some of the wines on the list. Extensive wine list, by the way.
The meal started with appetizers. The guys had Pangsit goreng, a.k.a. fried wontons. The ladies Soto ayam, a chicken soup with kaffir lime leaves, lemon grass and ginger. I’m a sucker for soups, so was happy with it – even better, it had an egg in it!
(I have a ramen problem. This wasn’t ramen or anything like it, but even when I see an egg in broth I get excited. It’s tough being me.)
Next, alllll the dishes slowly came our way. In the rijsttafel, some of the usual suspects: a Chicken (ayam) sate that Hayden’s mom said “she could bath in”, a Rendang that I thought was delicious but Hayden prefers the one at Blauw, Stir fried veggies (cap cai) in oyster source & coconut milk. Plenty of rice to go with all the sauces.
The dish that was very memorable to me was the Ikan pendap: sea bass fillet in a sauce from South Sumatra with kemiri, galangal, ginger and celery. The sauce simply hit all the right spots, with just a little bit of spice but a whole lot of flavour. If we’re talking about bathing in sauces (and why wouldn’t we be talking about that…), this is the one I’d probably choose for my bathtub.
I also really enjoyed the Sate kambing – lamb skewers with soy sauce and red onion.
All in all, a very pleasent experience. Right by our house, too! Initially, we thought that the variety was fairly small for a rijsttafel, being used to Blauw which offers more dishes. However, the quality is superior, and at the end of the day…that’s the most important thing.
100% would recommend restaurant Jun for your next rijsttafel. Amsterdam based foodie and Dallas newbies approved.
Value for money: 8
Food Quality: 9
Location: 8 (Frederik Hendrikstraat 98)
Service: 9
Website: https://www.restaurantjun.nl/
Have a suggestion, question, or just want to hola at me? Find me here: sayhello.eatandtell@gmail.com
