But before we go on, let’s get oriented a bit. A couple hundred years ago, in what is now Belgium, some genius decided to slice up some potatoes and then deep fry the slivers. The Brits call them “chips,” the French call them “pommes frites,” and for some reason the Americans call them “French fries.” But in the Netherlands and Belgium they call them “Vlaamse frites” and they eat them like there is no tomorrow. Vlaamse frites literally means “Flemish fries,” correctly attributing them to the northern Belgium region of Flanders.
The fries are probably the most famous single food item in Amsterdam. Famously served and eaten by the locals smothered in a rich mayonnaise, are served nearly everywhere. From what I heard, the best place for fries in Amsterdam is the one called "Manneken Pis".
This one is right on the main street if you head directly away from Centraal Station, so every visitor is bound to pass it at least once. There always seem to be a line out front, even when nearby places are empty.The sign out front says the place was “Voted #1 Holland’s Fries”, and as dubious as claims like that often are, this one might be correct. There is no seating at all, just couple counters facing the street, with the fries being the only main course on offer.
The fries are served in a paper cone with a tiny wooden fork which comes in handy during the later part of your meal. The fries are also served with different variety of sauces including ketchup, incase your stomach cannot handle the mayonnaise. As you can see from the picture, I opted for ketchup instead.
The fries are hot, crispy and tasty. The locals definitely love them, so this isn’t one of those things that solely exists for the tourists.
The other popular food
eatery is FEBO. It is a street fast food chain with shops all over
Amsterdam selling Dutch food in a huge walk in vending machine. They
have all their selections in an automated wall like vending machine
style slots. You basically drop a euro or two in the slot and the door
opens. You can eat the typical dutch croquette here.
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