Memorable Vegetarian Eats & Drinks in Amsterdam

My days in Amsterdam this time around have come and gone. I had a great time there for work, but I was excited to leave the city and start my European vacation! My hubby and I spent some time in Cologne (more on that later!), and now we’re rolling through the German countryside on the train en route to Austria. But today I’m sharing my eats and drinks from my time in Amsterdam.

A lot of my eats were at the city’s convention center where my work event was, looking mostly like this…

…but I also had some fun foodie experiences. Here are my top 3:

1.) TerraZen Cafe: I talked about this Japanese/Caribbean fusion vegan eatery last year, and this year I went back to the restaurant – twice actually! It’s completely hippy-ish & not in the least bit a formal eatery…and the food is really yummy! I went there once with my boss, then took my hubby there the last night I was in Amsterdam. My hubby declared it to be, “one of the weirdest places I’ve taken him,” but said that the food was tasty. I walked out with a happy belly both times! Dishes I shared there include miso soup, tempeh katsu, avocado natto, tempura and teishoku: 

2.) Trying akvavit: One of my company’s clients is based in Norway, and during a reception they had, they served akvavit, a traditional spirit enjoyed often by Norwegians at Christmas. Distilled from potatoes, I did not expect the akvavit to taste quite so strong. It was like sipping on a shot – with an empty stomach nonetheless! – but it was interesting to try anyways.

 (source)

3.) SPACE MUFFINS: I saved the best for last! Even if you’ve never been to Amsterdam, you’ve probably heard that there are coffee shops at every corner with happy people ingesting legal marijuana. I hadn’t tried any in Amsterdam on my previous trips because it’s not my thing, but I figured why not? It’s Amsterdam after all! I tried a chocolate muffin, which surprisingly tasted good. I didn’t feel the effects until hours afterwards, at which point I was giggling as I happily ate at the above vegan restaurant. It was a fun time!

Question: Have you ever been skeptical of a restaurant at first, then wound up loving it? 

I felt a bit iffy about TerraZen at first, but it wound up being a hidden gem in a city not known for its cuisine. The same goes for my favorite Chinese food in the whole world – Veggie Heaven in Jersey! It just shows that you can’t judge a book by its cover right? 🙂