Discover Benelux | The Hague | Top Eat, Drink & Sleep Spots
Authentic and fresh TEXT: JANINE STERENBORG | PHOTOS: WARUNG MINI XL
Ask a local where to get great Surinamese food in The Hague, and they will promptly mention Warung Mini XL. The Surinamese-Javanese restaurant and take away in the centre of the city serves delicious food and throughout the years it has rightfully become a household name. Inspired from traditional recipes of the grandmothers of owners Winston and Annie, Warung Mini XL serves Surinamese dishes that connoisseurs praise for their authentic taste. One of these is the popular hearty saoto soup. “This is a real energy booster,“ says Winston, “it’s a chicken broth filled with potato strings, bean sprouts, pulled chicken and more, served with a bowl of rice on the side. It’s a typical dish to eat during rainy days, or 54 | Issue 25 | January 2016
in the morning after a rough night.” Since the filling soup comes in large portions, it makes for a perfect lunch or dinner as well. Besides the soup, Warung Mini XL makes well-known Surinamese-Javanese dishes such as roti, nasi and bami. All are made from fresh ingredients, prepared in the kitchen and served the same day. On the menu you will find halal meat as well as fish and vegetarian dishes, suiting many diets and demands. The recipes for all dishes come from an interesting background, their exact origin is hard to establish since Surinamese food has multicultural roots. “Over the years, diverse ethnic groups immigrated to Suriname, bringing recipes from, for instance,
Indonesia, China and African countries to the Surinamese kitchen,” Winston explains, “the result is the interesting mix of dishes the Surinamese kitchen has to offer.’” Warung started as a take away, but Winston and Annie decided to expand their business a few years ago. It was a successful move, judging from the daily line of people who patiently wait to be seated around dinner time. “You never have to wait long for a seat or your food though. On the busiest moments you will be seated within 30 minutes and get your food within half an hour of ordering, and no matter how busy it is, in our kitchen, quality is key.” www.warungminidenhaag.com