Discover Benelux | Amsterdam Zuid | The Ultimate Winter Destination
The new sushi address in Amsterdam TEXT: BETTINA GUIRKINGER | PHOTOS: SUSHILEE
When it comes to fresh food with a great taste at an affordable price, Sushilee has it all spot on. Located in the southern part of the Dutch capital, this modern Japanese kitchen caters from all-day dining through to early dinner. Be prepared for an all-round sensory experience. Built with a tremendous amount of care by its founders, Sushilee opened its doors in May this year and already has a clientele of loyal customers who keep coming back for more. Open Tuesday to Saturday from 11.30am to
7pm (when the kitchen closes), the restaurant came to life to provide its customers with a delicious experience centred around food: “For us the quality of the food is of paramount importance, which is why we only use the freshest and highest quality ingredients available. Every item we use to create our menus comes from specialised providers, including our tea which is imported directly from Japan,” explains founder and general manager Lauren Jade Lee. From the sushi sets, which are a beautiful combination of taste and texture, all the way to the ramen, salads and teppan dishes,
Sushilee’s team of Japanese chefs loves surprising their clients with something they might have not tried before. “As a foodie, it’s important to me that we have food that is not just good, but absolutely great,” says Lee. “This is also why the wines we offer are selected for their palate-cleansing attributes, just so you can appreciate every single bite.” Available for table service, take-away and catering, Sushilee will become your new favourite sushi address. www.sushilee.nl
The first real French bakery in Amsterdam TEXT: CATHY VAN KLAVEREN | PHOTOS: LE FOURNIL DE SÉBASTIEN
An artisan French baker and his Dutch wife did not plan to make such an impression on the Netherlands’ bread-eating culture, but they definitely did. Their shop Le Fournil de Sébastien, named after one of the owners, is a bakery in Amsterdam that nowadays is too small to fit in all its customers. All the French specialties displayed in the window are freshly baked every day with few ingredients, which are all pure. “Our sourdough bread is made with the best flour and with real
sourdough. It’s baked in a way that the crust is crunchy but the inside stays soft,” explains Susan Roturier, who is also Sébastien’s wife. Together the pair owned a family bakery in France for over ten years, but decided to open one in the Netherlands. “We actually wanted to open a bakery in a big city in France. Back then I didn’t think Dutch people would like French bread that much, but the culture changed in the ‘90s. People opened themselves up to other flavours.” The couple opened their first bakery at the Olympiaplein in Amsterdam. They also have bakeries in Hilversum and Amstelveen. It is a place where bakers have no trouble letting customers peek at how they make their everyday products. “In France the brioche was very popular, a sweet bread. But here people love our baguettes and croissants.” But specialties go on and on, from macarons to canelé and préfou. Made with love, all with an authentic French recipe.
The bakery opens at seven in the morning, just like the ones in France. www.lefournil.nl
Issue 36 | December 2016 | 51