Nationale Krokettendag (National croquette day) spend at Eetsalon van Dobben
The first Nationale Krokettendag (National croquette day) was held in the Netherlands on 9 October 2014. A kroket is a cylindrical, fried snack with a core of beef ragoût and it is one of the favorite fast food snacks of the Dutch people. On that day, I happened to be in Amsterdam and I visited the famous Eetsalon van Dobben near the Rembrandtplein, which is popular among locals and tourists. They have a large selection of sandwiches, varying from €2 - €4.75, but they are the most famous for their croquettes. They serve the croquettes in halves and on one half of a soft bun, richly slathered with butter. But if you prefer, you can also order just the croquette.
You order what you want at the large counter with the bar stools and then take the food and drinks back to your own seat. I ordered the regular van Dobben kroket (=beef croquette) with a cup of tea. I got a tea bag with Pickwick original English tea with my glass of hot water. I didn't get asked what kind of tea I wanted, so I assume that everyone gets this. It is a fairly standard black tea with a very subtle taste. De van Dobben Eetsalon is a very laid-back lunchroom and I can understand that it isn't a place where you slowly nip on your special tea.
On your table, you can find a large stack of paper napkins and some condiments such as Maggi seasoning sauce, salt and pepper, and a small glass of mustard with a small spoon in it. I ate the soft bun with croquette without any condiments and it was quite okay. The thick crust was very crunchy and delicious, but the inside was luke-warm. I could have guessed that it was kept warm behind the counter, as it was made within a minute. It is nice that I didn't have to wait very long and it is immediately ready to eat, but I prefer my croquette to be slightly hotter. I also missed the rich beef flavor and small pieces of meat in the ragoût, which is apparently how we eat the croquette in the South of the Netherlands and it is sometimes done differently in Amsterdam. Lastly, I thought that I would dislike the thick layer of butter on the bun as I normally barely put any butter on my bread, but it blended quite well with the soft bun and the hard, crunchy croquette.
You order what you want at the large counter with the bar stools and then take the food and drinks back to your own seat. I ordered the regular van Dobben kroket (=beef croquette) with a cup of tea. I got a tea bag with Pickwick original English tea with my glass of hot water. I didn't get asked what kind of tea I wanted, so I assume that everyone gets this. It is a fairly standard black tea with a very subtle taste. De van Dobben Eetsalon is a very laid-back lunchroom and I can understand that it isn't a place where you slowly nip on your special tea.
On your table, you can find a large stack of paper napkins and some condiments such as Maggi seasoning sauce, salt and pepper, and a small glass of mustard with a small spoon in it. I ate the soft bun with croquette without any condiments and it was quite okay. The thick crust was very crunchy and delicious, but the inside was luke-warm. I could have guessed that it was kept warm behind the counter, as it was made within a minute. It is nice that I didn't have to wait very long and it is immediately ready to eat, but I prefer my croquette to be slightly hotter. I also missed the rich beef flavor and small pieces of meat in the ragoût, which is apparently how we eat the croquette in the South of the Netherlands and it is sometimes done differently in Amsterdam. Lastly, I thought that I would dislike the thick layer of butter on the bun as I normally barely put any butter on my bread, but it blended quite well with the soft bun and the hard, crunchy croquette.
Eetsalon van Dobben
Korte Reguliersdwarsstraat 5-7-9, Amsterdam.
Opening hours: 10:00 - 21:00
Directions: From Amsterdam Central station, you can take the tram 4, 9, or 14. Alight the tram at the stop, Rembrandtplein. Look around until you see the large Flying Tiger corner store and enter the narrow street on the left of that store.
