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I am an A+ Zomato stalker and am always on the hunt for my next food adventure with Bub. We always love discovering new places and consider three main ingredients for the perfect evening; food (is there even a question about?), decor and service.
We have walked passed Nieuw Amsterdam multiple times - each time, curiously peeking in at the open, dark entrance and commenting on how we wanted to try the place. Alas, every time we always had a different plan for the day/ evening and just never seemed to get around to it. So when surprise date night came around (yay!) a few months ago, I knew it was the perfect place to go. There were no excuse not to - it had been on our curated list for so long.
The venue had two options; bar (downstairs) and eatery (upstairs). Of course, you know where we decided to go. The eatery is a lot quieter from the bar from memory and kind of felt like a whole different space. It was a lot more relaxed, and the rustic brick walls reminded me of images I had seen of New York apartments. The candle lights gave a warm, romantic yet moderated feel. Their use of tea towels instead of white cloth napkins held their theme of relaxation and modern-age.
First off - Southern fried quail. To be completely honest, I could have had eaten this all night long and still would have been able to make excuses for some more. The quail was not dry, and was well seasoned. The crisp coating was complemented by the burst of sweetness yet slight acidity brought from the pickled grapes. The heat from the romesco sauce did not overpower the dish, but instead brought another dimension that tied a nice little bow to the quail. This plate was finger-licking good.
For mains, we decided not to 'brisket' and grabbed the Rangers Valley beef brisket and the curry spiced lamb ribs. Additionally, we ordered a side of the potato salad. I am a potato lover - I will happily just eat potatoes on its own and since I was a child, have always keen for a good mash. The potato salad was not served in the general manner you'd expect, but the contemporary homeliness came through in this dish. The creaminess was While this dish looked like potato heaven when it was served, we unfortunately struggled to finish this generous serving.
The beef brisket had been cooked for 48 hours before been thrown into the pit grill. The smokiness in the beef was prominent, but did not overwhelm the other flavours of the dish. The meat was tender and married well with the bed of mushrooms. Now for these mushrooms - darn were they good. They had taken on a good soaking of the sauce whilst adding a lovely chewy crunch texture you'd expect from this fungi (pun intended, of course).
The lamb ribs were another plate of happiness. I cannot begin to describe how much I love the contemporary homeliness of food being dished up in a little pan. It is rustic, yet refined at the same time to me. The spices were aromatic on the palate and the potato sides help cut through this with its creaminess. Served with some vegetables that had been slightly charred, this dish was an assortment of earthy.
To finish the night, we traveled to NY with a cheesecake. Its deconstructed plating was simple but well executed; and that large, smooth scoop of vanilla ice cream had me on all sorts giddy. The aerated honeycomb provided a crunch against their soft, fluffy cake. The additional Laphroaig marmalade gave a nuance of bitterness from the alcohol to ensure the dish was not too sweet. This dessert was light, but satisfying and a wonderful note to finish the night on.
It is through the privilege of dining at places like this that my love for food continues to stem further. I really want to thank the staff for their friendliness, efficiency (but not in a way that makes you feel rushed) and the chefs who pour their heart into bringing their customers on a journey with the food that they plate up.
I cannot wait for my next adventure.
Nieuw Amsterdam
A: 106-112 Hardware St, Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 9602 2111