It is actually serious how little I get outside of Amsterdam. Of course, I love to travel, but I do that outside the Dutch borders. In our little country, I am not that adventurous at all. I realized that again this weekend when I went to Rotterdam and thought that I hadn't been there in twenty years.

I went there with friends from the past, whom I hadn't seen for six years. Very nice of course: we went to a concert and had something to eat beforehand. I took on the role of tour guide and had the task of finding a nice place to eat and have drinks beforehand. And that is quite difficult when you are with a group of six that you don't see or speak to very often. No idea what they like to eat.

The solution: we went to the Foodhallen in Rotterdam. And even though I love ‘my’ Amsterdam, those Foodhallen actually win a bit over the ones in the capital. You find a lot of little stalls there and I haven't eaten so well in ages as I did here. One of my friends even said about the sushi that she thought it was the best she had had in years. I personally found the dumplings and bao buns truly divine, just like the homemade wagyu bitterballen. And the plate of nachos was also very well received. Oh, and the burger. Don't forget to order the satay at Tante San, and actually also the pho at Vietyam.

You understand: I seriously went out the door feeling stuffed. But it was good that we went to a standing concert because I really needed that base. And that worked out. I have somewhat come around from my (unjustified) prejudice about Rotterdam. I even plan to book a weekend soon and of course stay in the hotel that is in the same building as the Foodhallen. Alone. But. Eating.