This year I am having the worst winter in my life. I have been sick almost every other day; coughing, and sneezing all the time with a painful migraine headache. I can barely stay healthy no matter how much I drink healthy tea or warm soup. My biggest health problem is sinusitis and migraine and temperature fluctuation means I am sick. Anyway, despite being sick most of the time, I try to do my daily chores and important work. I guess this year not gonna end well.
Like I said, I try to do important work which means I go out to another city if it is needed. Last week I had to go to Amsterdam again. The weather condition was a worst, windy, cold and rainy day but I had to go out. I had to go to a hospital for admission intake because my doctors sent me. Umm, nothing serious yet but it might be serious in the future. I don't know yet. I prefer to stay at home during the winter season and this year, I am not having a good time with my mental and physical health.
The location was somewhere near Anne Frank's house, the location is called Keizersgracht. During summer, this location becomes lively because of tourists but during winter especially when it rains, I don't see many tourists except the curious ones. Rain in Amsterdam is normal but unfortunately, I don't like such kind of cold gloomy weather. I was sick already and later that weather made me more sick.
The holiday season is almost here and now Amsterdam will be packed with tourists. Before, I used to feel excited whenever I went to Amsterdam but not anymore even though this city has so much to offer. Probably I am demotivated now and that's why I don't find this city attractive anymore.
But yes, after finishing my work, I didn't forget to take some photos.
Despite of dislike, I still find this narrow brick building attractive. It is suggested to take a walk at Keizersgracht because of these narrow ornamented buildings with big windows, unadorned facades, and one of the big canals in Amsterdam. That's why I said this is a tourist spot. Amsterdam is famous for its Expressionist architecture. It has both modern and classic style architectural layouts with rich history and that's the most attractive part for tourists. Moreover, there is so much to do, restaurants, bars clubs, everything you desire for.
I didn't take a long walk, I just took photos and left for Old Amsterdam Central, near Da Wallen.
I was hungry so I needed something to eat.
When I feel hungry, I don't think twice, I just go for it. That day I decided I was gonna go to China Ally where a lot of Chinese and Asian restaurants are located. I have been there before and ate food there. The food there is quite nice and you can see the menu and food prices before entering the restaurant. The rain stopped and the sky was clear when I reached China Ally. China Street is located near Dam Square and Da Wallen (Red Light District). To be honest, I don't know the exact location, I just know how to get there. It's more like an Asian Restaurant Street because all kinds of Asian cuisine restaurants are located there. They are not fancy restaurants but the price is fancy 😀' after all it's Amsterdam.
At first, I took a look at some restaurant's menus and prices and later stopped in front of these two restaurants. I was thinking about what to eat, Ramen or Chinese food. But my eyes went to the Peking duck that was hanging in the restaurant's kitchen and I was seeing it from the outside because of the glass facade. So, I decided to go to Nam Kee where the Peking ducks were hanging, poor ducks.
Naam Kee - Chinese Restaurant
For those who don't know what is Peking Duck, it's a dish from Beijing China. It's a traditional dish since the Imperial era with crispy duck skin, seasoned with spices before roasting and sauce. The meat is juicy inside. The portion of meat is not much but very tasty to eat.
The restaurant was not so fancy and was crowded when I was there. I found a table for us (I was not alone) and decided to order food. I knew what I was gonna eat, obviously Peking duck with crispy noodles. I saw this interesting frame with original money, interesting.
Unfortunately, the waitress told me that the Peking duck menu would be served with rice, not with fried noodles but she also mentioned she could arrange noodles separately for me if I wanted. Well, obviously I said yes without knowing what was waiting for me.
Tons of Chinese dishes were listed on the menu and it was hard to choose what to order, and what not to order. Well, the price was nice too...
We ordered beef chili with white rice and Peking duck with fried noodles. Order served fast, I wasn't expecting such fast service. The face look of the waitress was unpleasant, maybe she was having a bad day.
Bonus they served red hot dried chili oil. Have you tasted this chili oil before? It's super spicy and not for everyone. I learned about this chili oil from Chinese food videos. For Chinese people, I think chili oil is a must with dishes.
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I didn't take any photos of the restaurant because it was full of diners and I didn't feel comfortable taking photos while others were enjoying their meal. It's not good behavior in my opinion and there is always privacy question. Anyway, let's talk about the food.
Peking Duck was really tasty, it was a little spicy but the meat was juicy, delicious and the duck's skin was crispy enough. I didn't like the fried egg noodles, I struggled with it and due to the lack of gravy from the duck, the noodles remained dry. The one I tasted in Dan Haag was way more better than this egg noodles. The beef was good and tasted delicious with rice. But that was not my meal so I just ate Peking duck and left the noodles aside.
Bill arrived and I was about to cry seeing the bill because of egg noodles. I was questioning my choice because I was not served white rice and they charged me extra for egg noodles like a menu because I asked for it. :( Well, I didn't say anything. I just left after paying the bill. Because somehow it was my mistake, I didn't clear my doubts before ordering anything.
The duck was tasty but my experience was not well because of my own mistake. This was also a lesson for me...
Gonna finish my post here, thanks all for reading. Happy Weekend...
Love
Priyan...
I am @priyanarc.... An architect, a dreamer, and a passionate writer who loves to write about life. I try to present my own perspective and experiences. Please leave your feedback and criticism because it's the only way I can know and reach your mind and thoughts easily...
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