Bun Vietnamese Food in Antwerp, Belgium

One of the most intriguing dining experiences during the trip was at a place called Bun in Antwerp. We discovered that it had pretty good reviews and menu items that were off the beaten path, and that pretty much fits the dining on vacation criteria.

The restaurant’s tag like is "Our story is one of East meets West" referring to the chefs, Hoa Truong & Huibrecht Berends. I spied some books for sale in the restaurant so there’s a larger story about the restaurant’s history and chefs that I would certainly love to explore if we had more time in Antwerp. The books are written by the chef of Bun’s sister restaurant, Little Asia in Brussels. To clarify, Hoa Truong’s sister is the owner of Little Asia, so they really are sister restaurants. At least what’s what I can piece together with the translations. 

Since we arrived at the restaurant for lunch right at opening, we were able to snag some seats near a large window. However, do be warned that the restaurant is limited in seats so you may want to make reservations during busy hours.

We ordered a variety of dishes, and each one was distinctly unique and delightful in its own way. Let’s take a walk through the menu.

We started with the dog cockles, otherwise known as European Bittersweet clams served with Vietnamese flavors. These were refreshing, simple, and divine. 

Next up was a warm beef bun that oozed of umami. This was comfort food!

And the next savory course was the ca kho which was spicy caramelized plaice fillet over white rice. This was one of the best rice and fish dishes I have ever had, and I have had many rice and fish dishes. The fish was sweet but not sugary. The texture was firm yet delicate. I would highly recommend this dish. 

Dessert was fermented sticky rice. It does not sound interesting, and it certainly did not look sexy. However, it was super tasty. Fermented sticky rice is made with the same yeast that is used to make sake. This tasted like a porridge spiked with fizzy sake, and it was very interesting.

And you know that a dish is really remarkable when you look up how to make it at home. I ordered some rice yeast balls from Amazon in preparation for my next experiment. 

Lastly, we were gifted with some ginger chocolate truffles to finish off our lunch. If I had an extra meal to spend in Belgium, I would ride over to Brussels and try the sister restaurant, Little Asia.

Tips on Getting Tickets to the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam

We must not forget what history has taught us. History has shown us that people can be cruel, unjust, and unrestrained in their destruction of people. While in Amsterdam, making a visit to the Anne Frank Museum is an absolute must to keep the lessons from history seared into our minds. 

The entrance to the Anne Frank Museum

The museum is the house in which Anne Frank, her family, the Pels, and Fritz Pfeffer. Do note that photographs inside the museum are not allowed as respect for people connecting with the meaning of the house. Visiting the location where one of the greatest works of literature was written during the darkest hours of history is something that many others want to do.

You can purchase tickets to the Anne Frank House, but you should do it well in advance. There are regular admission tickets (9 euros) to the museum, and there are special tickets (14 euros) that include an introductory program with museum staff. The special tickets typically had much fewer time slots available. When I looked at tickets in October, the regular tickets were sold out for several weeks in advance as were the special program tickets. On occasion, a few tickets would become available on same day or a few days in advance. 

 

Model of the house in the museum gift shop.

My best guess about why this happens is because new tickets for existing time slots are uploaded into the schedule. My experience in trying to catch one of these newly added tickets is to check the website early in the morning Amsterdam time zone. My first day in Amsterdam, I found six regular tickets for same day. The other days I was in Amsterdam showed no tickets available, but I kept checking to see the website regularly to see if any there were any available tickets. And that’s how I discovered the addition of available tickets the same day or a few days in advance.

I wound up spotting available special tickets that worked well for our schedule, and I snagged them. It appears that the museum staff schedules are solidified a few days in advance so it is more likely that you’ll find the special program tickets being added, particularly if you notice there are days when special program tickets time slots are very limited. Staffing for that day is probably still being solidified, and thus, the higher chances that you’ll see available tickets and additional times closer to that date. Keep in mind that all is this is speculation on the operations end of how tickets are made available for purchase online. I could be really inaccurate, but hopefully this post will get you tickets anyways. 

 

Front view of the museum.

You might be asking if it is worth 5 euros to pay for the special program, and I would say that it is worth the additional and nominal cost. In the program, a museum staff member guides you through the story with details about the museum and family that you cannot get anywhere else. By the time you are ready to visit the museum, you are well-educated in the story so that the visit makes sense to you. Instead of trying to absorb new information, you are able to experience the museum and get a deeper understanding of the significance of the items and space. I would highly recommend getting tickets for the special program. 

 This is the middle section of the line.

If you decide that you want to show up to buy tickets, do be prepared for an extremely long wait. Walk up tickets start being sold at 3:30pm, and the line is about two hours long just to buy ticket. After seeing the line at the Museum, I am very grateful that I spent time every morning looking for tickets.

Turkish Pizza, lahmacun, in Europe

You want Turkish pizza. You really, really want Turkish pizza. We stumbled across this gem of a dish late at night while searching for a tasty bite in Amsterdam near the Anne Frank Museum. Sefa Grill had pretty good reviews on Yelp and TripAdvisor, so we decided to give it a try. 

It may not be the most photogenic dish, but it is a tasty one.  

We ordered a pretty standard meat platter, and what we thought was a pizza. What came out was more of a wrap than a pizza, and it was absolutely delicious. The crispy and flakey wrap warmly hugged hot, juice doner meat and sauce. It was so good that I could have finished one in 90 seconds. I probably could have easily eaten 3 or 4. 

The mixed grilled platter at Sefa.

You  might be confused about why something that looks like a wrap is called a pizza. We had this dish a second time at a shop on the busiest shopping center in Leiden, and we got a sneak peek at how they are made.

I took this photo from over the counter. 

This dish does start out as a pizza cooked in a pan. The cooked crust is the dressed with sauce and toppings, and the entire thing is cooked in a pan. Then the entire thing is rolled up tightly into a delicious wrap. 

This one had more traditional pizza toppings. 

These pizzas are very affordable at just a few euros. You can always add more toppings for a more extravagant pizza. They were on the menu at shops every few blocks in Leiden, and they are also plentiful in Amsterdam. Sometimes Turkish pizza is called lahmacun, though it is typically served flat instead of rolled. Enjoy!

Egyptian Kapsalon: Fries + Meat + Cheese

Growing up, chili cheese fries were a thing you ate a the Sonic on a Friday night after the high school football game. Piping hot fries covered with spicy chili and cheese out of a can were classic. It was the Texas version of fries + meat + cheese. Another famous take on meaty fries is the poutine, a Canadian dish of fries covered with cheese curds and gravy.

The dressed up fries don’t stop there. Chilantro based in Austin, TX has their version which is covered in bibimbap meat, caramelized kimchi, cheddar + monterey jack, onions, cilantro, magic sauce, sesame seeds, and sriracha. Salt Traders in Round Rock has the chowder fries: fries covered in clam chowder, bacon, and leeks. And the new Soursop Austin has a version of crispy fries covered with rice cakes, five spice flank steak, rau ram, Thai basil, and pho gravy. 

  

These dishes aren't always the prettiest of dishes, but the taste makes up for that cosmetic short coming. 

 There are a few other versions of fries + meat + cheese concoctions including the carne asada fries that are served in the San Diego area, Halal snack pack in Australia, and the mitraillette in Belgium where it is served as a sandwich.

While in Maastricht, an American exchange student who recommended a version that he likes to have after a long night of studying. It was called the kapsalon, which oddly means hairdresser in Dutch, at an eatery called Isis Grill (as in the Egyptian God Isis). So one day, we took a short walk to the restaurant and ordered the kapsalon. 

A large pile of fries was covered in lettuce, doner meat, garlic sauce, and melted cheese. It did certainly taste like what I’d have after a long night of studying. I’d recommend it at least once because fries are always good, and so it garlic sauce and cheese.