Both of these places are in the city center area of Leiden.
India Way is a tandoori restaurant right across a courtyard from the Olive Garden I mentioned the other night. Boss, Direct, and I went there Thursday night and did a family style of Lamb Tikka and similar goodies, with yummy rice and nan.
Tonight a big group of us went to Surakarta, an Indonesian restaurant. Indonesian food is big in the Netherlands, as it’s a former colony. Southeast Asian in nature, not surprisingly, it’s spicy, savory, sort of like Thai with fewer nuts. Extremely tasty, if somewhat lackadaisical service.
I’ve been trying to walk a bit each night, and tonight I led some of us walking back from the restaurant (about 20-30 minutes strolling.
Both last night and tonight I tried a glass of Genever, or Dutch Gin. The Netherlands — indeed Leiden — is the home of gin (which became popular and low-quality in England when excise taxes were laid by William & Mary that taxed liquor based on volume, not proof). Dutch Gin is spicier, in keeping with its origin as medicine — flavored spirit with various herbal infusions. Bombay Sapphire? Fah! This stuff is herbal, dagnabbit, with enough infused bits that the glass is oily when drained.
Surprisingly good. I’ll have to check out the Duty Free on the way back through Schiaphol..
Oooooh…