FRNZY AMSTERDAM (MATTYB RECOMMENDS)

Last weekend we went to the beautiful city of Amsterdam. It was my first time in the Dutch capital and I was surprised by the amount of South Asian restaurants that were knocking about. One day whilst exploring the area of De Pijp, close to the Heineken Experience south of the city, we stumbled across Frnzy, a Vietnamese street food restaurant nestled down one of the more quieter side streets. A quick glance of the street food style menu and we decided to give them a whirl.

It was a chilly Sunday evening when we walked through Frnzy's door and we were ready for some yummy food to warm us up. Frnzy is small inside with black and white features running right the way through the decor from the central bar area to the far eastern style murals on the wall. This independent business has only been open for a few months but it was great to see the customers leaving after their meals instantly being replaced by new customers walking through the doors. It seems like they have the support of the local community which is great to see. 

The menu consists mainly of three options (with some small starters as well as waffles for dessert!). You can have a "Bun Salad", a fresh noodle salad with greens and beansprouts, the "Goi Cuon" rice paper springs rolls or "Bahn Mi", a crispy baguette stuffed with tasty treats. Each of the three options allows you to choose your protein of choice with turmeric tofu  available for vegetarians. It's very brave for any vendor to have such a minimal amount of choices on the menu as it leaves you with nowhere to hide. This was going to be interesting!

We decided to share a portion of the turmeric tofu Goi Cuon. Now there are spring rolls and there are spring rolls! These rice paper bad boys were stuffed to the brim with ingredients. There was perfectly cooked vermicelli noodles, a chunky baton of cucumber and strips of carrot all surrounded by crispy green leaves that gave a satisfying crunch as you bit through them. That turmeric tofu was to die for. I don't know how they cook it but it had a real "meaty" consistency to it. When you dip the whole delightful parcel into the peanut sauce served alongside it, it's like a Vietnamese flavor explosion in your mouth.

We shared the Goi Cuon between us and decided to devour a Bahn Mi each. One thing I noticed about Amsterdam was that they make amazing bread and these little baguettes that act as the vessel for the filling were equally incredibly. With a crunchy outside and soft fluffy innards, I could of just eaten a couple of these rolls with some butter and been happy. When you add to the bread some more of that amazing turmeric tofu (seriously, we think this is some of the best tofu we have ever eaten!), more chunks of cucumber, carrot, coriander and slices of chili to add some real kick and you may have one of the best vegetarian butties ever created.

We also ordered one of the chicken Bahn Mi and this was the best thing that I ate during our whole trip to Amsterdam. You get that same crusty baguette filled with cucumber, chili, and coriander but this time you add chunks of caramelized chicken. Perfectly cooked in a soy glaze, it had a sweetness to it that really works well with the hot spice of the chili and freshness of the coriander. I drizzled a bit of hoi sin sauce over the top as well and then did everything in my power not to just inhale the whole thing in one go. I've had dreams about this Bahn Mi ever since I've had it and hope that one day I will be back to have it again soon!

With full bellies and smiles on our faces, we paid up and headed off back to our hotel to enjoy the last evening of our trip to Amsterdam. Frnzy shows us all why it's important to go out and explore when on holiday. If we hadn't, we would never of stumbled across this absolute joy of a restaurant. Take time out from visiting the more central, touristy area's of Amsterdam and get down to Frnzy for some real Vietnamese masterpieces. You'd be mad not to!

Want to know more? Head over to Frnzy's Facebook page to get the low down on this street food sensation!