I had seen BOX SOCIAAL on Instagram and I instantly (pun intended) knew that I needed to eat there. Why? One reason – the stroopwafel waffles. That’s right, it’s like waffle inception. The thin Dutch stroopwafels inside a a giant Belgian waffle. You’ll have to keep scrolling to see what I mean but to be honest, the best way is to actually go and experience it yourself.
I do find it funny that Australians can literally be found anywhere now. It’s not a huge country compared to others but Australians are definitely avid travellers! We noticed the waiter’s Australian accent straight away and wondered if BOX SOCIAAL was run by an Australian person. Then we saw that the ‘expensive avocado’ joke had even made it to Amsterdam: there was an avocado toast dish called ‘Mortgage on Toast’. Classic!
(On a separate note, Amsterdam is so small! We saw the same waiter out on the street a few days later!)
Drinks first of course! I went with a In house cold pressed orange, carrot and ginger juice (€4). I do really feel I need that vitamin hit when I’ve been travelling for a while and eating out a lot! It was just what I needed on a hot summer’s day.
And here they are! World famous stroopwafel wafel – Belgian waffles stuffed with Amsterdam stroopwafels topped with lemon crème fraiche, seasonal fruit, crushed pistachios and salted caramel sauce (€12). I love that they even acknowledge they are ‘world famous’ – haha! For those of you who know me, you’ll hopefully know I love stroopwafels. They’re not that easy to get in Australia. However, there are few greater joys that simply resting them on top of my mug of tea, waiting for the caramel to soften and then stuffing it all into my mouth in 2 seconds.
To be honest, the stroopwafel taste wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped for in these waffles. I’m not sure what I was expecting? Maybe just a giant stroopwafel?! (Which we did have at the Albert Cuyp Market, by the way – check it out here!) The caramel sauce was the best topping, however I don’t think the lemon creme fraiche worked at all. The lemon taste didn’t go with the caramel flavour. Its acidity cut through too much and really confused my palate. Perhaps there’s something else that could go with it? I know they are world famous but I’m just being honest here!
However, let’s take a moment to appreciate the visual delight of these waffles again…
DS wanted a hearty breakfast so he had the Eggs benny and the jets – two soft poached eggs on toasted sourdough served with golden potato croquettes, sautéed spinach and hollandaise sauce (€14) with added crispy bacon (€2.50). Again, this is quite typical of what you’d get at an Australian cafe! After travelling for some weeks it was kind of a nice reminder of home.
It’s definitely a cafe to go to for good breakfast and brunch food. Apparently BOX SOCIAAL are also open for dinner so it would be fun to check that out too! Even though I was not blown away by the stroopwafel waffles, I’m super glad I tried them.
What’s your go-to breakfast in Amsterday?
BOX SOCIAAL
PLANTAGE MIDDENLAAN 30A
AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS
http://www.boxsociaal.com/
