Bird Thai Restaurant - Amsterdam

Globalization is a mixed bag. Homogenization of taste in the name of global brands and economies of scale? Bad. The fact that the shopping district of every international
city could be mistaken for the Gap-infested malls of Anytown, USA. Bad. Never-frozen Chilean Sea Bass at my corner grocer. Good. The fact that I can get Tom Yam Kai or Chicken Korma anyplace on the planet. Ideal...

One of the best Indian meals I've eaten was in Paris and I count Thai food as my favorite cuisine (although I've never been near Thailand and couldn't vouch for its authenticity). Which is why, during our recent stay in Amsterdam, we asked our local friend where the best Thai food could be had. He, as well as some of the guide books, pointed us to Bird in Chinatown. We chose to eat at the restaurant, but our friend actually recommended eating in their snack bar across the street where the bare bones setup forces locals and tourists to mingle at communal tables...

Tom Yam Kai (Chicken Sweet and Sour Soup)
Spring Rolls
Pad Thai

Why so little food? Initially, we ordered more, but there was an incident... or near incident. As they brought out the soup and I sank a spoon in for a taste, I noticed a bowl full of prawns staring back at me with that condescending orange hue - my nemesis in overabundance. I was mistakenly given the shrimp version of the soup (obviously not by a fan of the blog). My near death experience (and of more interest to them, the subsequent lawsuit) had them rethink the other dishes I ordered, claiming there was shrimp or shrimp powder in everything but the 7up. I was disappointed, as they had a special section of the menu for Northeast Thai dishes and I had ordered Lap Kai. The near anaphylactic shock aside, the food was wonderful. The soup was full of contrasting, vibrant flavors and the spring rolls actually tasted different than what you typically find. They tasted homemade, with tiny imperfections to the roll that exposed the traditional rolls as former tenants of the grocer's freezer section. I'm sure there's more to explore here, I'm only disappointed most of it would force me to plunge an Epi Pen into my thigh...

Rating: 7.0 / 10.0
Cost: $$

Bird
Zeedijk 72-74
Amsterdam
020-6201442