I have always had a fascination with tea, dare to say that I’m more from the tea team than the coffee one, so when I discovered bubble tea a while ago, I fell completely in love. Bubble tea is tea in an array of flavors mixed with either fruit, milk or yoghurt, can be drank either hot or cold and with little tapioca balls. The tapioca balls feel like a gelatin in your mouth taking the experience of drinking tea to the next level!

So, one day while walking through the city I discovered YoYo!, and was instantly glad that finally bubble tea had arrived in Rotterdam. Their menu is pretty extensive and the combinations that you can make are almost endless. You can choose to take your tea either hot or cold, with milk, yoghurt, fruit, powdered coconut, taro root, etc. Also, you can choose the type of tea you wish, from jasmine to oolong, they have it all! After choosing your liquid base, comes the fun part of choosing the toppings; from the traditional tapioca balls, popping (stuffed jelly balls with fruit juice or yoghurt), nata de coco (coconut flesh), jelly and much more. But don’t distress if you don’t know what to choose, the owner, Mr. Wing Li and his friendly staff are always more than willing to guide you through their selection and giving you a fabulous experience.

This is a place worth visiting! My favorite: strawberry milk tea with tapioca and jellies. Yum!

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YoYo! | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Medium drink € 3.00
Karel Doormanstraat 34 | Center
Mon – Thu & Sat 11:00 – 20:00, Fri 11:00 – 22:00, Sun 12:00 – 20:00

I can write a lot about this cute little bakery, but only one thing is important…

Koekela has got the best cakes and cookies in town and I dare say, maybe even the country!

And now they’ve moved a couple of shops up the road to a bigger place where you can also sit and enjoy their goodness.

For muffins or cupcakes I’d suggest going a bit further to Alice in Cakeland (check the article), but stay in for the cookies and brownies! Don’t want to go out? They have a webshop!

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Koekela | Shopping, Snacks | Muffin € 1.10
Nieuwe binnenweg 79a | Center | +31104364774
Mon – Fri 08:00 – 18:00, Sat 08:30 – 17:00

What do you do when you come to a country where they don’t even have good cupcakes? That’s right, you make them yourself and share it with the others. That’s what Rebecca did at least. She came all the way from Southern Virginia, via London and Bangkok, to Rotterdam and opened her store; Alice in Cakeland.

This fantastic cupcakes shop on the Van Oldenbarneveldstraat has two floors. Downstairs is the workshop area. About one or twice a month Rebecca organizes a workshop with a different theme. Themes go from SATC and designer handbags to Sinterklaas, Christmas and Easter. Anything you can imagine and that’s suitable for that time of year. The new workshop calender is online, plus there are more workshop theme’s coming.

Then there’s the shop on the upper floor. Here you can buy the most delicious cupcakes. Now you can buy cupcakes basically everywhere, but these cupcakes are the real American ones. My favorite right now is the Oreo with chocolate, but I still need to try the tiramisu one…

Unfortunately Rebecca is going back to the States this year. The brand is for sale, so hopefully someone will take over Alice in Cakeland. But just to be sure, come get the best cupcakes in the country before you’re too late!

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Alice in Cakeland | Shopping, Snacks | Cupcake € 2.50
Van Oldenbarneveldstraat 117 | Center | +31629290597
Wed – Sat 11:00 – 18:00 (closed when sold out)

Hopper Rotterdam opened last year and already won the prize for best coffee bar in the Netherlands.

During weekdays there’s a big chance you will find me at Hopper, a coffee bar at Schiedamse Vest 146 for a great breakfast – home-baked sourdough bread with Stolwijk cheese and a large cappuccino:-) for example.

But I also like to meet up here with friends and colleagues for a working lunch as they have a nice and quiet area upstairs with tables with a great view below. There’s also a special corner with toys and books for (young) children.

In a typical post-war building with tons of light, high ceilings and spacious set-up, owner Karel created a nice no-nonsense ambiance. With terrace out front.

It’s all about serving good and honest food, home-bakes and delicious cakes, croque-monsieurs, sandwiches, soup and good salads. Also try their excellent wines – I like the white one .

A nice detail is the tap to get your own glass of water. They have a large reading table, small side tables and an open kitchen. In the future there will be art exhibitions upstairs.

This is the first place where I heard of ‘slow coffee’ and trust me when I say that coffee is serious business here! If you are interested in learning more about coffee, just ask the barista or you can always join a ‘cupping session’ or workshops that they organize here (with or without cooperation of Specialty Coffee) on a regular basis.

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Hopper Rotterdam | Coffee & tea, Snacks
Schiedamse Vest 146 | Center | +31104130638
Mon – Fri 08:30 – 18:00, Sat 10:30 – 18:00

Italian ice-maker Giovanni Olivo and his lovely family are back from Italy to offer you old fashioned ice cream. I love having one on the terrace in front of the shop or buy one when passing by at the open window.

I have known Venezia for more than twenty years and appreciate the kitschy interior that never changes. The ice cream shop overlooks the Oude Binnenweg and the nice Eendrachtsplein, with Paul McCarthy’s sculpture ‘Santa Claus’, the weekly Tuesday farmers market and a flower stall. It’s lively in this Down Town shopping area which makes it nice to sit here while eating your ice cream.

When I sit indoors, my favorite choice is the small sorbet coupe with a cappuccino on the side. You’ll find the traditional selection of ice creams (including sugar free) here and Italian specialties such as Cassata, Spagetti ice and Tiramisu.

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Venezia Ice Cream | Coffee & tea, Snacks | Per scoop € 1.00
Oude Binnenweg 125b | Center
Mid March – Mid Oct: Mon – Sat 10:00 – 00:00, Sun 12:00 – 00:00

In my old neighbourhood are some pretty cool things like, duo MishMash – for interior, colour advise and murals at Lombardkade 53A and the largest weekly market on Tuesdays and Saturdays you’ll find a gem named Little Italy.

A typical small Italian supermarket-caterer. Officially located at the Lombardkade 51A, but they use the back entrance at the Binnenrotte.

Little Italy is a pleasure to shop for delicious, affordable and authentic delicatessen or for a quick bite, get a pizza slice or a sandwich. They’re specialized in Italian Food and if it’s not too busy the staff is very helpful in giving tips. I like to joke that in Little Italy size does matter when looking for the right size spaghetti.

Little Italy is a good place to snoop around and anything you can think of, you will find here for your Italian cooking. Cheeses, cold cuts, wide range of red, white, sweet, bubbling wines and if you look closely you will find some biological ones too, pasta´s, different kinds of olives, olive oils, truffles, herbs, mouth watering antipasti like the dried tomatoes, sea fruits, grilled eggplant and tapenades.

No time to cook? Get their fresh Lasagna and heat it up at home. Do try their Tiramisu, available in small and large portions!

Finally after only being able to pay cash, you can pay your purchased edible goodies with your bank/credit card now.

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Little Italy | Shopping, Snacks
Lombardkade 51/A (entree Binnenrotte) | Center | +31104139609
Mon – Thu 09:00 – 18:15, Fri 09:00 – 21:00, Sat 09:00 – 17:00

‘Buiten’ offers really good coffee, lunch and delicious local products:). This little gem can be found opposite Zigt, Koekela (check the Koekela article) and close to some nice clothes shops, Odile Hemmen winestore and the Wittetandenwinkel.

(Alles komt van) Buiten, meaning ‘Everything comes from outside’, has all sorts of delicious dishes and products made with love and care. Don’t kill me but those who know the Groene Passage might understand when I say it’s like a little mixture of Gimsel and Spirit but definetely in a MODERN STYLE! 

The shop is nice, open with a brightly designed interior and has very friendly staff. Buiten uses only organically grown products for their freshly homemade dishes, salads, pasta’s, soups, juices and more. They also offer a wide range of best cheeses, oils, coffee and other specialities like chutneys, (sweet) mayonnaise, bionades, hottie sambal, jams, regional season vegetables, pestos, bread and more. Fairtrade products can also be found like Tony Chocolonely chocolate and goods from Oxfam. And one day my famous Tiramisu will be on sale here (I’ll keep you posted:))

Go here to taste regional products, to do eco-friendly food shopping if you don’t feel like cooking or just for a good tea or a coffee to go. In the back you will find a large table where they let you read and eat in.

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Buiten | Coffee & tea, Shopping, Snacks
Nieuwe Binnenweg 100 | West | +314360042
Tue – Sat 10:00 – 19:00

Around the corner of one of my favourite Italian restaurants Gusto, at the end of the Witte de With straat with galleries and cool shops, close to Maritime Museum is The Bagel Bakery.

They started years ago with the corner shop designed by AAdam architects. Then they mirrored the same design next door what makes it a twin connected through the open kitchen in the back. 

Go to Bagel Bakery for breakfast in the morning, lunch & high tea at noon, dinner in the evening and take away all day long. They have an excellent kosher Jewish/Mediterranean food fusion, all reasonable priced.

You can choose different types of bagels with delicious original toppings like hummus, Tarragon chicken salad or old cheese with truffle oil for example.

But they serve more than only bagels

Try the Bagel Burger or a large mezze if you are not too hungry with a nice wine. Why not share it with friends like a wonderful tasting of 9 different small dishes with home baked bread. Or what to think of Arook thayin: chicken rolls with relish, fresh soup and delicious salads.

Just check the daily specials on the chalkboard. For sweet toothed people; try their home made cakes like the kosher Dutch apple crumble. Personally I love their fig cake with whipped cream

Bagel Bakery has excellent coffee, organic champagne, good wines, modern interior, nice atmosphere, hip people and when the weather is good you can sit outside.

A place not to be missed when visiting Rotterdam.

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Bagel Bakery | Bars, Coffee & tea, Snacks, Restaurants (Jewish/Mediterrean) | Daily soup € 5.00
Schilderstraat 57A – 59A | Center | +31104121560
Sun – Mon 10:00 – 17:30, Tue – Sat 09:00 – 21:00

Collective Roodkapje presents ROT(T)TERDAM. A temporary project space of 700 square meters in a building at Meent 119-133. Roodkapje uses the space until the new city office, designed by Rem Koolhaas, will be build here.

ROT(T)TERDAM is a cultural fresh art supermarket as they sell it to the public. I totally like this alternative art scene in this posh part of town.

They have re-opened on May 12 2011 with a new program almost every month which includes exhibitions, the temporary mini shop and a new canteen. Live music is also on the program with (local) bands to introduce themselves to a (new) audience.

The Beatburger canteen has transformed into the Burgertrut with a different menu which includes tapas and of course burgers in the vegetarian and organic meat varieties.

The prices are nice to the purse and the food is tasty. It has special Sunday brunches now and then and i like to hang out there with a bunch of friends, chat, munch on a cupcake or organize a (guerrilla)knitting brunch session.

Do check out their monthly update on their website for the latest info.

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Roodkapje ROT(T)TERDAM | Art & culture, Music, Shopping, Snacks
Meent 119-133 | Center | +31102439800
Wed – Fri 11:00 – 18:00, Sat – Sun 12:00 – 17:00 (Expo)

I still have a craving for real Surinamese cuisine as I’m from a former Dutch colony, Suriname.

What is ‘Surinamese cuisine’, you may ask? It’s hard to define but I’ve heard of an interesting research about the origins of the dishes we have. For some it’s easy to tell like the nasi and bami goreng (fried rice and noodles) as they are from my other roots, Indonesia. Roti comes from motherland India, and there’s even a Jewish dish known as ‘pom’.

Digging into the history of these dishes gives you an interesting tale and history of how this country has shaped itself through it’s inhabitants and mixing not only their cultures but also their cooking.

A nice place to experience it yourself and challenging your taste buds is Kiem Foei at the West-Kruiskade near central station. West-Kruiskade is known as ‘China Town’ but the Surinam toko’s (shops) also dominate the street.

Kiem Foei’s ex/interior has undergone a bit of refurbishing and has a lot more space now. Eat in or to go. Mingle with the crowd and try choosing a snack or dish. Buns filled with either vegetables, meat or shrimps are more for snacking. But whatever you choose, get ready for some interesting flavors.

The Suriname kitchen is a good choice in variety if you’re on a tight budget but don’t feel like cooking.

If you feel like cooking your favorite Surinam dish yourself, find the recipes on one of the many websites about Surinam cooking like this one (in Dutch though).

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Kiem Foei | Snacks, Restaurants (Surinam) | Snacks from € 3.00
West-Kruiskade 29 | Center | +31104139983
12:00 – 23:00 daily