The Netherlands' third most populous city is proud of its deeply multicultural identity, a fact that's reflected in the number and variety of fantastic international restaurants in town. New Meyva is a classic spot for Hagenaars (citizens of The Hague) to satisfy their roti fix - or to tuck into any of the other home-style Surinamese dishes on offer.
Pros
Cons
Description
Guide Review - New Meyva - The Hague Restaurant Review
An acquaintance of mine who had just moved to Amsterdam wrote to tell me that, on a quest for the best roti in his new city, he'd stumbled on my list of Surinamese restaurants in Amsterdam.
He endorsed my recommendation for Roopram Roti, but added that, as a born-and-bred Hagenaar, he considered New Meyva in The Hague the acme of Surinamese restaurants. In the name of research, I set out to verify his claim.
To me, Surinamese food is a must-have experience on a trip to the Netherlands - a statement that sounds unusual unless one considers the history of Suriname, a former Dutch colony under the name Dutch Guiana. Today there are some 450,000 people of Surinamese descent in the country - not much fewer than Suriname's own population of 529,000 - and their cuisine has enlivened the Dutch palate with its unique mix of Native American, Indian, African, Indonesian, Chinese and other influences.
All of these are evident in New Meyva's quintessentially Surinamese menu, which has all of the classic dishes - Surinamese-style roti (an unleavened flatbread from India), bami (the Indonesian word for noodles), nasi (rice, also Indonesian), each of which acts as a starchy base for stews - as well as more seldom encountered items, such as masoesa (a tropical fruit which, in dried and powdered form, is used to flavor rice) and the menu's "exotic drinks".
When we first stepped inside, I hoped my companions - friends on a visit from Warsaw, and new to Surinamese food - wouldn't be too put off by the no-frills, almost cafeteria-esque atmosphere. While the interior felt warm and not at all sterile, it's not a spot for a romantic dinner date - unless your date cares more for food than decor. Within moments, a waiter arrived at our table; we unleashed a torrent of questions on him - from meal recommendations to a run-down of every one of the aforementioned exotic drinks - all of which he entertained patiently and helpfully.
I settled on the classic roti, as my friend had recommended, served with five richly spiced sides. Surinamese roti, dry and almost sandy in texture, has lost much of the resemblance to its Indian counterpart, but it's deliciously compatible with its adopted cuisine. I used it to scoop up the tofu and tempeh, a fermented soy bean cake introduced to the cuisine by Suriname's Javanese population, both of which were bathed in a curry-like sauce, and paired well with a side of crumbly, spiced potatoes. The stir-fried yard-long bean, a relative of the cowpea, wouldn't have tasted out-of-place in a Cantonese eatery - perhaps an inheritance from country's Hakka Chinese. The Surinamese riff on Indonesian atjar, a side of mixed sour pickles, refreshed the palate between bites of the heavier stews. I washed it down with dawet, a sweet coconut milk-based drink from Java.
While I can't claim a verdict on whether I prefer New Meyva to its Amsterdam-based competitors, the restaurant was all I could hope for in a Surinamese eatery: delicious, unpretentious and cheap food, served in a warm atmosphere by friendly waitstaff - not a bad choice for any visitor who wants to check off this must-have experience from their travel to-do list.
Pros
- Authentic Surinamese food from a 20-year-old city institution
- Cheap prices for sizable portions
- Friendly and helpful service
Cons
- While the atmosphere is cozy, it's still fairly no-frills - not ideal for a romantic dinner
Description
- Address:Â Boekhorststraat 5
2512CL The Hague
Phone: +31 (0)70 360 3111 - Location: Zuidwal, The Hague Center
- Directions: From The Hague Central Station (CS), the restaurant is a pleasant 20-minute walk across The Hague's Old Center. Turn left from the station's north exit onto Herengracht, which turns into Korte Poten, Lange Poten (after the square, Het Plein), Spuistraat and (opposite another square, the Grote Markt) Vlamingstraat in succession. Once on Vlamingstraat, turn left onto Boekhorststraat.
- Decor: On the bare side, but still feels more cozy than sterile
- Payment: Cash and (Dutch) debit cards accepted.
Guide Review - New Meyva - The Hague Restaurant Review
An acquaintance of mine who had just moved to Amsterdam wrote to tell me that, on a quest for the best roti in his new city, he'd stumbled on my list of Surinamese restaurants in Amsterdam.
He endorsed my recommendation for Roopram Roti, but added that, as a born-and-bred Hagenaar, he considered New Meyva in The Hague the acme of Surinamese restaurants. In the name of research, I set out to verify his claim.
To me, Surinamese food is a must-have experience on a trip to the Netherlands - a statement that sounds unusual unless one considers the history of Suriname, a former Dutch colony under the name Dutch Guiana. Today there are some 450,000 people of Surinamese descent in the country - not much fewer than Suriname's own population of 529,000 - and their cuisine has enlivened the Dutch palate with its unique mix of Native American, Indian, African, Indonesian, Chinese and other influences.
All of these are evident in New Meyva's quintessentially Surinamese menu, which has all of the classic dishes - Surinamese-style roti (an unleavened flatbread from India), bami (the Indonesian word for noodles), nasi (rice, also Indonesian), each of which acts as a starchy base for stews - as well as more seldom encountered items, such as masoesa (a tropical fruit which, in dried and powdered form, is used to flavor rice) and the menu's "exotic drinks".
When we first stepped inside, I hoped my companions - friends on a visit from Warsaw, and new to Surinamese food - wouldn't be too put off by the no-frills, almost cafeteria-esque atmosphere. While the interior felt warm and not at all sterile, it's not a spot for a romantic dinner date - unless your date cares more for food than decor. Within moments, a waiter arrived at our table; we unleashed a torrent of questions on him - from meal recommendations to a run-down of every one of the aforementioned exotic drinks - all of which he entertained patiently and helpfully.
I settled on the classic roti, as my friend had recommended, served with five richly spiced sides. Surinamese roti, dry and almost sandy in texture, has lost much of the resemblance to its Indian counterpart, but it's deliciously compatible with its adopted cuisine. I used it to scoop up the tofu and tempeh, a fermented soy bean cake introduced to the cuisine by Suriname's Javanese population, both of which were bathed in a curry-like sauce, and paired well with a side of crumbly, spiced potatoes. The stir-fried yard-long bean, a relative of the cowpea, wouldn't have tasted out-of-place in a Cantonese eatery - perhaps an inheritance from country's Hakka Chinese. The Surinamese riff on Indonesian atjar, a side of mixed sour pickles, refreshed the palate between bites of the heavier stews. I washed it down with dawet, a sweet coconut milk-based drink from Java.
While I can't claim a verdict on whether I prefer New Meyva to its Amsterdam-based competitors, the restaurant was all I could hope for in a Surinamese eatery: delicious, unpretentious and cheap food, served in a warm atmosphere by friendly waitstaff - not a bad choice for any visitor who wants to check off this must-have experience from their travel to-do list.