Amsterdam Falafel: Beyond Traditional

Sometimes it is all about the sauces. Other times the sauces are the icing on the cake and the cherry on top. These sauces were available as well as the classic tahini and a garlic cream.

When Amsterdam Falafel Shop first opened in Davis square, I heard a lot of buzz about the place, but when I eventually made my way over there I didn’t immediately fall in love. Perhaps it was the dark and cramped space, but more likely it was because I had two kids in tow, I was hungry, and I was in a rush. This month, I was invited to check out the Kenmore Square location and because I know Amsterdam Falafel has so many devotees I was really looking forward to it. (I found out later after I posted a picture online of our plate and everyone chimed in with their favourite items, that the Amsterdam Falafel love is real.)

I tend to be a purist when it comes to falafel. I like the slightly stretchy pita and I prefer it as a sandwich. I like the classic tahini sauce and the turnip pickles. My go-to place for that kind of falafel is Fordee’s in Watertown. Amsterdam Falafel is where I’ll now go for when I want a twist on the classic or more options for my plate. I recently met a fellow blogger, Debbie of A Little Bit About a Lot of Things, at Amsterdam Falafel’s Kenmore Square location and this time I fell in love. Like daydreaming about basking in the sun in the middle of the sunflowers of a Van Gogh painting now I find myself daydreaming about those perfectly crips French fries and a few of my favourite Amsterdam Falafel bar items.

The falafel not in sandwich form, but as a bowl with a pita on the side.

To best enjoy everything that Amsterdam Falafel has to offer, I highly recommend doing the bowl. You can load up on all the salads and dips you like without worrying if your pita can handle it all. Then, build your own falafel sandwich with a choice of a whole wheat or white pita on the side. It is the best of both worlds. Pictured above is my falafel bowl. On the left, are the bright pink pickled turnips which are a falafel essential in my opinion. Next to the turnips, is a sauce I fell in love with called torrator that is a strongly flavoured mash up of parsley and garlic. Next to it, I have some of their smoky baba ganoush which is a roasted eggplant dip and side by side is a traditional chickpea hummus. There is a pickled beet and some pickled cauliflower thrown in there too as well as a chickpea salad. In the center, are two falafel balls which are perfectly friend and crispy on the outside while still tender and light on the inside. On the right, next to the falafel, is golden fried eggplantsthat just melts in your mouth like butter but has a nice taste of caramelization and no bitterness that eggplant can have if underdone.

Pickle heaven at the Amsterdam Falafel bar.

Salads for your bowl or to add to your sandwich.

Tahini and Garlic Cream for your sandwich or salad. I recommend getting a little dish of all the sauces and giving them a try.

Even my picky eater will not starve because they have fries. Their fries are not too thin and not too thick, they have a crisp exterior and a nice soft potato interior. Try them dipped in the garlic cream or Dutch mayo for a real treat. Then again, maybe you are more of a curry ketchup or ketchup kind of person.

The restaurant in Kenmore is much more spacious than the Davis Square location. It is bright and airy and has plenty of tables. Parking during the weekday was very easy and it was nice to be able to walk down near the river to take in the beauty of the Charles this time of year. I will definitely be going back with my family especially now that I know it’s one of my husband’s favourite lunch spots.