WARUNG SPANG MAKANDRA

This super delicious Surinamese-Javanese is one of our favorite restaurants in Amsterdam!

Craving some home style Surinamese or Indonesian food? Then head to Spang Makandra and order up a bowl of tasty goodness!

Come visit Spang Makandra, a super delicious Surinamese-Javanese restaurant that is one of our favorites in Amsterdam. The portions are very generous and the prices are very reasonable. What’s not to love?

We take all of our out-of-town visitors to this restaurant to try Surinamese-Javanese food for the first time. They all rave about it and then ask to return multiple times during their visit. The food is simple, tasty and just exotic enough to be exciting without being overly spicy or unusual for picky eaters. A real crowd pleaser!

Choose nasi (rice), bami (noodles) or tjauwmin (skinny noodles) and then the main dish of your choice. Favorites include the beef rendang and roast chicken, as well as the roti and special combo meals. Meat eaters and vegetarians will all find something to love. Be sure not to miss the saoto ayam, a delicious chicken soup that satisfies the soul. Some say Spang Makandra makes the best version they have ever had outside of Indonesia.

Unfamiliar with the food of Suriname and Java?
Surinamese cuisine has been influenced by the mixing of many cultures including South American, African, Indian, Chinese, Dutch and Indonesian. For a taste of Suriname, try the roti or the broodje pom. Javanese cuisine shares much in common with the rest of Indonesia, but is typically sweeter due to the use of ketjap manis and palm sugar. To sample typical Javanese dishes, order the sate, the saoto ayam or a tempeh dish. Spang Makandra also serves other Indonesian dishes as well. In fact several of the meals are a mouthwatering mix of tastes and techniques from Suriname, Indonesia, and Java.

A few caveats: the original Spang Makandra location in De Pijp is a small place and very popular, and they do not take reservations. Try to arrive early to get in line for a table, or visit on a weekday for a shorter wait. Or just stop by one of their other new locations!

Also note that the restaurant is halal, which means no beer or wine for those of you who like to party. Try a coconut or mango juice with dinner and then head to a nearby bar afterward to satisfy any boozey desires.

Spang Makandra
Gerard Doustraat 39, Amsterdam (Pijp)

Other locations:
Admiraal de Ruijterweg 23, Amsterdam (West)
Boerhaaveplein 3, Amsterdam (Oost)
Tussenmeer 227, Amsterdam (Osdorp)

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