Whenever friends came into town to visit, de Kantjil en Tijger was the restaurant of choice. You can't go wrong at this restaurant centrally located on Spuistraat, with great food, a relaxed ambience, and an attentive staff. The cuisine is Indonesian, which is generally very well prepared in the Netherlands, and delicious at this particular restaurant. The first time, I went in a large group and ordered several rijstafels. About 20 minutes later, our table was covered in small plates of Indonesian fare, all delicious and in large quantities. There was enough for each one of us to taste each plate. The next time I returned, it was just three of us for dinner, and we ordered off the menu--nasi goreng, a spicy meat dish, and a vegetarian entrée. You can't go wrong. In fact, these dishes were arguably better than the rijstafel--there was more of each, so we fully savoured each one. For first-time Indonesian-food eaters, go for the rijstafel,, but if you have a sense of Indonesian food, pick entrées and share them.
The food is excellent, the ambience casual, the decor simple, and the customers a combination of locals and tourists. Two other aspects of de Kantjil that make it even more attractive: the to-go menu option and the early bird special, where you can have a complete meal between 4:45 and 6:30pm for 9€. For 9€, you get rice or noodles, a meat dish, and a veggie dish.