FEBO epitomises the marriage of Dutch ingenuity and the fast-food concept. If you want a quick fix of your hunger for a few Euros, the Dutch fast-food chain FEBO is a very good solution. You will never have to queue, no matter how busy it is or appears to be. Snacks are placed in small heated cubicles with glass windows and you take them by entering the correct amount of change in a slot. If you don’t have the correct amount, there is a money-changing machine that will change your money for you. My favourite specialities are the kaasshuffle (almost like a cheesepie with breadcrumps), which is mouth-watering delicious (for €1.20 or about US$1.40), the Nasi, and the Bami (which are like spicy spring rolls) and also cost €1.20. For €1.50 you buy a chicken burger (kipburger) or grillburger, and the chips are sold separately, freshly made by a man behind the serving counter. In other words, for about 5-6 Euros, you can satisfy your hunger instinct in the fastest possible mode.

There is a FEBO on the beginning of Damrak (main road starting from the Central Station and leading to Dam Square). There is another one in the Red Light District (Oudezijds Voorburgwal) and another on Leidsestraat, near Leidseplein Square. They also have a website www.febo.nl for further information. The big MINUS of FEBO is that all the signs in their shops are in Dutch, not allowing the foreign visitor to understand the content and the nature of their snacks, which means a lot of guesswork (and lost profits) for this otherwise outstanding fast-food retailer.

If you prefer something fresher, go to the counter and order from a human. They'll not only make it to order, but they'll throw your tasty kroket into a white bun. Fries here also come with a variety of sauces, including Fritesaus (mayo), curry ketchup, peanut sauce (Indonesian-style), and many others you may want to try out. I am a big fan of the Fritesaus, which is the original topping.

Whatever you do, don't order ketchup--you're eating fries in a foreign country, so at least put something funky and strange on top to make the "dish" more... foreign!

I will admit that there are fancier krokets (a deep-fried, meat-and-gravy piece of heaven) in better restaurants. Look for brands like kwekkeboom or van Dobbel for the best-tasting krokets. They usually come with with a slice of white bread or in a roll with mustard, or with fries on the side. Whether at Febo or any traditional Dutch restaurant, you can't leave the county without having eaten one. Just please don't make it the McKroket!