Description: If you didn’t know to look for this restaurant, reputed to be one of the oldest Thai restaurants in Amsterdam, you could easily miss it. Set in a quiet side street close to the Radisson, the small below-street-level space has about half a dozen tables, with additional seating at a long bar running the length of the room. The brick walls, dark woods, and soft lantern light make this a very cozy spot on a cold March evening. The menu is quite extensive, making choosing just one dish a dilemma. On the night we visited, my friend Jim had the Tom Yam Kai soup for a starter, which was a clear broth chock-full of large chunks of aromatic garlic and basil. I tried a bite, and it was fantastic! For an entree, Jim had Pad Sie Jew Senmie, which are rice noodles with broccoli, eggs, bean sprouts and sauce. It was interesting to note, unlike Pad Sie I’ve had most other places, this restaurant uses thin rice noodles for this dish rather than the large, wide flat noodles.
I chose Pohpia (Spring Rolls) for a starter; these were hot and crispy and served with the traditional sweet sauce for dipping. Koeng Pad Hed Sod, the entree I selected was a shrimp dish with plenty of tender shrimp, green pepper, mushrooms, and served with rice. It had a nice flavor, but I decided to turn up the heat by trying a bit of the hot pepper sauce on the table. I’ve never eaten anything so hot in my life...and I loved every bite! We each had a few beers to whet our thirst, and in my case, to quench the fire of the pepper sauce!
Klaas Compaen does not accept credit cards and is open only for dinner, starting at 5:00 PM; the kitchen closes at 9:45 PM.
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