The Rijsttafel

The rijsttafel is a Dutch way of presenting Indonesian food: instead of one dish, a dozen or more small bowls land on the table at the same time around plain rice. Satay with peanut sauce, beef rendang cooked down to nearly dry, sambal goreng beans, gado-gado, fried banana, pickled atjar, toasted coconut seroendeng, and a spoonful of sambal at the edge that should be approached carefully. The format came to the Netherlands with families who settled here through the middle of the twentieth century, above all in The Hague, and Indonesian food has been ordinary Dutch food ever since. Toko shops sell the same components to cook at home.

What you actually see

• Satay and peanut sauce - the dish that crossed over furthest into everyday Dutch eating.
• The sambal - chilli paste served at the side, in quantities that assume caution.
• Gado-gado and atjar - the vegetable and pickle end of the table, which balances the rest.
• The toko - the shop selling kroepoek, spice pastes and ready dishes to take home.

When to go

An evening meal, year-round, usually ordered for two or more people, and worth booking at weekends. The Tong Tong Fair in The Hague in late spring gathers the food, music and market stalls in one place for a week and is the easiest single introduction if the timing happens to work.

Honest expectations

A full rijsttafel is a great deal of food and a large bill, and because everything has to sit in warmers a fair share of it arrives lukewarm. Quality varies enormously, and many kitchens sweeten and mute the dishes for Dutch tastes, so heat has to be asked for specifically. Vegetarian versions are usually thin.

Nearby

The Hague's Indonesian shops and the Haagse Markt sell the same ingredients.