Taste of Culture

Chinese restaurant Taste of Culture is located on Korte Leidsedwarsstraat, a side street off Leidseplein known for its many mediocre tourist traps. On the recommendation of a friend, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

There were no tourists in Taste of Culture at all that evening, or if there were they were Chinese - a good sign. A lot of popular Chinese dishes such as dim sum (served as starters), chow mein and Peking duck make an appearance on the menu; while roasted pigeon, fried squid balls and crab claws filled with shrimp pasties offer something for the more adventurous. Organs and entrails are noticeably absent.

We started with the Peking duck. The whole bird, including glazed head, was placed in the centre of the ‘lazy Susan’ turntable - ideal for sharing - and came with all the trimmings: pancakes, spring onions, slivers of cucumber and thick plum sauce. The meat was tender and the skin thin and perfectly crispy.

My main of fried chicken was covered in batter, something I hadn't expected or wanted. It was also quite tough, but the separate bowl of just tart lemon sauce proved to be a redeeming feature.

Also on the turntable was beef tenderloin in soya and honey sauce – a lovely, flavourful dish I wished I’d ordered - and a bowl of al dente Chinese mushrooms and seasonal vegetables.

All the main courses at Taste of Culture come with white rice as standard. It's worth noting that you will be asked, also as standard, if you want to replace that with fried rice or noodles. These are not included in the price and cost between €3.50 and €4 extra.

Like many good-value Chinese restaurants, Taste of Culture lacks ambiance, which may mean you won't want to linger. What it does offer is an unpretentious dining experience, and one of the most authentic I’ve had for a long time.