3.5 stars! When in Amsterdam, dine at Bussia. At least that's what my good friend told me. He and his wife make it a point to dine there each time they're in the Netherlands. I didn't realize that Bussia was Michelin star rated until I actually read about it on Amsterdam's Michelin star restaurants list. That even made my expectation higher, plus my friend having hyped it up.
Located in the charming upscale neighborhood of Jordaan, you can find Bussia a short walk from the main street along the canal. It is also very close to the Anne Frank House. The restaurant itself is lovely inside and the staff is incredibly professional as service was impeccable. Hostess and waiter deserve 5+ stars! Once inside, they take your coat/jacket and store them away for you until you leave. The decor is simple and elegant with multi levels. The second and third levels are for dining and the underground is where they have an impressive wine cellar.
Upon being seated, the waiter asked us if we would like a cocktail. We both went with his recommendation of a Peach Bellini which was made with peach granita.
Friend and I opted for the 8 course meal (79 euros). For the entree and dessert, we chose once selection each, so that we were both able to try all 10 courses.
- Antipasto - Pickled vegetables with watercress and crispy hen egg: Who doesn't love a running egg incorporated into any dish? I liked this antipasto as the pickled veggies balanced out the richness of the runny egg yolk with acid. Great start after the amuse to whet my appetite.
- Zuppetta di mare - Soup of roasted celeriac with seared wild scallop: A light and refreshing soup topped with colorful veggies and flowers. The scallop was cooked perfectly and had a nice touch of seasoning.
- Pasta di mare - Simply put, a grown up version of mac n cheese that was topped with lobster. I thought the mac n cheese was a tad too salty for my personal liking. The lobster was a nice touch.
- Pasta di terra: Ravioli of pumpkin with marrow, sweetbread and roasted almonds. This was one of the most unique dishes of the evening. Friend and I liked this a lot because we don't normally see these items on an everyday menu. The marrow and sweetbread were delicious and textures were nice. I would recommend ordering this dish even if you were to go the a la carte route.
- Risotto with sunflower seeds, Ficu and gremolata. Unfortunately, the least liked course for both my friend and I. We couldn't even go further than 5 bites. The cheese was just too overwhelming for the risotto. The waiter asked us if why we didn't like it and we explained. He was really sweet and asked if he could bring us anything else, but we just opted to continue with the courses.
- Pesce (main): Fillet of wild dorade with Peruvian potato and Dutch Squid. Nicely cooked fish plate. The dutch squid was tender and tasty. Nothing too spectacular though.
- Carne (main): Fillet of Venison with red cabbage, parsley root and mountain cranberries. If you like your venison bloody and still kickin', this is the one for you! I honestly would have liked the venison cooked at least to medium but this was rare as if it was just seared.
- Sorbetto: Pomegranate sorbet with buttermilk panacea and chocolate crisp. Nice palette cleanser.
- Formaggio: Apple out of the oven, filled with Agri cheese, served with pecan nuts. I'm all for melty cheese!
- Dolce: Kumquat curd with milk chocolate pearl and mock- white chocolate stracciatella ice cream. I'm more of a dark chocolate girl, so this dessert didn't exactly hit the spot for me. The tangerine slices were incredibly sour and I'm not sure if that was the chef's intent. Thought ice cream was good.
Overall, a lovely dining experience. We were stuffed already mid-way through the courses! Prepare to stay for 3 hours if you are ordering the 8 course menu. However, I honestly was not wowed by any of the dishes. I'm not sure if it was because my expectations were too high going in, but I didn't think it was that great. I did notice that almost every dish that was brought out had some kind of sauce poured onto it table side. I'm not sure if it's more for show, or that the chef really loves putting sauce on everything. Would have been nice to have some different variations in the type of dishes/presentation. The service was impeccable and we adored our waiter. He explained each dish in detail after he served us and we had good conversations with him (not too mention he was quite a looker). The ambiance is nice. During the weekday, it was easy to walk in without a reservation. The place was no where near capacity, but there were tables of couples and a group of guys that looked like they had come straight from work. Good find in Amsterdam, but if I were to do it again, I'd go a la carte since I didn't care for some of the dishes. If you're looking for a "new" Italian fine dining experience in Amsterdam, Bussia is the spot. read more