One of the most common pieces of advice I’ve gotten during my pregnancy is not about being pregnant, but about life pre- and post-baby. In three words: “Do it now!”
Here, “it” is anything that’s bound to get more complicated after the baby comes—including mundane pleasures such as watching a movie, finishing a creative project, reading a book, or simply going out for a nice dinner. “It’s not that you can’t do those things anymore,” our parent friends have explained, “they just get harder.”
When we’re not traveling, Marlon and I are happy homebodies, so maybe we wouldn’t mind spending so much time at home, but we decided to take our friends’ advice and run with it. Thus, date night. From my list of must-try places, I chose Gebroeders Hartering, which I discovered via 70 Percent Pure.
My handsome date 
It was the absolute perfect choice. Industrial details such as factory lamps and wood crates give the interiors a modern look, but cozy touches such as candlelight and wine bottles give it a warm, intimate atmosphere.
Gebroeders Hartering’s open kitchen is an unbeatable appetizer. Not only do you get to see the chefs at work, but you also smell the tantalizing aromas of the kitchen—such as the smell of rosemary and garlic from a slow-roasting porchetta that slayed me that evening. To tease you even more, a long butcher-block counter within the chefs’ reach displays the ingredients that will eventually end up in your meal… and your stomach!
Which brings me to the food.
The one must-do at this restaurant: order the chef’s menu, which is served from 8 p.m. each evening and changes daily. It’s posted on the website and explained by the service staff with the help of a large chalkboard menu.
There is also a small a la carte menu available.
The modest descriptions on the menu simply don’t prepare you for a spectacular meal. This is what I really, really love about this place: simple, honest, excellent food without a lot of pretension and fuss.
Our six-course chef’s menu for the evening featured smoked pork head with purslane, winter herbs and a mustard dressing…
grilled squid with butternut squash kimchi and squid-ink sauce…
mashed potatoes with black trumpet mushrooms and a butter sauce…
as well as a seafood risotto that I stupidly didn’t take pictures of because it looked like an unappetizing brown puddle. It turned out to be one of the best risottos I’ve ever had, made with a thick, rich, seafood stock.
The main event: I had been seeing a huge porchetta roasting slowly over a fire since we walked in at 7 p.m. So imagine my excitement when, at 9 p.m., I saw the spit was empty, and this sat on the counter.
The chefs must have known two Filipinos were coming. How else to explain the main event: porchetta with chicharon (yes, they called it that) and a side of bone marrow?
This is the only shot of the porchetta and chicharon I got before our appetites overcame us. The bone marrow was a supplement, which we paid extra for; the couple beside us didn’t and clearly regretted it, as evident from a discussion with the server that included lots of pointing at our plate of meat. Sorry!
How weird it feels to say I’ve had the best chicharon of my life in Amsterdam. In fact, this entire meal was the best I’ve had in Amsterdam, hands down. I never knew I could eat this well here.
Finally, a spectacular creme brulee, and the best caramel and sea salt ice cream I’ve ever had (seriously, so good I wondered if they used fat from the porchetta to make it). Sorry, no pictures—dessert went down fast.
I’d say date night was a resounding success: a handsome date, romantic atmosphere, and a meal so satisfying that it literally gave me a sleepless night. I woke up with awful stomach pains at 3 a.m., had to put a hot water bottle on my tummy, and only went back to sleep at 8 a.m.! I keep forgetting that my stomach can’t handle meals like this anymore. It was worth it though!
