Warung Spang Makandra
The 1978 Javanese-Surinamese warung every De Pijp lifer swears by.
De Pijp's Surinamese pedigree runs deep, and this family-run warung has been the benchmark since 1978. The room is narrow, the service is brisk, and the kitchen works the repertoire of Suriname's Javanese community with total confidence. Start with saoto ajam, a turmeric-gold chicken broth loaded with bean sprouts, vermicelli, crisped potato and boiled egg, it costs less than a canalside beer and fixes most known problems. Then a rames plate: rice buried under gently sweet chicken, spiced long beans and sambal that means it. The telo with bakkeljauw (fried cassava with salt cod) is what you order once you want to look like a regular. Nothing here is styled for a camera, everything arrives fast, and the bill for two rarely troubles thirty euros. Skip whichever brunch queue you were standing in and come here instead.
Saoto ajam first, ask for extra rice to drop into the broth.
What to order
Full menu- Saoto soup€7.50
The Surinamese-Javanese chicken soup people cross town for since 1978.
- Nasi rames€17.50
House recommendation: fried rice, noodles, satay, beef and sambal on one loaded plate.
- Chicken satay€7.50
With their peanut sauce, the benchmark version in De Pijp.
- Roti chicken fillet€13.50
Flaky roti, curry masala, potatoes, egg, the kitchen's own pick.
- Spang Makandra Special€16.50
Fried rice and noodles with satay, egg and perkedel; the everything order.
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