[By Irma Heuven]
Last week, I had the chance to join a lovely lunch at the restaurant and nursery De Kas in Amsterdam, organized by The Tourist Office of Austria in The Netherlands and The Ski Amadé region of Austria.
Restaurant De Kas is located in the beautiful Frankendael park. Surrounded by its own gardens, in a vintage greenhouse that dates back to 1926, with an attached greenhouse and vegetable garden. The century-old greenhouse once belonged to Amsterdam’s Municipal Nursery.
Michelin-starred chef and a pioneer of Dutch haute cuisine Gert Jan Hageman bought the property back in 2001 and turned the municipal greenhouse into a lovely, modern, and light-filled restaurant and garden serving farm-to-table, Mediterranean-influenced food. The space is amazing, with an all-glass exterior that both stands out and blends in with the surrounding park and water setting. The glass ceiling allows for plenty of natural light gleaming through during lunch.
History of The Kas
Restaurant de Kas is located in the elegant Frankendael park in The East of Amsterdam. It was first drained in 1630. After that, it became a popular area for the wealthy canal residents, who had their country house there.
In 1927 a huge greenhouse was built to provide other parks in the city with trees, grasses, and exotics such as bananas and palms. By the end of the 20th century, however, demand had declined to such an extent that the greenhouse became obsolete. No longer needed, the greenhouse seemed destined to be demolished.
The food
De Kas is working with the concept, from plant to plate, since 2001. Their gardens in Amsterdam and the Beemster are the heart and soul of the restaurant and its menu. They reflect the changing seasons and never fail to surprise.
In their gardens, greenhouse, and open-air, they grow around 300 varieties of vegetables, herbs, and fruits. Harvested at the very last minute and prepared in the kitchen as quickly as possible.
I just loved the dishes that were served during our lunch. Fresh, tasteful, and beautifully decorated on the plate. I can highly recommend restaurant De Kas, while visiting Amsterdam.
The Ski Amadé region of Austria
As I mentioned before, the wonderful lunch was offered by The Tourist Office of Austria in The Netherlands and The Ski Amadé region of Austria.
The Ski Amadé ski area, Austria’s largest ski pass network,consists of five different areas: Salzburger Sportwelt, Hochkönig, Schladming-Dachstein, Gastein and Grossarltal. Together they provide about 270 lifts and approximately 860 kilometers of groomed slopes. These areas belong to the absolute world top and world championships are regularly held here. The winter sports season is nice and long. Due to the presence of the Dachstein Glacier, it is often possible to ski well into April.
Can’t wait to discover the area and start looking at the possibilities for the 50 plus community.
Restaurant De Kas Kamerlingh Onneslaan 3, 1097 DE Amsterdam Tel. 020-462 45 62
Oostenrijks verkeersbureau Raadhuisstraat 15, 1016 DB Amsterdam Tel. 0800-400 200 00
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