Indonesisch Poentjak - 'sGravenhage

I have to apologize in advance for the lack of details this review will included because I ate so many different kinds of food and would need to have taken diligent notes to truly do this meal justice. Instead, I devoured everything in front of me. I popped into Poentjak while visiting The Hague. I had never had Indonesian food prior to visiting so I was eager to try something new. To be honest, I'm not exactly sure what I ordered, but was essentially the hot plate variety meal for a solo diner (I believe it was about 25 euros . It was super intimidating to have 10+ small dishes brought out and placed in front of me, but it was super fun to try a little bit of everything. Some dishes I absolutely loved (the bamboo shoots were AMAZING , and others I didn't care for (the chicken liver is something I'm not sure I'll ever be able to get my brain behind . The fried rice was deliciously spicy and was also a standout of the meal. I was a little frustrated to be charged $2 for each glass of tap water I drank (especially when so much of the food is spicy and the menu isn't exactly cheap! . I'm glad that I got to try something new and will definitely try to find some Indonesian food locally!

Upon entering the restaurant I had my doubts. Mainly due to it being a house converted to a restaurant that seated maybe 20-25 people. Google translate is working overtime here with me. I can recommend the Fish (Mackerel) special, I believe it was the Akan/Akai special. Order with rice not noodles as the rice goes better with accompanying sides. If only I had known. The food was tasty and the portions just right. Towards the end of my meal the place filled up quickly with 3 or 4 Baby Boomer groups whom seemed to be regulars. The older servers were polite and helpful. A younger fellow seemed to struggle with requests in english. Keep in mind this is the Netherlands (South Holland) so can't fault anyone speaking a 2nd, 3rd or perhaps 4th language. Would I dine there again, no. I want a bit more ambience with the food. The food again was tasty.

Indonesian food in the Dutch colonial way. I reccommend to take one of the courses offered in the menu: the Rijsttafel style. It lets you taste various Indonesian cuisines at once. The different dishes are shared among your company. Each cuisine comes in small portion, but there will be so many different kinds that in the end you will be quite full and probably not able to finish them all. Each plate will be warmed by the candle light beneath, so the food never gets cold. Classic interior but relaxed and welcoming atmosphere.

Awesome Indonesian food in a classic The Hague meets the Archipelago setting. Through this culture clash, it is as much an Indonesian restaurant as a Dutch one. Some of the interior looks like it has been unchanged since 1923. Nice folks serving in Dutch-Indonesian style.

Typical Indonesian restaurant in the Netherlands. Not fine dining, but not casual either. We went for the rijstaffel set menu. It was OK, but nothing special, and I've had better before, hence the 3 star review. It wasn't cheap either I think it was EUR28. There was alot of food, just nothing standout or super high quality.