Smoking, firing, pickling, soaking and, of course, puffing: for artisanal cooking techniques, restaurant Pof is the place to be. And that is what makes restaurant Pof different. On the green grounds of urban agriculture project NoordOogst in Amsterdam North, you will find this special restaurant in the middle of the greenery. At this child-friendly restaurant with beautiful terrace and natural playground (!), they work with local ingredients, preferably from their own garden and otherwise from as close by as possible.
Restaurant Puff
We discovered these hidden gem a few years ago and since then we have been there more often and are tipping as many friends and acquaintances as possible to try this undiscovered sustainable restaurant. Less than ten minutes from the busy city, you find yourself in a green oasis. On the high terrace with perfect evening sun, you have a view over the vines. Enjoy the view and a Dutch wine or local Amsterdam beer straight from the tanks of the downstairs neighbours Friekens. This fine green setting and good food, are definitely the reason that restaurant Pof belongs in the sustainable restaurant list of thegreenlist.nl.
In green at Pof.
Shortening the food chain
At restaurant Pof, they have a mission: to show that eating as locally as possible is possible and delicious. In addition to produce grown in their own backyard at urban agriculture project NoordOogst, products from neighbours and from the rest of the Netherlands are used as much as possible. ‘Our aim is to minimise food miles. Only a few exceptions, like for example our coffee and hops, come from far away.’ What further makes the restaurant sustainable is that local and seasonal vegetables play the main role in the kitchen. We work with what is in season: leeks, aubergines, beans, courgettes, kohlrabi, pointed cabbage, parika, you name it.
Vegetarian and vegan food in Amsterdam
Most dishes are vegetarian and vegan. The limited meat on the menu is non-industrial and comes from backyard pigs. The short-chain philosophy is also reflected here. The pigs are kept by city farmer Johan and are part of the project ‘Extraordinary Pigs’ who can first spend a lifetime rooting and playing in the meadow. Here, too, the sustainable and circular thinking has been carried through: the pigs are fed a circular compound feed from the surpluses of the horticulture and brewery.
Puffs at restaurant Puff
The chefs at Pof restaurant use artisanal cooking techniques that focus on ‘puffing’. This is done in a specially designed Mibrasa oven. During puffing, the products are cooked at a high temperature in their own skin without adding water or oil. This preserves nutrients and creates a special taste experience. In addition to roasting, it also stewed, brewed, pickled and soaked.
- POF: cooking food in the skin by heating it strongly without adding water or oil.
- SMOKE: the processing of food by hanging it in smoke from smouldering wood.
- STOOF: slow cooking of food in closed pan allowing flavours to mix.
- RAW: processing food unheated; playing with texture and cutting techniques.
- BREW: the boiling and fermentation of ingredients into a drink or ‘brew’.
- PEKEL & WEK: preserving food: by pickling in salt or heating and cooling in glass jars.
Share dishes at Pof restaurant
Mix and match: restaurant Pof's evening menu features intermediate dishes that you can share socially and complement with the daily menu. On a late summer evening, we shuffled over to the special barbecue table where a selection of specialities and favourites were served.
On the Pof BBQ table: pointed cabbage with spicy, smoked, paprika-tomato salsa, cauliflower with salsa further from sorrel, puffed leeks with lemon thyme chimichurri. Also: bread with dips, a fresh cabbage salad and corn on the cob. For dessert, a plum tart with puffed plum.
Circular interior of restaurant Pof
Housed in an old football canteen, Restaurant Pof's interior also reflects sustainable thinking with lots of second-hand furniture and reused materials. Restaurant Pof is open from Wednesday to Sunday. On weekdays, they are open from 12:00 and on weekends from 10:00. This makes it a perfect weekend hangout for families with younger children, while the kids saunter around the grounds and sip on the homemade limo, you can enjoy a tasty coffee and an apple caramel tartlet with puffed apple or a savoury snack...
Nature playground at Pof, ideal place so also to come with the family.
Butterfly garden Mot in Mokum
If you visit during the months of May to September (during the day), it is also worth visiting butterfly garden Mot in Mokum. Butterfly man Nicky knows all about butterflies, bees and other itchy creatures. We previously interviewed him about this.
Restaurant Pof is located at Meteorenweg 280 in Amsterdam Noord. There is ample free parking in front of the door. See more about this restaurant.
More sustainable in Amsterdam tips from thegreenlist.nl
- Another sustainable gem in Amsterdam: Mana Mana restaurant.
- Day out in Amsterdam: Do the Green Light District Walk.
- Restaurant The Greenhouse: sustainable food with a Michelin star.
Photo credits: thegreenlist.nl.
