Technology And Taste
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Cuisine Style: Asian
Average Price: €
Overall Rating: 0.5/5
Dined in: April 2018
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
I travel through Schiphol Airport at least two times a year, usually with several hours of layover time, to enjoy a bite to eat. In late 2016 into early 2017, the main concourse underwent a renovation adding more shops and restaurants, one of them being Kebaya Asian Brasserie that February. Owned by HMSHost International, one of the world’s leading restaurateurs operating in Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East with almost 50 years’ experience in airport restaurant concepts, Kebaya became the largest restaurant in Schiphol Airport at 676 square meters and 200 seats. Kebaya’s menu features 24 main dishes plus a good selection of soups, starters, and salads representing cuisine styles from across Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, India, Japan, and China.
HMSHost International wanted to combine state-of-the-art customer-facing technology with high-quality dining, offering guests a completely new and highly convenient experience at Kebaya. It was crucial that any new self-order technology should be internationalized catering for three key languages: English, Dutch and simplified Chinese, as well as offering up high quality, accurate photos of the food and drinks on it. It did make for an interesting experience to do the entire order and have the drinks + food delivered without speaking to a human being. I guess this is how things will be in the future as technology replaces human interaction. The QikServe Samsung menu and ordering tablets that HMSHost International and Kebaya uses are very user-friendly and like advertised matches picture with the menu item and a brief description.
Menu:
- To Begin
- Appetizers and Bites
- Dim Sum
- Noodles and Soups
- Grill
- Wok
- Sushi and Sashimi
- Main Courses
- Desserts
All premium saké’s fall into one of two categories: junmai-shu, which is saké made from only rice, water, yeast, and koji; and honjozo-shu, which is saké that has a small amount of distilled alcohol added. I had a junmai saké hot to go with a starter of chicken Gyoza which is a Japanese dish consisting of wonton wrappers stuffed with meat and cabbage. It's cooking method involves both pan-frying and steaming. They are first fried in a hot pan until crispy brown on the bottom sides, then a small amount of water is added before the pan is covered to quickly steam the entire dumplings. Each bite was nice and crispy plus moist from the steam. The chicken was nicely seasoned with Asian aromatic spices, but not too over-powering. The cabbage and vegetable blend, on the other hand, was not to my liking.
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| Kebaya / Gyoza dumpling |
For my entree, I went with a classic Uramaki Ebi sushi roll which differs from other makimono style rolls because the rice is on the outside and the nori is inside. It reminded me of a California roll setup with different ingredients. The filling is in the center surrounded by nori, then a layer of rice, and optionally an outer coating of some other ingredients such as roe or toasted sesame seeds The Ebi portion of the dish refers to a style of preparing shrimp in Japan. Traditionally, you prepare the shrimp by “butterflying” them.
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Other Noteworthy Asian Cuisine Articles and Restaurants similar to Kebaya:
5A5 Steak Lounge Modern Japanese steakhouse with chic design in San Francisco, California
Ambrosia Japanese restaurant & saké bar with sushi in Key West, Florida
Basil Asian Bistro Pan-Asian favorites from China to Vietnam with sushi specials in Canton, Ohio
Blue Fugu Japanese Steakhouse Table-side hibachi with a sushi bar in St. Pete Beach, Florida
Chinatown Restaurant Classic Chinese dishes in Chinatown, San Francisco, California
Junsui An eclectic taste of Asia with buffets at the Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, UAE
Morimoto Asia Japanese and upscale pan-Asian fare with sushi at Disney Springs Orlando, Florida
Osaka Sushi and Thai Restaurant Thai and Japanese fare including sushi in Seminole, Florida
Pho Pier 77 A casual spot for classic Vietnamese favorites away from the tourist traps in Panama City, Florida
Rock 'N' Raw Asian restaurant with sushi at the Hard Rock Casino, Tampa, Florida
Simply Phở, Contemporary Vietnamese in modern digs, Tampa, Florida
Sushi Sleek Japanese eatery with sushi/sashimi at the Grand Hyatt Dubai, UAE
Tetsuya’s Eclectic French-Asian tasting menu restaurant in Sydney, Australia
The Lemon Grass Casual fusion of Thai and Japanese with tapas portions in St Petersburg, Florida
Zuma Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology in Dubai, UAE
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Amsterdam restaurants and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
The Dutch Kitchen Buffet of Dutch and French cuisine at the Schiphol Airport, Amsterdam
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary by country”
Final notes, review basics, observations and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor. To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Overall from this experience, and the score factors outlined in the ‘about page’ section, based on my individual experience and rating, I give Kebaya Asian Brasserie a 0.5 out of 5 stars, meaning that they were a very basic dining experience lower than the standards of most restaurants, and this mainly had to do with the lack of service provided, as they relied more on tablet technology to do the job of the server, instead of giving you the experience that you expect when you pay the higher prices for dining out.
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for Kebaya
|
Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
|
Ambiance
|
11
|
9
|
2
|
Food quality
|
11
|
7
|
4
|
Plate presentation
|
10
|
8
|
2
|
Customer service
|
8
|
3
|
5
|
Alcohol and other beverages
|
9
|
5
|
4
|
Total regular points awarded
|
49
|
32
|
17
|
Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.653061224489796
| ||
“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
Total bonus percentage
|
0
| ||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.653061224489796
| ||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
|
0 - 5
|
0.5
|
**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
|
0.5 of 5 Stars:
65% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
A Very Basic Dining Experience
|
Restaurant style:
|
Conservative dining
|
Cuisine Style:
|
Asian, Asian-fusion, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb, Pescatarian, Vegetarian Options
|
Reservations:
|
Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted
|
Dress code:
|
Casual attire
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
|
Experiences:
|
Place for foodies, Modern, Lounge, Great bar
|
Payments:
|
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
|
Parking:
|
Public Lot
|
Wifi
|
The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
|
Noise level:
|
Low
|
Smoking:
|
Kebaya is a non-smoking restaurant
|
Patio or terrace:
|
No
|
Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
|
Alcohol prices:
$ USD
Kebaya:
Vertrekpassage 3, 1118 AP
Schiphol Airport, Netherlands
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
| |
Maître d or host:
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+31 20 794 0800
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Serving hours:
Amsterdam Local
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - BST Offset + 1:00)
|
Mon-Sun
07:00 am - 11:00 pm
|
Social Media
&
Accolades for Kebaya:
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****
The worlds best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
Fine Indian and Pakistani Cuisine at the Burj Khalifa
Armani Hotel, Dubai, UAE
|
Fine dining Italian classics
Niagara, Canada
|
Contemporary Japanese restaurant, sushi, & cocktail mixology
DIFC, Dubai, UAE
|
Other Pictures of Kebaya:
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| Kebaya / Entrance |
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| Kebaya / sushi station |
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| Kebaya / Dining Bar |
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| Kebaya / Entrance |
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| Kebaya / Sake |
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| Kebaya / Uramaki Ebi sushi |
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| Kebaya / Bar |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
