Amsterdam Part 1: Epic Indonesian

This was one of the most epic meals of my life, and an experience I recommend for any visitor to Amsterdam. It's called "Rijsttafel," and, for one price, we were served about 25 dishes full of traditional Indonesian delicacies. Indonesia is a former Dutch colony, and—as I learned in Marseille—that is always a good place to start when it comes to a country's best ethnic cuisine.

Highlights? Stewed beef with an astounding, deep ginger flavor. Fried chicken drumstick (with a light rice flour crust). Bean spout, egg and green bean salad with peanut sauce. Vegetables in coconut milk. Braised chicken. Hyper-intense pickles. And it just went on and on. Everything tasted even better with a splash of sambal (chili sauce).

What follows is a hazy collage of this jaw-dropping array.