The Shallow Man has in the past been accused of rarely leaving Amsterdam Zuid. To prove my critics wrong, I headed to the Utrechtsestraat to have a meal and some cocktails at Mystique. Now there are some malicious types that have also attempted to accuse me of only eating in the finer establishments in town, but the Shallow Man loves good honest food as much as the next man. Mystique has a reputation for good ribs and steak, so I brought along an American friend of mine, who claims to be a bit connoisseur when it comes to telling a good quality sirloin from a rump and so on.
After a warm greeting on arrival, we accepted the offer of having a drink downstairs in a bar that has one of the best pieces of interior design in Amsterdam.
After a welcome cocktail that warmed my heart quicker than watching a youtube video of two kittens playing, we then proceeded upstairs to the restaurant for dinner.
The service was so good that I had to pinch myself, was I really in Amsterdam or was the cocktail stronger than I thought? I started with pan-fried Scallops with a yakitori sauce, that were perfectly cooked and seasoned. For the main course, my companion chose the steak Mystique. I would say that he’s a well-balanced individual, not prone to bouts of emotion, but he almost broke down with tears of joy, so tender was that steak. I almost felt as if I were intruding, and wanted to give him and the steak some privacy.
Scallops, beautifully presented
Can you remember the first time you fell in love?
Your first kiss?
Your first one night stand?
All of these experiences were topped by the Mystique spare ribs!
I still get emotional when I think about the Mystique spare ribs
The meat was falling off the bone. It was softer than the body of an eighteen-year-old, yet spicier than a tinder date with a thirty-five-year-old married woman. The ribs were so hot that they could have had their own reality show and perfume line. We were joined by another friend, a vegetarian, who enjoy listening to our rapturous descriptions of the quality of the meat served, at least that’s what he told us. 😉
After the religious experience with the ribs and steak, we headed back to the bar. The details of the cocktails we had are a bit of a blur, but one thing that clearly stands out in my mind is that they were incredibly good value for money.
The cocktail menu at Mystique
Take the Shallow Man’s advice and by all means have a cocktail or two at Mystique, but you’ve got to try the Ribs, they are probably the best I’ve ever had.
Wednesday’s at Mystique is ribs night
