Nam Kee

I haven’t typically craved wonton soups in the past, but I found this so perfect for cold, rainy nights on my stay in Amsterdam that I ordered twice! I sometimes find Chinese food to be a bit too salty and/​or filled with that silent killer (MSG) and to my surprise, I felt only satisfaction. (I’m sure there are additives but it’s not as heavy as I’ve experienced before). The pork was super tasty and a hefty portion. Second time, I got the classic wonton and it’s just as fulfilling. Crispy fried wontons (4pcs) are a great start to meal — Even kept its crisp after sitting out for a bit. Highly recommend getting them!
Second order, I added snow peas in garlic. They give a huge container of rice, but the veggies themselves were a bit overly saturated with oil and lost its bite from being overcooked. I also had expectations of snow pea leaves which I absolutely love, but my eyes and hunger clearly trailed off when reading the menu. At € 13.50, it was something I really did not need.
Both times, they did not deliver any utensils, however, High — five on those chili oils with every order. Yum!

A nice small place with great food! If you don’t pay attention you will walk right past it. The Ramon has the best noodles I have ever had with an exquisite broth.
Don’t forget to stop in!

I decided to give out my first one star, or «I would give zero if allowed», here. As a Chinese living in USA and have literally travelled around the world, I believe I can observe and judge this restaurant objectively. Admittedly, the food provided is OK; while the faulty part is the service: born as Chinese yet living overseas, they are struggling finding their identities. They hate to be a Chinese as this identity makes it harder to get involved here in Europe, and they shift this negative feelings toward the difficulty to a hate towards Chinese people. As a foreigner (not Asian), you might not feel this since they will cater all you needs in a way I would refer as parenting, but if you are a Chinese, you will be greeted with the rudest, the most impatient and the most disgusting service you’ve ever had. Scroll and see comments from real Chinese people (you can tell from their names) and then decide if you want to eat here. By the way, I’ve got six cards and five of them are issued by U.S. banks (Visa, master, American Express, discover, you name it) and this is the only place that denied all my cards without even trying to see if they work here. For some weird and «you know the reason» reasons, they simply «ordered» me to pay in cash. These cards took me to every corners of the world and never, ever let me down. this restaurant did. Again, think before you come.
中文就简单了。别来。典型的换了护照的老华侨，对老外和对中国人两个脸色，真恶心。最后特别强调自己不是中国人，当时忍住了，真应该把我某国的ID扔他脸上。一个荷兰籍有什么可得瑟的！每个人都有追求更好生活的权利，但是你至于忘了根忘了本去欺负自己人吗！为你感到羞耻。

It was a cold Amsterdam day when I tried the place. It might be the weather, maybe my mood but I didn’t enjoy it that much. Or, let’s say it didn’t match my expectations. I tried oysters– which there is even a film for– was a disappointment for me. I skipped duck and maybe that was a mistake. In case there will be a second time, duck is in the list to try.

The most authentic Chinese food you’ll find in Amsterdam. Great diversity and very little of the gross Indonesian food people in the Netherlands seem to confuse with Chinese food. My favorite dish is «rice sticks with beef» and the wantan soup is to die for. Their sambal is delicious, too.

May 2015 roast duck noodle is very good. Other dishes such as sweet and sour and stir fried are also above average. Simple place always crowded but service is effective, no drama. Will come back for simpler dishes.

Mein Vater fuhr uns in den Sommerferien den ganzen Weg von Berlin nach Amsterdam um hier Enten-​Nudel-​Suppe zu essen. Jepp.
Waren vor etlichen Jahren mal hier gewesen und haben den Laden zufällig entdeckt. Es hat ihm damals SO GUT geschmeckt, dass er noch Jahre davon geschwärmt hatte und es für ihn in Berlin keinen Schuppen gab, der so gute Enten-​Nudelsuppe machen konnte wieder der Herr im Nam Kee in Amsterdam. Er hat Recht, es schmeckt hier wirklich gut.

Been there once, the food was ok, and not really cheap. There are better chinese food in nearby places. The thing really bother us is their service. Two of us went during dinner, they were kind of busy. We understand if a restaurant is fully booked we will find other places. However, the waiter let us sit but adding with a stinky attitude ’ fast, I have rhis table for later customers! ’ Ok, we ordered immediately, then she replied ’ no ! you can’t have this! It takes more than half a hour to cook! ’ And then we can’t have a few other dishes for the same reason. So we were forced to order two noodles. It came fast, but taste not good, nothing special only not terrible. And ironically we waited for more than half a hour for her to get the bill after we finished. For us we will NEVER come back to this restaurant. The service is horrible and the food is mediocre.

Went there due to the high rating as well as a recommendation in a guidebook. The food was decent but not as impressive as expected (mostly a little bland). Out of four dishes ordered, the wonton soup was by far the best one & really delicious. Friendly service attitude.

Phenomenal and authentic Chinese food. Must try the warm oyster starter with black bean sauce. The steamed prawn dumplings came out hot and fresh. Probably one of the best Peking ducks I’ve ever had. The Singapore vermicelli were perfectly cooked and seasoned.

Authentic Chinese food in the middle of Dt Amsterdam. They have the whole hanging duck along with BBQ pork. But the most amazing find is actually their tofu dish. Explore the menu. There are a lot more than the usual popular dishes.
He ingredients are fresh. Not your fanciest selection bit good hardy Chinese food. The best part, not dumb down version. They serve it as real as the food source can get. If you are craving a hearty late night meal, this is the joint.

This place is always packed and I can see why. Prime location in Centrum and close proximity to Amsterdam’s cute little Chinatown. This place oozes authenticity if you’ve ever been to any major city in China or HK: The master butcher is out front chopping meat up for all to see, its noise level is comfortably loud, and the service is fast and furious.
The fare is pretty much traditional Chinese — noodle or rice dishes paired with a variety of meat (duck, pork, beef) and veggie options. The model is clearly to get you in and get you out quickly. Although, I have seen this place accommodate large groups of 10+.
The quality of the food is (I’d say) slightly better than what you would find elsewhere in Centrum or De Pijp. The ambiance and environment can’t be beat. The staff speak English, Dutch, and Cantonese AND they accept PIN. That’s why they get rounded up to a 4-​star from me.

We loved this place when visiting Amsterdam. The Peking Duck was awesome for not being in Hong Kong. I thought it was a very close experience to the China Town in London and some of the places in Hong Kong… but it’s not HK.
They duck was prepared up front and very traditional. It gets very crowded so reservations are recommended. They snoot at you and give you a crappy table up front by the carry out if you don’t have a reservation!
We actually went here again on the American Thanksgiving holiday when we were on vacation in AMS. It was very quiet but it was late.
The restrooms are WAY upstairs above a spiral staircase. It is a lot of work but good exercise to go upstairs and use the bathroom.
I’ll certainly return here as one of my first places to eat the next time I’m in Amsterdam.

After the zeedijk location said they were closed (a half hour early) I went to this location, which was really close by. So glad I went there! There takeaway menu was extensive, their normal menu even more! I got mapo tofu (spicy tofu) on the recommendation from a coworker. € 11 and worth every euro. It was spicy and flavorful. Probably filled with MSG bc I was really thirsty after, but nothing a bottle of water couldn’t fix. A large serving of white rice accompanied the tofu. I don’t know if it’s just for take away, but the amount was huge! The tofu and rice alone could feed two with hefty appetites easily. The fried noodles with chicken filet was also really good (€ 10). Chicken was thin slices of chicken breast, a few veggies (mainly some onions and green onions) and chow mein like noodles. Good flavors. Once again, huge serving. The two dishes I had could have fed four easily, instead! I’ll be eating Chinese for the next two days. The hot sauce they gave is the standard chili flakes in oil, but it is really spicy. i wasnt prepared for it. i thought it would be mild, like other «spicy» food ive had here. This place tasted like legit Chinese food. Definitely come here for your Asian fix. I’d rather pay the extra euro or two for this place than wok to walk. OH, the takeaway containers are plastic boxes. No juices spilled on my fifteen minute walk to my hotel!

Ernest Hemingway said «write drunk, edit sober.» I will be doing both after a couple glasses of wine with dinner. And what better thing to write than a restaurant review.
I preface this by saying that I love duck. You don’t understand. If I had to choose between a guaranteed meal provided by a concert hall after a performance, or a possible meal brought about by the RUMOR of the best Peking Duck in Amsterdam, I would (and have) chosen the trek from the Concertgebouw to Geldersekade in search of said duck. Luckily I found it. I noticed this place for the first time April 2011, but didn’t get around to eating there for a few months. After each meal I’ve had there, I wonder what made me wait so long, and then I remember that if I hadn’t been traipsing around Amsterdam with a vegetarian friend at the time I first noticed this place, I would have been inside ordering a duck dinner faster than a bike lock can be picked.
From the outside, it doesn’t look like much, and perhaps in its simplicity of presentation lies the best indicator of the food within. No frills, no overly «Oriental» décor, no attempt at Westernized Chinese decorations or even translations on the menu save the most basic. Just a place with chairs, a delicious food. For those wishing for a more «dressed up» dining experience, Nam Kee owns two other restaurants in Amsterdam. The food I have had has consistently exceeded my expectations. The Peking Duck is the perfect blend of sweet, salty, and savoury tastes, none of which overwhelm the tastebuds. The rest of the menu is equally unparalleled, though I do confess my standard order to usually contain some sort of duck. On a recent trip, I had the salt and pepper squid with mixed vegetables. Where so many Chinese restaurants have descended into mediocrity with a salt and pepper mix that borders on a KFC level of obscenity where batter is concerned, Nam Kee’s take on the dish is light and provides enough of a punch to satisfy the need for heat without overpowering the taste of the squid itself.
All in all, this is one of the true Gems of the Amsterdam culinary scene. Cheap, fast, delicious, what more could one ask for in a pre-​concert meal?