I was looking at the menu of Van Marley’s – a Dutch eatery in Xavierville, Q.C. – and I imagined what the Dutch are like. Judging by the sausages, deep fried food, and sweet pancakes, I pictured Netherlanders as fat and wheezing, prone to cardiac arrest and diabetes. I noted the various European alcoholic beverages on the wooden shelf in front of me. Beer bellies, I thought to myself, the Dutch have beer bellies.

I chose the Kroket (Croquette, containing meat ragout) and the Dutchkins (miniature Dutch pancakes). While waiting for my order, I explored the things around me. I chuckled at some of the pictures in the menu. You have to be extremely liberal, or extremely licentious, to choose photographs of sex shops and the red light district (with accompanying caption: red light district) to represent your country. I saw a Netherlands flag on the ceiling, and a Netherlands travel guide on the magazine shelf. I was perplexed with the Rastafarian motif of the restaurant: two lamps had the face of Bob Marley, and there was a poster of a peace logo, surrounded by psychedelic shapes and colors. Is there a Jamaica-Netherlands connection we are unfamiliar with? Totally un-Dutch-like was the background music: the radio was playing Eraserhead’s El Bimbo.

Food arrived after ten minutes. I started eating the Kroket. It reminded me of Corn Dogs, although with a thinner though crunchier coating, and containing shredded meat instead of hot dog. I enjoyed the Dutchkins – my order had blueberry paste (with hints of cream cheese) on top of each mini-pancake, and the sour and saltiness balanced the sweetness of the pancake and powdered sugar. Though truth be told, I still prefer crepe with sour fruit. The Kroket cost P135, the Blue Berry Cream Cheese Dutchkins P125.00.

I’ll try to come back to Van Marley’s in a few weeks with fellow foodies so that we can try the beer and other dishes.

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One week after, I came back to Van Marley’s with a couple of friends. We tried the Drunk Dory and Flaming Dutch Wings and found both dishes delicious. I also changed my initial assessment of Dutchkins: those little things are divine! Especially, the ones with blueberry cream toppings.