I expected to struggle with the food when I moved to the Netherlands. Dutch cuisine does not have the international reputation of French, Italian, or even Scandinavian cooking. My expectations were low. Within a few months, I was eating some of the best Indonesian food of my life, discovering that Dutch street food is genuinely excellent, and adjusting to the peculiar rhythm of Dutch restaurant life — earlier, more relaxed, and ultimately more enjoyable than I had anticipated.
This guide covers what you actually need to know about eating out in the Netherlands as an expat: the cultural norms, the best food cities, the international cuisine that the Dutch have genuinely mastered, street food worth seeking out, and where the Michelin stars are, if that matters to you.
Dutch Restaurant Culture: The Rules You Need to Know
The Kitchen Closes Early
This is the single most disorienting thing about Dutch restaurant culture for most expats. Dutch restaurants stop serving food early. In most cities, ordering after 9pm is difficult. By 9:30pm, the kitchen is typically closed. In smaller cities and towns, 8:30pm may be the last order.
This is not unique to restaurants — it reflects Dutch meal times in general. Dutch dinner culture centres on an early evening meal, typically between 5:30pm and 7:30pm, eaten at home. Restaurants accommodate this schedule. Eating dinner at 9pm or 10pm, which is completely normal in Spain, Italy, or even France, is a foreign concept in most of the Netherlands.
Practical implication: If you arrive at a Dutch restaurant at 8:45pm and expect a full dinner, you may be disappointed. Plan to eat between 6pm and 8:30pm. If you need food after 9pm, your options are: FEBO (the Dutch automated snack wall, open late), kebab shops and shoarma restaurants (open until midnight or 2am in cities), pizza delivery apps (Thuisbezorgd.nl / Deliveroo), or tourist-district restaurants in Amsterdam city centre.
Reservations
For mid-to-upmarket restaurants, booking in advance is strongly recommended, especially for Friday and Saturday evenings. Many popular restaurants fill up 1-2 weeks in advance. For casual eetcafes (Dutch pubs with food) and international restaurants, walk-ins are usually fine on weekdays but uncertain on weekends.
Booking platforms: OpenTable, Iens.nl (the main Dutch restaurant reservation platform), Resy, and direct online booking through most restaurant websites.
Tipping: The Dutch Way
Tipping in the Netherlands operates differently from the US, UK, or Australia. Dutch service staff are paid a proper wage — the minimum wage applies and most restaurant staff earn above it. Tips are appreciated but not depended upon.
The standard approach:
- Round up to a convenient number (bill EUR 43 → pay EUR 45 or EUR 50)
- For good service: add 5-10%
- For excellent service at a nice restaurant: 10-15% is genuinely appreciated
- For bad service: you are not obligated to tip at all, and most Dutch people do not when service is poor
Tipping in cash is more appreciated than adding a tip to a card payment, as cash tips more reliably reach the server. The Dutch do not expect tipping for drinks at a bar. Delivery drivers appreciate EUR 1-2 rounded up.
Never tip the American way (20% automatically regardless of service) — it is not the norm and may cause mild confusion.
Paying the Bill
The Dutch frequently use the phrase “ieder betaalt zijn eigen” — each person pays their own. Splitting the bill precisely, including between couples, is entirely normal and not considered unromantic or unfriendly. Dutch people use Tikkie (a Dutch mobile payment splitting app) constantly for precisely this purpose. If you are eating with Dutch colleagues or friends, expect to split exactly rather than simply taking turns paying.
For expat group dinners, Tikkie makes splitting painless — see the guide to best Dutch apps for expats for how it works.
Most restaurants accept both card and cash, and Dutch bank cards (Maestro/debit) are universally accepted. Contactless payment is universal. Some smaller cafes and markets are cash only — this is increasingly rare but still exists, particularly at outdoor markets.
The International Food Scene: Where the Netherlands Actually Excels
The reputation for bad food persists, but it applies almost exclusively to traditional Dutch home cooking. The Dutch restaurant scene in cities is cosmopolitan, diverse, and often excellent — particularly for cuisines from countries with historical Dutch connections.
Indonesian: The Dutch National Cuisine (Secretly)
Indonesian food is as Dutch as anything with the word “Dutch” in front of it. The historical connection — the Netherlands colonised Indonesia (the Dutch East Indies) for 350 years — produced a deep culinary exchange. The Indonesian community in the Netherlands is large, and Indonesian restaurants have been part of Dutch cities since the 1950s.
Rijsttafel: The great Dutch-Indonesian feast. A spread of 15-25 small dishes — satay, rendang (slow-cooked beef in coconut and spices), gado-gado (vegetables in peanut sauce), nasi goreng (fried rice), bami goreng (fried noodles), various sambals (chili pastes), tofu and tempeh dishes, and more — served with rice. A rijsttafel dinner for two typically runs EUR 40-60/person at a good restaurant and is one of the genuinely special Dutch dining experiences.
Even outside the full rijsttafel context, Indonesian food in the Netherlands is widely available and inexpensive: noodle soup (soto), spring rolls (loempia), and satay are found at takeaways throughout the country. Quality is generally excellent by European standards.
Good Indonesian restaurants: Blauw (Amsterdam and Utrecht), Tujuh Maret (Amsterdam), Sama Sebo (Amsterdam, open since 1969), Restaurant Toko (various cities).
Surinamese: The Netherlands’ Best-Kept Culinary Secret
Surinamese cuisine is extraordinary and almost unknown outside the Dutch-speaking world. The Surinamese-Dutch community, centred in Amsterdam, The Hague, and Rotterdam, has produced a remarkable number of small, family-run restaurants and takeaways serving roti, bara, saoto, and moksi meti at prices that are among the most affordable anywhere in Dutch cities.
A Surinamese roti wrap — flatbread filled with curried chicken, potato, long beans, and egg — is one of the best lunch options in Amsterdam for EUR 7-10. The curry influences come from Suriname’s Indian indentured labour community (Hindustani Surinamese), producing a style of curry that differs from both Indian and Indonesian versions.
For a complete picture of Dutch food culture including Surinamese staples, see the Dutch food culture guide for expats.
Turkish: The Döner Standard
Turkish food has been a staple of Dutch street eating for decades. Large Turkish and Turkish-Dutch communities, particularly in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and Den Haag, have produced a dense network of excellent shoarma and döner restaurants, Turkish bakeries, and full-service Turkish restaurants.
The Turkish döner in the Netherlands is generally excellent — larger, better seasoned, and higher quality than most equivalents in Western Europe. Shoarma (the Dutch variant, typically served with garlic sauce in a durum wrap) is the standard late-night food in almost every Dutch city and town. Turkish grocery shops (Turk markten) are outstanding sources of fresh produce, olives, dairy, and dried goods, often at better prices than Dutch supermarkets.
Turkish baklava and pide (flatbread) from Turkish bakeries are significantly better than supermarket equivalents — worth seeking out.
Moroccan: Tagine and Mint Tea
Morocco is one of the largest non-Western origin countries in the Netherlands, with large Moroccan-Dutch communities in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, and many other cities. Moroccan restaurants serve tagines (slow-cooked stews of lamb, chicken, or vegetables with preserved lemon, olive, and spice), couscous, harira soup, bastilla (pastry with spiced pigeon or chicken), and mint tea that is a genuine production.
The Moroccan food scene in the Netherlands is less visible in tourist areas but excellent in residential neighbourhoods. Markets serving Moroccan communities — particularly in Amsterdam Oost, Rotterdam South, and The Hague districts — have excellent fresh food shops and takeaways.
Other Notable International Cuisines
Vietnamese: A significant Vietnamese community, particularly in Amsterdam, has produced excellent pho and banh mi restaurants. Amsterdam’s Vietnamese restaurant scene is among the better in Europe.
Chinese: Long established, the Dutch-Chinese community is centred in Amsterdam (Chinatown near Nieuwmarkt) and major cities. Quality varies widely — traditional dim sum is available in Amsterdam and Rotterdam at a high standard.
Greek and Middle Eastern: Growing presence in major cities, particularly Lebanese restaurants (mezze, fattoush, kibbeh) and Greek tavernas.
Japanese: Amsterdam has an excellent Japanese restaurant scene including conveyor belt sushi (kaiten), ramen restaurants, and high-end omakase. Tokyo by night? Not quite. But for a city of 900,000, the Japanese options are impressive.
Dutch Street Food: What to Eat and Where
Haring (Dutch Herring)
The iconic Dutch street food. Raw salt-cured herring, lightly brined, eaten fresh from May (when the Hollandse Nieuwe, or new season’s herring, arrives) through autumn. Available at haringkramen — herring stalls — in markets, on major shopping streets, and near train stations.
How to eat it: The classic method is to hold the fish by the tail, tilt your head back, and lower it into your mouth. Alternatively, ask for it “met uitjes en augurken” (with chopped onion and gherkin) diced on a small plate — equally traditional and less theatrical. Price: EUR 3-5 per herring at street stalls.
The Hollandse Nieuwe release in late May/early June is a national event. The first herring of the season is auctioned at Scheveningen harbour, with the first barrel traditionally delivered by helicopter to the Dutch Prime Minister.
Poffertjes
Small, fluffy Dutch pancakes made with buckwheat flour and yeast, cooked on a special cast-iron griddle with dozens of small indentations. Served hot with icing sugar and butter. Available at markets, fairs, and specialist poffertjeskramen (stalls) throughout the Netherlands.
Poffertjes are best eaten immediately — they deflate as they cool. At EUR 5-8 for a plate of 12-15, they are excellent value and genuinely good. The best poffertjes come from specialist stalls rather than cafes serving them as a tourist item.
Bitterballen and Kroket
Bitterballen are small, deep-fried balls filled with thick beef ragout — crispy on the outside, molten and intensely savoury inside. The classic borrel snack (the Dutch social drinks gathering), available at any eetcafe, and sold at FEBO (the Dutch automaat, or vending machine restaurant) any hour of day or night.
FEBO deserves special mention as a uniquely Dutch institution. Rows of coin-operated heated compartments — each containing a snack (kroket, hamburger, kaassoufflé, frikandel) — line the wall of storefront locations throughout the Netherlands. Insert coins, remove snack, eat immediately. Open all night. A genuine social leveller — Dutch people from all backgrounds eat FEBO kroket at 2am.
Kroket (croquette) is the larger, oblong version of the bitterballen — also fried and ragout-filled, served in a bread roll (broodje kroket) at cafes, snack bars, and NS (Dutch Railways) stations throughout the country.
Kibbeling and Lekkerbekje
Kibbeling is battered and deep-fried chunks of white fish (typically cod or pollack), served with garlic sauce or tartar sauce. Available at fish stalls at markets and seaside towns. Very good — batter is light and the fish quality in the Netherlands is generally high.
Lekkerbekje is a battered fish fillet (the Dutch fish and chips equivalent), typically larger than kibbeling and served with garlic sauce in a paper cone. Both are market and seaside staples, particularly at the beach towns of the North Sea coast.
Stroopwafel (Fresh)
The stroopwafel you know from airport lounges and coffee shop chains is a reasonable approximation of the original. The fresh stroopwafel — made to order on a circular waffle iron and pressed with a layer of molten caramel syrup while still warm — is something else entirely. Albert Cuyp market in Amsterdam (open daily except Sunday), Haagse Markt, and traditional market stalls throughout the country sell fresh stroopwafels. The difference is substantial.
Price: EUR 1-2 per wafel at market stalls.
The Best Food Cities in the Netherlands
Amsterdam
Amsterdam has the Netherlands’ most diverse and internationally acclaimed restaurant scene. The city has multiple Michelin-starred restaurants, excellent Indonesian, Surinamese, Japanese, and Vietnamese food, an outstanding coffee scene, and some genuinely innovative Dutch restaurants applying modern techniques to local ingredients.
Neighbourhoods for eating:
- De Pijp — the most food-diverse neighbourhood, centred on the Albert Cuyp market; excellent Indonesian, Surinamese, Turkish, Ethiopian, brunch spots
- Jordaan — charming historic neighbourhood with good French and Mediterranean restaurants; tourist prices but quality remains
- Noord — across the IJ river, increasingly food-progressive with creative Dutch restaurants and the NDSM wharf food scene
- Centrum (city centre) — tourist-heavy, variable quality, but improving; the Nieuwmarkt area has good Chinese and Indonesian
Market: Albert Cuyp market (daily except Sunday) — the best general food market in the Netherlands. Fresh fish, stroopwafels, Indonesian street food, Surinamese roti, cheese, fresh produce.
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is increasingly the more exciting food city for those who eat beyond the tourist layer. A younger, more experimental food scene, lower restaurant prices than Amsterdam, and excellent international diversity driven by the port city’s history and demographics.
Rotterdam’s Markthal — a spectacular arched indoor market opened in 2014 — is the single most visually dramatic food market in the country. Fresh produce, cheese, meat, fish, street food stalls, and restaurants under one massive painted ceiling. Worth visiting even if you are in Amsterdam.
Rotterdam has outstanding Turkish, Moroccan, and Caribbean (Antillean/Surinamese) food concentrated in the south and west of the city, reflecting the composition of the city’s population. Witte de Withstraat is the main restaurant strip for international cuisine and craft beer.
For a full breakdown of living in Rotterdam versus other Dutch cities, see best cities in the Netherlands for expats.
The Hague (Den Haag)
The Hague has the best Indonesian food in the Netherlands, and arguably some of the best in Europe outside Indonesia itself. This reflects The Hague’s particular history — large numbers of Dutch-Indonesians (Indo-Dutch community) resettled in The Hague after Indonesian independence in 1949. The Indische Buurt neighbourhood and the Wagenstraat area are particularly rich in Indonesian restaurants of exceptional quality.
The Hague also has an outstanding Moroccan food scene (large Moroccan community), good Turkish restaurants, and the Haagse Markt — the largest outdoor market in the Netherlands — where fresh produce and international food stalls are excellent and very affordable.
Maastricht
Maastricht is the food capital of the Netherlands’ south and the most Burgundian city in the country. The influence of Belgium and France is felt strongly — restaurants stay open later, food is richer and more elaborate, and the dining culture is more gastronomy-focused than elsewhere. Café-restaurants on the Vrijthof square and Wyck neighbourhood consistently outperform equivalent establishments in Amsterdam for quality-to-price ratio.
Maastricht has a disproportionate number of Michelin-starred restaurants for its size and is worth a weekend visit specifically for eating.
Utrecht
Utrecht is underrated as a food city. Its compact, canal-lined centre has an excellent concentration of restaurants, cafes, and bars. Good Indonesian, Japanese, and Italian restaurants sit alongside creative Dutch spots. Lower prices than Amsterdam, more relaxed atmosphere, and excellent brunch scene driven by the large student population.
Michelin Restaurants: More Than You Expect
The Netherlands has over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants — a remarkable total for a country of 18 million people, and more stars per capita than France. This surprises most people, including many Dutch people.
Distribution of stars (2025 Michelin Guide Netherlands):
- Amsterdam: approximately 30+ starred restaurants, including multiple two-star and three-star establishments
- Rotterdam: growing number of starred restaurants
- Maastricht: disproportionately high concentration for the city’s size
- Various: starred restaurants throughout the country, including in smaller cities
Notable Dutch restaurants at the top tier:
- Inter Scaldes (Kruiningen, Zeeland) — three stars, destination dining in a remote Zeeland location
- Bord’Eau (Amsterdam) — elegant French-influenced cuisine in the Amstel Hotel
- Various Amsterdam restaurants with two stars offering serious tasting menu dining
The Dutch fine dining scene is genuinely world-class. For a special occasion, a Michelin-starred dinner in the Netherlands can be excellent value compared to equivalent stars in Paris, London, or New York. Tasting menus at one-star restaurants typically run EUR 80-150/person for food alone (wine pairing additional).
Bookings for top restaurants open months in advance online. TheFork (now called TheFork/Iens.nl in the Netherlands) and direct restaurant websites are the standard booking methods.
Lunch Culture: The Broodje at Your Desk
One thing that genuinely surprises expats from countries with a proper lunch culture: the Dutch approach to the midday meal is almost aggressively minimal. The standard Dutch office lunch is a broodje — bread with a filling, eaten at or near your desk. Many Dutch employers have a kantine (canteen) that serves sandwiches, soup, and simple warm dishes. A full cooked lunch is unusual in Dutch work culture.
This reflects a broader Dutch practicality: lunch is a necessary interruption to the working day, not a social institution or a gastronomic experience. The elaborate lunch breaks of Spain, France, or Mediterranean cultures simply do not exist in most Dutch offices.
For expats: This can be an adjustment, particularly if you are used to a hot lunch or a genuine lunch break. Many expats adapt by eating a larger breakfast, keeping the Dutch-style lunch, and making dinner the main meal. Others seek out the nearest Surinamese takeaway, Turkish grill, or Albert Heijn prepared food section for a more substantial midday option.
Albert Heijn prepared food: AH locations in city centres typically have an excellent selection of warm prepared foods, salads, sushi, and sandwiches at lunch. The AH Bonus card reduces the price on rotating items. For details on Dutch supermarkets and the Bonus card, see Dutch supermarkets guide for expats.
Grocery Delivery and Food Delivery Apps
For days when eating out is not the plan, the Netherlands has an excellent range of food delivery and grocery delivery options.
Restaurant food delivery: Thuisbezorgd.nl (the Dutch name for Takeaway.com / Just Eat Takeaway) is the dominant platform. Deliveroo operates in major cities. Uber Eats has a presence. Coverage is strong in cities; in smaller towns, fewer restaurants deliver. For a full comparison, see best food delivery apps in the Netherlands.
Grocery delivery: Picnic (subscription-based, very popular), Albert Heijn Bezorging, Jumbo Bezorging, and Gorillas/Getir (now Flink in the Netherlands) for rapid delivery. For a full comparison of grocery delivery services, see best grocery delivery services in the Netherlands.
Practical Tips: Eating in the Netherlands as an Expat
1. Eat early. Adjust your dinner expectations to a 6-8pm window. You will have more choice and better service.
2. Register for the Albert Heijn Bonus card immediately. Free, takes 3 minutes, saves EUR 15-40/month on groceries.
3. Find your local markt. Most Dutch cities have weekly outdoor markets (Saturdagmarkt, Weekmarkt) with excellent fresh produce, cheese, fish, and street food at better prices than supermarkets.
4. Try the Indonesian food. Wherever you live in the Netherlands, there will be an Indonesian restaurant within reasonable distance. A rijsttafel dinner is a genuinely worthwhile experience.
5. Learn to appreciate the borrel. The Friday afternoon or evening borrel — drinks and bitterballen at a cafe — is a genuine Dutch social institution and one of the better things about Dutch social life. Embracing it accelerates integration.
6. Accept the broodje lunch. Resistance is culturally futile. Invest in excellent bread and toppings from a good bakery or AH, and the broodje lunch can actually be quite good.
7. Transport matters for restaurant access. The Netherlands’ excellent cycling infrastructure makes getting to and from restaurants easy, even in the evening. For getting around cities, see the cycling in the Netherlands guide and OV-chipkaart guide.
8. Use Iens.nl for restaurant discovery. The Dutch equivalent of TripAdvisor for restaurants, with more reliable local reviews than the international platforms for Dutch restaurants.
Cost of Eating Out: What to Budget
Eating out in the Netherlands is neither cheap nor extravagant by Western European standards. For context:
| Meal type | Average cost per person |
|---|---|
| Street food (haring, kibbeling, poffertjes) | EUR 3-8 |
| Surinamese/Turkish/Indonesian takeaway | EUR 7-14 |
| Dutch eetcafe (bitterballen, biertje, simple main) | EUR 18-30 |
| Mid-range restaurant (two courses, glass of wine) | EUR 35-55 |
| Upmarket restaurant (three courses, wine) | EUR 65-100 |
| Michelin-starred tasting menu | EUR 120-200+ (excl. wine) |
For a realistic assessment of total monthly food costs including both eating out and groceries, see the cost of living in the Netherlands 2026 guide, which breaks down expenses by household type and city.
The Dutch food scene rewards exploration more than first impressions suggest. The first months of eating bread and cheese for every meal is a transitional phase, not a permanent state. Once you find your local Indonesian restaurant, discover the market, learn the borrel rhythm, and understand why the kitchen closes at 9pm, eating well in the Netherlands becomes entirely natural.
The Michelin stars are a nice bonus.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you tip in the Netherlands?
Tipping is appreciated but not obligatory. The Dutch system is very different from the US — restaurant staff earn a living wage and do not depend on tips to survive. The standard approach is to round up to a convenient number (e.g., if the bill is EUR 37, leave EUR 40) or add 5-10% for genuinely good service. You will not cause offence by not tipping, but a small tip for excellent service is always welcomed. For delivery drivers, rounding up to the nearest euro or adding EUR 1-2 is typical.
What time do restaurants close in the Netherlands?
Earlier than most expats expect. Dutch restaurants typically stop taking new orders by 9pm, and many close their kitchens by 9:30pm. In major cities like Amsterdam, some restaurants stay open until 10pm or 10:30pm, but ordering after 9pm is increasingly difficult even in tourist areas. This reflects Dutch dinner culture — people eat early, typically between 6pm and 7:30pm. If you want to eat late, you are generally better off with cafes (which serve food until later), kebab shops, pizza delivery, or a few late-night restaurants in tourist districts.
What is a rijsttafel and where can I eat one?
Rijsttafel (rice table) is an Indonesian-style feast of 15-25 small dishes served with rice — dishes like satay, rendang, gado-gado, nasi goreng, and various sambals. It was developed in colonial Indonesia by Dutch administrators who wanted to sample many dishes at once. Today it is considered as Dutch as it is Indonesian, and a rijsttafel dinner is one of the great Dutch eating experiences. Good Indonesian restaurants with rijsttafel are found throughout the Netherlands. In Amsterdam: Blauw, Tujuh Maret. In Utrecht: Blauw (same group). Most Indonesian restaurants in the Netherlands also offer individual dishes if you prefer a lighter meal.
What is haring and how do you eat it?
Haring (Dutch herring) is a raw salt-cured herring, lightly brined in a traditional Dutch method. It is eaten at street stalls from May (when the new season's soused herring — Hollandse Nieuwe — is released) through autumn. The traditional way is to hold the fish by the tail, tilt your head back, and lower it into your mouth in bites. A less theatrical but equally valid method is to have it diced on a small plate with chopped raw onion and gherkin. The taste is mild and fresh — not fishy in the way most people expect. If you have tried salt herring elsewhere and disliked it, Dutch haring may surprise you. It is a genuinely excellent street food.
How good is the restaurant scene in the Netherlands overall?
Much better than its reputation suggests. The Netherlands has over 100 Michelin-starred restaurants — a remarkable number for a country of 18 million people. Amsterdam has more Michelin stars per capita than Paris. Beyond the fine dining top tier, the Dutch restaurant scene in major cities is diverse, cosmopolitan, and includes some of Europe's best Indonesian, Surinamese, Turkish, Moroccan, and Vietnamese food. The historical perception of Dutch food as boring applies mainly to traditional home cooking — it does not reflect the actual restaurant landscape in cities like Amsterdam, Rotterdam, or The Hague.
What is Surinamese food and where can I find it?
Surinamese cuisine is one of the Netherlands' great culinary contributions and almost unknown outside the Dutch-speaking world. Suriname was a Dutch colony, and a large Surinamese community migrated to the Netherlands in the 1970s, bringing their food. Surinamese cuisine blends African, Indian (indentured labour from India brought curry traditions), Indonesian, Chinese, and Native Amerindian influences. Key dishes: roti (flatbread wrap with curried chicken or vegetables), moksi meti (mixed meats in savory sauce), bara (fried dough balls), saoto soup. Surinamese restaurants are found throughout the Netherlands, often as small, family-run takeaways — among the best value meals you can eat in the country.
Is the Albert Heijn Bonus card worth it?
Yes, unambiguously. The AH Bonus card is free to register for and provides automatic discounts on the Bonus items marked in-store and in the AH app each week. Discounts typically range from 25-50% on rotating products. There is no catch — you do not need to spend a minimum or collect points. Just register online or in-store with your email address, link it to the AH app, and discounts apply automatically at checkout. Regular AH shoppers save EUR 15-40/month through Bonus discounts. The AH app also shows your purchase history and allows digital receipts.
What is bitterballen?
Bitterballen are perhaps the most quintessentially Dutch snack: small, round, deep-fried crispy balls filled with a thick beef ragout (vleesragout) that is almost molten inside. The exterior is crunchy breadcrumbs; the interior is intensely savoury. They are served hot with Dutch mustard for dipping. They are almost always served at borrels (Dutch social drinks gatherings), available at any Dutch eetcafe (pub with food), and found at FEBO (the Dutch automat snack chain) at any hour. Warning: the inside is extremely hot immediately after frying. Always wait 60 seconds and bite carefully to avoid burning your mouth. This is a mistake every expat makes exactly once.
