Golden Temple
$$ - average
Indian
Indian-Mexican-Middle Eastern Vegetarian Food
This restaurant is run by Sikhs and is completely lacto-vegetarian. It is also non-smoking and alcohol is prohibited.
The Golden Temple has a large selection of foods from India with a smattering of dishes and appetizers from Mexico and the Middle East.
From 11AM until 4:30PM they offer a small lunch menu with some dishes €4-6, such as tofu or hummus brodjes.
Many dishes that are not vegan can be made so, customers should ALWAYS ask that their dish be made vegan, even if it doesn't seem like it should have any dairy.
The 4 tram lets off on Utrechtsestraat at Prinsengracht, 2 blocks north.
Also, the 9 and 14 trams, and 359 and 361 buses let off at Rembrandtplein just a few blocks further north.
- (Mostly) Organic
Added by Eric Purdy on Sep 2 04 (updated Feb 27)
Reviews
I was lured here several years ago by the fact that it is non-smoking (non-smoking is very difficult to find in the Netherlands). Perhaps it has improved in the last few years, but at the time that I ate there I found the food rather bland.
In general I prefer vegetarian food which is vegetarian by design, rather than food designed around a meatless substitute, so I was quite disappointed that these dishes had less flavour than the same dish typically has at a resturant which doesn't specialize in vegetarian food.
The lunchtime staff at Golden Temple was friendlier than anywhere I've found in Amsterdam. They knew exactly what vegan (veganistisch) meant and said which dishes were, or could be made, vegan.
They were out of tofu so I went for the "Chef Surprise", basically a thali, which that week included rice, a mung bean and spinach curry, a potato curry, some carrot-ginger soup, a chapathi, and a big cup of hummus for €11. It could have been spicier, but was still quite good and I enjoyed the variety.