De Lachende Javaan — Restaurant in Haarlem

A little jewel of a restaurant in a small lovely street in the lovely town of Haarlem. Definitely worth a visit! We went there yesterday for dinner and we were both completely stunned. Food and Drinks: We ordered the Ricetable, which is a dish were you get a bowl of rice and a big variety of typical indonesian dishes, from meat to vegetables. We both enjoyed it very much, we haven't tasted anything alike before. The dish we loved the most were the Saté, they were great, but everything other was as well. We chose the smaller, cheaper Ricetable since we couldn't think of eating even more. However, since it was so delicious, we finished almost everything (except the rice and some fried potato sticks). The size is, as you can see, perfectly alright, everyone should be satisfied at the end. We were two eaters. Coke was coke, so nothing much to say about drinks. Ambience: Lovely! Clean, beautiful restaurant which gives you a nice indonesian vibe. Enough space for the size of the rice tables but if you're table is to small, they'll bring an extra table, so you always have enough space to eat. Toilets were like the cleanest ones we had in the Netherlands so far. (It was our 5th day). Service: Also very friendly and hearty. Everyone was polite and smiling. Our waiter even spoke German with us! When he served our dishes, he explained every single one to us. The food came fast and was fresh, it is served on heating plates so you can slowly eat and enjoy and do not have to hurry because all the food might get cold. However, I recommend to reserve your table online. It's easy and if you don't, you might have a problem finding a table. They provide you with a Dutch and English menu. Prices: The Ricetables are definitely not the cheapest meals in Haarlem, but they are so worth the experience! Try it, trust me! And for the quality and amount of food, definitely nothing to declare. We paid 23,75 per person for the small rice table. To put it in a nutshell: If you're staying in or around Haarlem and are looking for a definitely not mainstream dinner, go there and enjoy the Ricetable. It's fun, delicious and a great experience, even your kids will love it. But come prepared with an...

We came to Haarlem for a house swap and looked for experiences in the local area. Even on a Sunday evening, it turned out to be important to reserve a table at this restaurant - thankfully we could do this on the website!

I ordered a vegan mixed plate and my companion ordered the meat version with extra shrimp. Simple, light beer was ideal to go with it.

The food was simply excellent! Every mouthful was another taste sensation, with masterful flavours and everything in the right quantity. My companion actually cried a little at how delicious everything was - he said it was the best plate of food he'd had in his life.

My vegan plate was exceptional, especially in a town where vegan options are rare. It included satay tempeh skewers, pulled jackfruit and fried tofu, as well as mountains of vegetables, beans, pickled radish... and I was glad to have upgraded from white rice to rice cooked with coconut milk and turmeric. My meat-eating partner sampled my food too and was bowled over. He loved it as much as I did.

Service was friendly and quick, the place is beautifully decorated. It is larger than I'd expected inside, with room for a lot of people, and is clearly popular enough to fill up. It did not at any point feel crowded - we had a perfect table - and the style is unpretentious, just good hearty food in...

My family and I were recently in Haarlem visiting Dutch relatives and I reserved the Lachende Jaavan for our reunion dinner. I heard about it from travel writer Rick Steves who apparently takes his tour groups to this family-owned place for an authentic Indonesian meal.

Months before our visit, I asked questions and made our reservation via e-mail, staff were quick to respond.

From the street (Frankstraat), it looks like a small restaurant, but when you walk in, you see that it's quite large and has a second floor. The decor is inviting and the service is friendly and knowledgeable.

We ordered a full riijsttafel (ricetable) meal for six people and were astounded by the quantity of food that our server arranged on our long table. My husband began the meal by tisking, predicting that we'd only finish half of what was before us. By the end of the meal, we'd cleaned all but two bowls and put a pretty good dent in those.

It was such a lovely evening: wonderful company, a cozy atmosphere and a feast of delicious food, a meal we'll never forget. Apologies for the strange photo, my husband didn't think the picture...