Today in the U.K it is pancake day! The Dutch will be celebrating at another time, but for now, let us take a moment to talk about pancakes…
Of course, we wish we were at Polle’s Keuken to celebrate this happy day, but alas, no can do! If you’ve never been to Polle’s before and would like to try it out, check out our review here.
While you’re in there, you can pick up some of Polle’s pannenkoek mix, to give your pancakes that ‘Efteling’ touch. Scroll down for your Polle’s Keuken fix, and see the menu to get some ideas for your own pancakes!
…at least in the U.K it was. We learned last year that the Dutch have a similar celebration at a different time, but of course any day is a great day to make pancakes! We cracked out our Polle’s Keuken pancake mix that we bought back in August last year; it comes complete with a chef’s hat and a wooden spoon!
As much as we wish that we could share the lovely taste of the pancakes with you, we can’t, but we suggest that everyone should buy the mix if they get the chance to! You can buy it at the entrance shop, or at Polle’s Keuken.
Laaf Lastpost volunteered to model the chef’s hat, but declined any involvement in the making of the pancakes.
Aside from the obvious hundreds of great reasons to visit Efteling, Polle’s Keuken is high on the list of must-dos! It only opened on March 30th of this year, but the frequent line of customers waiting to get in tells us that it is already a favourite of Efteling guests.
Pancakes are available from 11:30 am, just in time for a late breakfast. We were there bang on that time, and it was very quiet the whole time we were there. Most of the lines forming outside seemed to come later in the day, for lunch and dinner. The first thing you’ll notice when entering the building is the theming.
The ‘Oven’
There is a massive ‘oven’ in the middle of the floor, with tables surrounding it, a bar to the far left of the room, and on your immediate left as you enter, is where the pancakes are born. There are a lot of tables inside and out, so don’t worry about getting a table! The waiters and waitresses are dressed in traditional chefs outfits, to complete the theme.
You will be handed a menu upon arrival at the restaurant, and then you can pick your table. Menus are available in English if you ask, which is great news, because there are a lot of items on that menu! There are savoury pancakes such as salmon with rocket and cream cheese, goat’s cheese with honey, apple and pecan nuts, and bacon with onion. The sweet pancakes include apple with cinnamon and raisins, pineapple with ginger, and hot cherries.
The Menu. Click for a closer look!
Got a child with you? They feed those here too! Children can get a heart-shaped pancake with toppings such as sprinkles that they can put on themselves; this is known as the ‘Pimp Your Own Heart Pancake’ option, and comes with a drink and a ‘surprise’.
Don’t like pancakes? You’re in the wrong restaurant! But joking aside, there are options at Polle’s Keuken for the folks who don’t fancy nibbling away at a pancake. You can order a ‘Family Cake’ or a ‘Royal Dessert’, which are for between 1 and 4 people. There is also a cake carousel located to the left as you enter.
Drinks include the usual tea, coffee and hot chocolate, but also available is a fresh mint tea or a latte macchiato. Beer and wine are also available from the bar. Another neat idea that Efteling had, was to bag up the special pancake mix and sell it in bags for 2.95 in the restaurant. You can also buy gift packs of the mix which comes with a chef’s hat and a wooden spoon (also available at the main entrance for around 6.95).
We had the Pineapple and Ginger pancake, and the Hot Cherries pancake. The Hot Cherries were snuggled inside the hot soft pancake, with whipped cream on the side, and it tasted divine!
Hot Cherries
The Pineapple and Ginger pancake was also surprisingly nice, considering the rather unusual combination. There was sugar and syrup on the table, along with salt and pepper, in case you ordered a savoury pancake.
Remember that ‘oven’ we mentioned that is located in the centre of the restaurant? Every now and then, it does something special…
We highly recommend Polle’s Keuken if you love pancakes, or cakes in general!
