Since 1973.
TerraZen has been quietly cooking vegan food in the centre of Amsterdam for more than fifty years — long before "plant-based" was a marketing word.
Two kitchens, one stove
Caribbean food is warmth — generous spice, slow-braised jackfruit, plates that fill the table. Japanese food is restraint — clean broth, sharp knife work, things in their right place. We serve both, side by side, because that is what our family eats at home.
A living room with a menu
The dining room is small on purpose. One long shared table. Reggae on the speakers. Posters that have outlived three governments. People sit close, food takes its time, and nobody is in a hurry.
A typical Tuesday (except we're closed).
How we cook
Four things we still insist on after fifty years.
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01
100% plant-based
Since 1973, no exceptions. Most of our regulars are not vegan — they come for the food.
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02
From scratch
Sauces, broths, doughs, sweets. If we can make it in-house, we do.
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03
Small kitchen
One or two cooks at a time. That is why dishes arrive when they arrive.
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04
Family-run
Same family, same stove, same recipes — refined one plate at a time.
Meet Izaba.
You'll likely find him at the stove. Reggae on the speakers, a story for every plate, fifty years of posters on the wall.
Izaba has been running this kitchen since 1973 — the same year his brother Cat Coore was forming Third World in Kingston. Both kept the same religion: food, music, and taking your time. Walk in, sit down, ask him anything.
"Existence flowing through. Breathe in." — from his @ZABA reels; swap for whatever line he wants on the site
"The voice is loud. The kitchen is quiet. The sauce takes its time."
"A small place, unpretentious atmosphere — and the most varied dishes."