Take for example EkoPlaza, which boasts locations in the Hague, Bussum, and Veenendaal. I've only visited the Hague location (in fact I've never heard of the other two cities) and I can definitely recommend stopping by.

Located on the Grote Markstraat (115) quite near to the Central Station, the Hague's EkoPlaza is large and cheerfully lit. It contains everything you'd expect from a supermarket, and everything's organic. They have a produce section, fresh breads and pastries, cheese, canned and boxed goods and even a section with some clothing items and household cleaners.

I have to warn you - the bill will run considerably higher than at a normal supermarket. But sometimes organic is just the way to go.

Image taken from the EkoPlaza website.

Who doesn't love brunch. It's a chance to relax and enjoy a tasty meal while the sun (hopefully) shines. This Sunday, February 7, and every first Sunday of the month, is the Kok In Een Zok Brunch Café, where a variety of organic, vegetarian (with vegan options) foods are on offer. There are fruit, salads, sandwiches, waffles and more.

The cost of the meal is €12.50 per person, including drinks, and the opening hours are from 12-15:00. This monthly event is held at Stowis on Boothstraat 8, in Utrecht.

I don't usually complain about NL-related experiences on Trippist. Well, occasionally - but I do think this is the first time I've written a negative review about a restaurant.

Actually, it's more of a negative non-review, since we never even got to try the food. Here's the story: After rave reviews from an expat friend who lives in the Hague, we decided to take a special trip to Baklust, a cozy, cutely decorated little place that offers ecological vegetarian fare. That combination being rare in Leiden, I was excited to find a moderately close place to get my health kick on.

We arrived, and the place was as nice as it looked on the web. There were a few tables occupied, so we made ourselves at home and perused the delicious sounding menu.

Ten minutes passed, and the waiter with the long blondish dreads seemed unaware of our presence, though we had made eye contact several times. I finally went up and asked if we should order at the counter. He said no; he'd be right over.

Other customers came and went. A woman entered, ordered food for takeaway, received her order and left again. Customers approached the counter to pay, and packed up to head into the rain. Soon, the place was almost deserted. And we still hadn't been asked for our order.

We gave the guy almost half an hour, and gave up. We left hungry and very disappointed. Sorry, Baklust. That's the last chance you'll get from this expat.

This is both a last-minute posting and a general reference. Utrecht has seen the first Stamppot To Go restaurant open on Nobelstraat. That lovely Dutch dish of mashed potatoes mixed with a variety of vegetables is now available in a fast-food format (along with soups and fruit juices). I've been looking forward to trying the restaurant ever since I first saw the sign go up.

If you're in the Utrecht city center today, head over to the Domplein right away and get a taste of the shop's wares. They've got a special set-up for today only as part of this month's Cultural Sunday. They're there until 5 p.m. today (apologies for being so late).

If you don't make it there, stop by their shop at Nobelstraat 143. Their hours are 4-9 p.m. most days, or check the website for more information.

Leiden has lots of great options for dining out, but unfortunately until now has been pretty limited when it comes to Indian food. Luckily, a new option opened recently. It's called Everest Tandoori Restaurant, and I tried it out a couple weeks ago with some friends.

The food is good - not the best ever, but definitely worth trying. Beware - many of the dishes are very spicy! But be sure to try the Nan bread - absolutely delicious.

Everest Tandoori Restaurant is located in the center of Leiden, on Noordeinde 15. It's open seven days a week from 17.00 until 22.30. Check out their website for a full description of menu options.

The Netherlands is famous for many delicacies, one of which is cheese. One of my favorite things to do at the supermarket or at the outdoor markets is to hunt for free cheese samples and enjoy the flavor. More than once I've been persuaded to buy the sample selection.

And of course there are shops specialized in just cheese. Recently, Cosmo Polite provided a list of fabulous cheese shops in Amsterdam, like the Reypenaer Tasting Room located on Singel 182, or the Kaaskamer located on the Runstraaat 7 in the Jordaan. Have a look - the photos on these websites may be enough to tempt you into heading to one of these famous shops.

What is Jacketz? According to the ad, they are the first baked potato shop in Leiden. They're positive about their idea taking off - and are counting on groups of four or more students to come in and try out the spuds.

Jacketz is located near the market in Leiden, on the Maarsmansteeg 10. It is open every daily from 12pm to 10pm. Check it out! With that kind of discount, what do you have to lose?

This one I've never heard of before, but it sounds delicious. The Amsterdam Chocolate Festival.

As you may know, Amsterdam is an important port for chocolate coming into Europe from all over the world. So why not put all that chocolate to good use by throwing a festival where restaurants all over the city offer chocolate related cuisine for a fixed price. When I say cuisine, I mean starters, main dishes, and desserts - all involving chocolate! the participating locations are more than I can count on two hands, you can see them listed on their website. While you're there it is a good idea to make reservations online as you never know if there will be space.

The festival is running now until November 22 and includes events like chocolate parties, workshops, bike rides around the port, and other cacao related demonstrations. Check the program for full details. Below is a little video from the festival put out by the local news.

Starbucks also has three locations at Schiphol airport (one behind security) and I've heard rumors about a store at Amsterdam Centraal but I haven't seen it myself. A little research reveals that Utrecht Centraal is already brewing Starbucks coffee. Still, Leiden is definitely one of the first stations in the Netherlands to welcome this world-famous coffee company.

Love it or hate it, expansion is on its way. It will be interesting to see how the Dutch react and strange for me, too: until now all of my Starbucks experiences have been outside the Netherlands. More to come once it's open.