DEN HAAG 2026-06-15
Dutch travelog, part 6. Read part 5.5 here.
TIMELINE:
Monday was my last day in Den Haag (or so I thought—to be revealed in part... 8!), and we got to spend the day with Han. She likes to try new places, so we met at the station and took the train to the neighborhood of Bloemenbuurt-Oost, which is closer to the beach*.
* We never made it out there during the trip. Next time, that area will be a priority, as I have some artsy places bookmarked there.
But first, my OOTD:
Wearing my new Miffy sweater.
Breakfast
Café Drie is a cute neighborhood café that serve a modest menu of toasties and specialty coffee. They also offer baked goods by the till. They opened in May, so they are quite new.
My favorite way to have cheese now.
I enjoyed the chill vibes and my pour-over coffee, which was around €5, a bit pricier for Netherlands but a steal coming from Switzerland. I've seen pour-over coffee in Lucerne for 10 Fr., which is why I always just drink it at home.
The bread was difficult to slice and frankly, I was toastie'd out on this trip. I knew Han would take us on a food tour, so we didn't get anything else. After breakfast, we began our post-meal walk.
Lopen
PEACE PALACE
Han suggested we walk towards the city center via the Peace Palace.
"The Peace Palace is an international courthouse in The Hague, the Netherlands. It houses the International Court of Justice (which is the principal judicial body of the United Nations), and the Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA)." (Source)
Not pictured, the giant black gate surrounding the palace.
There was an entrance labeled "Visitor Information," but we didn't check it out. Otherwise, it's completely locked from the public.
Some birds we saw along the way:
LILY'S BUBBLE TEA
Since it was still a bit early for lunch, Han took us to Lily's Bubble Tea. I ordered a taro milk tea and it was really yummy! Daniel got a grapefruit cheese tea, which was surprisingly tasty.
Since we had tried all of Han's suggested bubble tea shops, Han asked us to rank them. Both Daniel and I had the same results:
- Lily's Bubble Tea
- machi machi
- Orintea
Han was shocked. She said she only suggested Lily's because her bf grew up here and loves it, but all her Hong Kong and Taiwanese friends didn't like it. So this is my theory:
Western tastebuds
It is well known that Asians don't like sugary sweet things. In fact, "not too sweet" is a compliment when eating a dessert. I get that. I prefer desserts to be mildly sweet. However, my drinks? Gimme all da sugar.
This makes sense why at machi machi and Orintea, 100% sweet tasted like 0% to me. While Lily's is Chinese-owned, the owner has lived here for years and raised her kids here, whereas machi machi/Orintea are originally from Taiwan and China, respectively.
After our mini pit stop, we decided to walk slowly back towards where we'd be eating lunch.
Lunch
BABAQUE
I'm always ready for noodles, so Han suggested a Japanese place for lunch. Babaque has the vibe of an izakaya† while offering carb-centered comforts like udon and various rice bowls. They also have smaller bites like onigiri and gyoza.
† An izakaya is a hybrid between a restaurant and bar. They usually serve small tapa-style plates and focus on the drinks, though some do serve udon. The atmosphere is casual and social.
We arrived after the lunch rush, so there was only one other group next to us (and later, a solo diner wandered in).
Shrimp tempura udon.
I ordered udon, of course. I loved the generous amount of noodles (though Han said the portion was on the smaller side), and the shrimp tempura was delicious. However, the broth wasn't flavorful enough for me. I told Han later that I would've added soy sauce if it were on the table.
At this point, to make myself feel better about any meal or purchase, I just mentally convert it into Swiss francs. So for 13.83 Fr (€15), I was satisfied with my meal.
Daniel ordered an okonomiyaki from their special menu and Han got the oyakodon set.
I probably wouldn't come here again, simply because there are many Japanese restaurants in Den Haag that I haven't tried yet. (Maybe someday I'll make a tier list.)
Snack
Han led us back to Piet Heinstraat for the best ice cream ever.
PIET ARTISANS OF FLAVOUR
Right next to Bartine is Piet Artisans of Flavour, known for their uniquely flavored ice creams. According to Han, they never repeat a flavor concoction twice.
Glorious ice cream.
I ordered mahlab‡, a Middle Eastern milk pudding commonly flavored with rose water. Due to the long line, I decided not to try any more special flavors and went for strawberry. Daniel got yuzu mandarin and kulfi, an Indian dessert flavored with saffron and cardamom. Han also ordered the yuzu mandarin, and I can't remember the last flavor.
‡ When I fact-checked this, results pull up "mahalabia." "Mahlab" is an aromatic spice made from cherry seeds. However, they call it "mahlab" on the menu.
I've been to a few ice creameries that sell unique flavors, like Wanderlust Creamery in Los Angeles, BUT PIET'S TAKES THE CAKE. My tastebuds did a back-handspring → roundoff → somersault → 10/10 landing → pose.
If there's anything I love as much as noodles, it's ICE CREAM. I'm a slow eater, but I'm always the first one to finish my ice cream. People say, "Slow down, enjoy it." The thing is, I am enjoying it, that's why I'm inhaling it so quickly.
A call to action
Ugh, this makes me realize that I don't know enough artisanal ice cream places if the only two I can think of on the top of my head are both from LA¶, or our local gelateria (it's good, but not THIS good).
¶ The other one is Scoops, which I haven't had since like 2006, but I still remember ordering one scoop of earl grey and one scoop of brown bread.
Dear Reader, please send me ice cream shop recommendations. It can be anywhere in the world. Who knows, maybe I'll find myself there someday. Gotta be prepared, ya know?
ANYWAY, I would 110% visit Piet Artisans of Flavour again. So glad Han recommended it, because we passed by it without a single glance the first time we were on this street.
Art walk
It was nearing the late afternoon and our time together was coming to an end. We headed towards the direction of the city center.
We made a pit stop at DuckRabbit Coffee Brewers. R's sisters are coffee aficionados (they both worked as baristas at some point), and DuckRabbit was on their list when they visited. I always like to buy a bag of coffee beans as a souvenir from my travels. The beans are not cheap, but ya know, when in Rome Den Haag and all that.
I got an iced Americano to go. Based on how expensive the coffee beans were, I was surprised it was only €4 a cup. That was, until I received the cup and it was half the size of a regular cup. It was good though!
BLOWUP JUBILEE
We headed back towards the Museum Quarter (where Escher in the Palace was). Remember all the inflatable art?
"From 22 May to 21 June 2026, The Hague city centre will once again be transformed into a dynamic open-air museum with BlowUp Jubilee – a high-profile anniversary edition of the much-loved art exhibition BlowUp Art. This special edition celebrates the fifth anniversary of the iconic inflatable artworks and, for the first time, brings together all the highlights from recent years in one grand visual spectacle." (Source)
Here's a photo dump, including some pictures I took earlier in the week:
We eventually made it to the station and hugged each other goodbye. Han and I had our usual video call the following week, and I'm sure I'll visit her again in the future. She's been an excellent tour guide and her recommendations are top tier. I'm happy I can call her a friend now and not just a language exchange partner.
I took two pictures with the intention of giving one to Han but forgot. I had to ask S to deliver it to T&C Haus for Han to pick up.
✌︎
We headed back to R&S's one last time (wink), rested on the couch for a bit, packed up our luggage, hugged R&S&Luca goodbye, and headed off to Utrecht.