De Pijp Show: Quiky hits Katsu, Papillon, Media (and 420)

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Tue 4th Aug 2009 03:31 pm

Geoffk, you've captured my experience at Club Media perfectly: a few young guys up front, the budtender who had to cope with a foreigner (under challenging conditions), the R&B ... I wanted to stay for the R&B but felt that I stood out too much. Perhaps that was the biggest issue -- I was on my own and I felt like I stood out.

I'll go back. There's a lot to like about the menu. And the R&B :)

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Thu 6th Aug 2009 12:18 am

I had very high expectations for 420's blueberry. I was judging it against some prized stuff I had at home, so disappointment was in the cards, I suppose.

Unlike the NYCD, the blueberry hit me, and I knew it: I was stoned. I lost my train of thought. My iPod had never before played music with this kind of clarity. My caloric intake spiked.

… and that's where my notes on the blueberry end. It yielded a strong, thought-jarring stone and little else. For me it felt like an uncomplicated, unremarkable indica. Perhaps that's what a true blueberry is to me – commonplace. It may well have been a good example of the strain, but it wasn't my cup of tea.

geekymonkey · Post by **geekymonkey** » Thu 6th Aug 2009 07:02 am

I love your pictures and your descriptions. I was trying to hold off another trip until September, but you are seriously tempting me to go out and buy some train tickets...

Thanks for sharing!

blackshore · Post by **blackshore** » Thu 6th Aug 2009 12:43 pm

quiky wrote:

I recognise this as the sewing machine shop on Van Woustraat - the biggest sewing machine shop ever! - it's 3 shops knocked into one - each window packed with different brands of sewing machine

If you're looking at this then you are about 45 seconds walk from Coffeeshop YoYo.

I live round the corner from Media and can perfectly understand what people are talking about, but they're good guys and just don't get too many tourists in, so aren't really used to catering for that market

Also of note is Cooffeeshop Roxy which is in the same street and has reopened (formerly Coffeeshop Sheiva) - has a similar clientle and is quite friendly

I got two grams of nice White Widow in their for 15 Euro last week - beautifully cured

blackshore · Post by **blackshore** » Thu 6th Aug 2009 12:48 pm

[quote="quiky"]The next stop was Papillon. If there is such a thing as the ideal coffeeshop for a first date (a questionable concept, that), this would be it: swish, dark and loungy. Inviting.

It would be the ideal shop for a first date

Had a really nice refit a few months ago and looks great - really tasteful butterfly neon sign outside and one of those big dutch windows that opens halfway up so really fell that you are outside when sitting inside. It's got that same clean loungey vibe as the refit that Dampkring gave Pink Floyd, but a little more intimate.

Good prices and 10% discount prices if you buy 2 grams

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Thu 6th Aug 2009 11:35 pm

blackshore: Indeed, it's the sewing machine superstore on Van Woustraat. The display window is hypnotizing ... You also mention Yo-Yo. I walked by there on two separate days (once in the afternoon, once in the evening), and the shop was closed on both occasions. I would've loved to be describing Yo-Yo's wiet in this space, but it was not to be.

You're obviously knowledgeable about the area, blackshore. You mention Yo-Yo and Roxy. Would you care to share your thoughts on Yo-Yo or any other shops in the neighborhood? I noticed quite a few on Van Woustraat, somewhat south of the sewing machine shop. (Blue Ocean comes to mind.) I'd love to hear about your experiences, your favorite varieties - Q

Boner · Post by **Boner** » Fri 7th Aug 2009 12:16 am

quiky wrote:(Blue Ocean comes to mind.)

'Blue Sea' I think? - if it is a friend of mine who was there last week said

the blue cheese is well nice and they had a smoking booth for tobacco joints.

Lock11 · Post by **Lock11** » Fri 7th Aug 2009 01:53 pm

cool report!

De Graal in De Pijp is well worth a visit, i had some nice Edelweiss there recently, it`s comfy too with friendly budtender.

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Sat 8th Aug 2009 07:14 am

Lock11: Thanks for the contribution. So far we've got a vote for White Widow at Roxy, and another for Edelweiss at De Graal. It's always great to read recommendations for coffeeshops that are seldom mentioned. Anyone else out there willing to disclose any hidden gems located in De Pijp?

Twichaldinho · Post by **Twichaldinho** » Sat 8th Aug 2009 07:23 am

quiky wrote:Lock11: Thanks for the contribution. So far we've got a vote for White Widow at Roxy, and another for Edelweiss at De Graal. It's always great to read recommendations for coffeeshops that are seldom mentioned. Anyone else out there willing to disclose any hidden gems located in De Pijp?

Tried Pacific yet? ( think its still called Harley on this site?)
Its a little bit...er....worn

but friendly. They have a pool table and the Orange bud I got was pretty nice. My friend got the Crystal ( i think ) and enjoyed that too.

Try it out, and let me know what you think.

https://www.coffeeshopdirect.com/Harley.html ( Thats the Page, Lem seems to have updated it

)

blackshore · Post by **blackshore** » Sat 8th Aug 2009 08:59 am

quiky wrote:blackshore: Indeed, it's the sewing machine superstore on Van Woustraat. The display window is hypnotizing ... You also mention Yo-Yo. I walked by there on two separate days (once in the afternoon, once in the evening), and the shop was closed on both occasions. I would've loved to be describing Yo-Yo's wiet in this space, but it was not to be.

You're obviously knowledgeable about the area, blackshore. You mention Yo-Yo and Roxy. Would you care to share your thoughts on Yo-Yo or any other shops in the neighborhood? I noticed quite a few on Van Woustraat, somewhat south of the sewing machine shop. (Blue Ocean comes to mind.) I'd love to hear about your experiences, your favorite varieties - Q

I'm no weed connoisseur by a long stretch and am always looking for a good deal

, but I've had an apartment for 2.5 years here and moved over with my family full time this february. I used to go into Media all the time when it was on Daniel Stalpertstraat and when it first moved back to its current location - they had some great weed at good prices (good 3g deals as I remember) - but the price went up lately and a gram now costs about 9 euro - still some great weed and a nice coffesshop. I generally end up going between Papillion (good value), Katsu (if I want hasj, outdoor weed), Media (can't stay away fron the Hindu Kush), Mellow Yellow (when they have some nice buds of the blueberry) and Roxy (recently re-opended, it's nice to support a new place). I remember going to Blue Ocean when I was first here a couple of years ago and getting some good hasj deals. YoYo I haven't been too in a long time (my daughters school is 50m away so I should make use really) - it's a lovely spot though and quiet.

I remember looking on an older coffeshop- map and theyre appeared to be twice as many CS around here before I moved thean there is now - a lot must have closed down 3 or 4 years ago

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Sat 8th Aug 2009 04:56 pm

Twichaldinho: Pacific ... yet another shop one doesn't hear much about. Interesting.

blackshore: Thanks for the summary. Comprehensive yet concise! :) Media's Hindu Kush is a real crowd pleaser. References to the stuff keep surfacing in this thread.

quiky · Post by **quiky** » Mon 10th Aug 2009 12:02 am

To sum things up, I'll offer my recommendations in order of preference …

1) NYCD (420) – High is clean, alert – with little raciness. Stays sharp. Go for a stroll, see the city.
2) John Sinclair (Papillon) - High is positive and warm, nearly transparent. In moderation, a good walker.
3) Hindu Kush (Club Media) - Pronounced body stone. Doesn't seem to flog the thought process. Wasn't able to give the smoke a fair shake, due to sudden onset of sleep – but perhaps this observation is telling.
4) Eco Skunk (Katsu) - Deep-heat massage. Stronger than I had expected. Ends in a dull stupor.
5) Blueberry (420) - Ordinary, thought-jarring stone.

If you've noticed a tilt towards the sativas, you're right. I shall try to offer a possible explanation for my bias … If you're like me, you've come to Amsterdam just to visit. There are only so many hours in which to sample the wiet and explore this beautiful, walkable city. Given the time constraints (and the relative scarcity of sativa back home), I just feel wrong when I find myself pinned to the armchair in my hotel room by a heavy indica clamp. At home, where a retreat into my skull is a welcome escape from my plain existence, I can enjoy getting stony-stone-stoned now and then. In Amsterdam, I want to stay somewhat conscious.

I also want to issue a disclaimer. If went back to Amsterdam today, in a different frame of mind, with different expectations, or a lower blood-alcohol level, I know the whole experience would be different. I would review the weed in a wholly different way. I was there just two days, and that isn't enough time (for me) to form an accurate impression of any particular buzz. I wouldn't want any coffee shops – or you the consumer – to suffer unfairly from my shoddy research methodology. The reports offered above are provided strictly as an entertainment - Q :)

colinzeal · Post by **colinzeal** » Mon 10th Aug 2009 12:09 am

Nice writing, nice reporting, thank you for a different perspective.

Looks like you did well in only 2 days and i hope you managed to explore and enjoy the city as you wished, a sativa often helps the wandering indeed!

Good entertainment, thanks again