Indochine Café

Hey everyone, welcome to this food review on Indochine Café in Markhaal Rotterdam! Grab a cool drink, stretch out, and let's talk food. This week, I took a casual Saturday evening trip over to sample their all-day spread and see how their digital setup handles a relaxed solo meal.

Location

Tucked away in the corner of the noisy commercial strip that is the busy market place of Rotterdam Centruum, I found a relatively calm, easygoing pace. Foot traffic remains light given the location and its usual bustling activity. With no road next to me, removed from away from the Markthaal main entrance, the entire terasse has a active but pretty quiet charm.

Ambience

I arrived around 5:00 PM on a Saturday, with a light appetite and looking for a quiet table to kick off an early dinner. I was sat fast, as there was no queue, but I do expect that during high times it can be quite long. The waitresses were amicable and let me chose my table outside or inside, and I didn't see any reservations.

I was solo, and chose a modest outdoor terrace table placed right beside the side door. While it sat near an entry point, pedestrian traffic stayed remarkably sparse, allowing me to enjoy the outdoors without feeling exposed to constant foot traffic.

The immediate view from the terrace is fairly utilitarian, framed mostly by neighbouring concrete buildings rather than sweeping scenery. Even then, sitting in the shaded outdoor area with a soft, persistent breeze cutting through the air felt exceptionally comfortable. The acoustic environment was equally serene: polite chatter at normal reasonable volumes, the distant laughter of children playing by the wave pool, and the gentle, hourly chime of a nearby church bell adding character to the background.

Menu

Ordering is handled entirely via a digital menu by scanning a QR code on the table, which fits for a quiet and unbothered solo meal. The mobile interface has English translations and features filters for allergens and dietary preferences. Ingredient lists are comprehensive, though a few items omit explicit spice level warnings despite listing chili directly in the description, so keep a sharp eye out if you are sensitive to heat like me. The menu has pictures for most (if not all) meals which are diverse but stay true to an Asian (Vietnamese and Thaï mostly) cuisine.

They do not have a "meal of the house" of specialties, but instead have a pretty wide but coherent selection.

Food

Starter

My starter arrived a brisk five minutes after I tapped my order through the app. It hit the table steaming and scalding hot, requiring a few patient minutes to cool before I could pick up my chopsticks. Visually, the plating was inviting, featuring a well-balanced spread of vibrant colors.

Testing the chicken in isolation without the dipping sauce, the golden exterior offered a satisfyingly crisp crunch that yielded to well-cooked meat inside, though the center carried a slightly starchy note and a neutral, under-seasoned baseline. The side salad appeared warm, soft, and largely decorative, but it surprisingly fulfilled its purpose as an effective, refreshing palate reset between bites. Once dipped into the sweet and sour style sauce, the dish transformed completely: the sweet notes instantly erased the starchiness, yielding a delightful crunch-to-juicy finish that peaked dramatically on the first bite.

Main

Just five minutes after the starter arrived, the main course did too, served with a fork and spoon. The portion size was pretty generous, filling the plate with a rich, aromatic display.

Testing the components individually, the shrimp had a very muted taste. Almost non-existent flavor I would expect from shrimp, clearly intended to be eaten alongside the rest of the plate rather than solo. The rice, however, was the absolute highlight of the dish, almost overwhelmingly so: rich, deeply seasoned, and packed with a distinct black pepper spicyness. Combining the rice with the juicy cucumber and fresh tomato brought a clean, balancing crunch. Squeezing the fresh lemon wedge over the top of the rice, the sharp citric acid sliced right through the heavy pepper, neutralising the overwhelming and blending the textures together.

Dessert

I opted to skip dessert this time around, as the heavy main course left me thoroughly full. However, navigating the heat of the food and the lingering warmth of the black pepper left me openly daydreaming about a classic Dame Blanche (which was in the menu). A cold bowl of rich vanilla ice cream topped with warm chocolate sauce would have provided the ultimate temperature and flavour contrast to close out the meal.

Service

The service is low-touch and efficient. The three staff members on duty maintained a polite and distant presence, speaking comfortable English and allowing me to enjoy the meal without mid-bite interruptions or check-ins. Order delivery was prompt, and when I was ready to wrap up, requesting the bill through the app brought a staff member to my table with the check within six minutes.

Verdict

• Food quality and execution: 29/40 pts
• Atmosphere and comfort: 11/15 pts
• Service and efficiency: 13/15 pts
• Menu and accessibility: 8/10 pts
• Meal flow and pacing: 9/10 pts
• Value and post-meal impression: 5/10 pts
• Total score: 75/100 pts