YES CHEF!

Yes Chef!

Chef Daan van der Lecq gives us a tour around Amsterdam in his Porsche 944.

Daan van der Lecq, has a weakness for vintage things. His home in the centre of Amsterdam is full of them, the only reference to the present being a recently purchased flatscreen TV: “Bought because it takes up minimal space in my small apartment.”

He earned his online following by sharing creative, easy-to-prepare meals on a daily basis. Right outside his front door, amid a tangled maze of bicycles, his 1988 Porsche 944 gleams in the morning sun. “My cars also have to be vintage. I used to trade old Mercedes models, scouring the internet looking for gems. Eventually I came across a 924, and while that was just a bit too small for me, it did spark my interest in old Porsches.

“When I saw this 944, with its completely aubergine-coloured interior, I was instantly sold. I took the train all the way to the other side of the Netherlands to see it. The driving characteristics were overwhelming — it was so much more car than a 924. Also in terms of looks, with those deliciously wide fenders. My Mercedes went up for sale; this Porsche was the car I wanted to drive every day.”

Daan mainly uses his car for trips through the city. He picks up ingredients for his cooking videos and it’s often seen parked outside the best restaurants and lunch spots. As we drive through Amsterdam and Daan lets the roar of the exhaust swell again after every gear change, he continuously points out hidden gems as they appear around every corner.

“Look at this place, around lunchtime you can eat unlimited noodles there for ten euros, really delicious!” From obscure Thai takeout places to undiscovered lunch spots; driven by endless enthusiasm and curiosity, Daan talks with the owners and tries their best dishes.

We get to know Amsterdam from inside his vintage Porsche, where it’s still 1988. The car even retains its original radio and Daan’s favourite cassette tapes stick out from the door pocket. The Beatles start playing, Rock ’N Roll Music Vol. 1. Bad Boy crackles through the speakers: “A bad little kid moved into my neighbourhood. He won’t do nothing right. Just sitting down and looks so good.”

Daan bought his 944 in early 2024, the moment his love for Porsche truly took off. “This car looks good, drives well and is also very practical and reliable. I couldn’t name another classic sports car that combines all those things.”

Next, Daan takes us to an Asian supermarket. He knows exactly what he wants us to taste and purposefully walks through the fresh product section. Communication with the Chinese chefs and butchers is difficult, but that doesn’t stop him from trying to extract from them what else they think we should try.

Once outside, the Porsche’s spoiler serves as a dining table and we enjoy what we found. Daan is a familiar face here in Amsterdam, regularly we hear his name called out from passing cars, horns honking and hands waving. Soon we return to the city centre, home base for Daan and his car.

We get to know Amsterdam from inside his vintage Porsche, where it’s still 1988. The car even retains its original radio and Daan’s favourite cassette tapes stick out from the door pocket.

“This car looks good, drives well and is also very practical and reliable. I couldn’t name another classic sports car that combines all those things.”

The headlights pop up and the characteristic sound echoes between the centuries-old houses, Daan reflects on his life as an entrepreneur. It began at the age of just 15 in the hospitality industry. Later he designed fashion accessories and developed his own kitchen line with cutting boards, knives and more.

To market his products, he started making videos for Instagram. He began recording cooking videos, his account grew and he started cooking with Dutch celebrities. Once back home, a copy of his first cookbook awaits us, in which the 944 also plays a prominent role. Outside, youngsters circle around the brown Porsche.

“Although I’m sometimes called a show-off I otherwise only get positive reactions to my car,” says Daan as we watch the scene unfold. “It’s very important to me that I feel comfortable in a car, that I can pull up anywhere with it. I want to drive my car purely as a daily. Use it. Sometimes it can be dirty, and it’s okay for it to have a little scratch or two. My dream car is a 993, preferably in an obscure colour like burgundy red with a loud and flashy interior, but I still need to grow into that a little, I wonder whether I’d get the same reactions in that as I do in a 944.”