rijstafel is a traditional indoneasian type meal in the netherlands. there are many restauarants there that specialize in serving it. it is something similar to a smorgesbord... a selection of dishes, some sweet, some savory, some mild some spicy, many vegetarian, some meat or sea food...and you sample all the dishes..

it means ricetable.. (but even that is an idiom for and would be something closer to ricebuffet.. its a wonderful way to sample and taste indonesian foods...
so what else do you expect from me, except to know exotic names of food dishes. (and to have eaten them!)

My dear Mr Bingley, are rijstafels a dutch invention? many of the individual dishes seem to be indonesian,but i don't know enough about indoneasian foods (i know some dishes, but not the culture of food.

i know that tempura is not japanese, but what the japanese thought was dutch cooking!