Please note that since writing this blog post, Fraiche has closed down
It’s the Hollandse Nieuwe season again, which – for those of you who aren’t versed in Dutch fishing practices – means that this year’s herring catch has just been brought in. A Dutch friend had promised me months ago that, come June, we would have a herring tasting, complete with Corenwijn (or old jenever). So on Saturday, I turned up with my most netjes Dutch accent and wearing a pair of clogs (ok, so I made that last bit up) and dangled a whole fish covered in raw onions into my mouth, only to take the taste away by downing shots of hard liquor. Nope, Nederlanders, I’m still not convinced…
On the plus side, I love the fact that the Dutch fishing industry is alive and kicking, and nowhere is this more evident than at Fraîche, where I went for dinner on Friday night. On arrival, I was asked how I’d heard about the place – it’s new, and they haven’t done any PR, so it’s all word of mouth so far. I thought that was a nice touch – they take their customers seriously.
The menu was kort maar krachtig, offering just three starters, three mains and three desserts. It was heavy on fish, which was fine by me, but – as far as I know – Fraîche’s concept is not to be a fish restaurant. If I remember correctly, every starter involved fish and there wasn’t a single vegetarian dish on the menu. So if you’re a fussy eater, it’s worth checking the website in advance to make sure there’s something you want to eat.
Our waiters were almost disarmingly friendly: it felt more like we were in America than Holland, and I was almost lost for words when one of the guys struck up what can only be described as banter with me. I think he might actually have been American, though.
Despite their charm, there were in fact only three people covering both the kitchen and the dining room, so getting a drink took a little time. Events also happened in a slightly random order: some tables got their bread before their amuse; ours came vice versa. And our wine didn’t arrive until after both.
I ordered mackerel to start, which advertised itself as being cured, but tasted as though it had only been lightly pan-fried. Either way, it was fresh and had that characteristic just-oily, dark-fleshed texture. It came with an artichoke and carrot purée, bean sprouts (yes, I am still alive!) and slivers of very finely pickled radish. Delicate and simple.
Next up, I had sole with orzo, roasted tomatoes and an oil-based herby sauce (kind of like pesto, but then without the parmesan). It had a strange flavour of marzipan (unfortunate, given that I don’t like marzipan) which I mistook for almonds but which – when we asked – turned out to be apricot kernels. That part of the dish wasn’t to my taste, but I don’t think it was a bad combination overall, and the rest was fab: sweet, garlicky roasted tomatoes, and a fragrant assortment of roughly chopped herbs and leaves coating the orzo.
I skipped dessert in favour of cheese, having spotted Vacherin Mont d’Or on the menu: Possibly the Best Cheese in the World. It came oozing all over the plate with three slices of dense apricot bread. Dairy heaven.
My visitor had something whose description I can’t remember, but which was basically an individual summer pudding with vanilla ice cream. My Dad makes a mean summer pudding, so I’m fussy on this one, but it was light and bursting with fruity freshness. I nearly stole it for myself.
Dinner came to €50 each, including a rather nice bottle of Alsatian Pinot Blanc. That’s not cheap for a newly opened restaurant, but then I think the people of Fraîche are trying to make a point: this is a restaurant for foodies. The chefs cook what they want to cook, and not what fits into a meat-fish-vege formula characteristic of menu-planning-by-numbers. This might win them as many critics as it does fans, but I have a feeling those fans will be loyal followers. I know I’ll be back…
