I headed to Chez Frederic in Braddon for dinner with a friend. This fairly new cafe on Lonsdale Street opened up earlier this year. Its website states it’s a gourmet take away, dine-in and catering cafe. I’d originally read a blog that gave a nice introduction to it.
I like how the menu is split for omnivores and herbivores. Handmade pasta is always a win! The glass cabinet at the front also contains desserts such as tiramisu, creme caramel and profiteroles filled with chocolate mousse and amaretto.
I love gnocchi so the specials menu was tempting. The chicken and chilli jam meatballs also sounded unique. So much choice.
I originally set out to try the duck ravioli but they were only just starting to make them when we got there, so they offered to make duck risotto or duck spaghetti instead. Since I had my heart set on the ravioli, I decided to try the gnocchi ($16) I was eyeing on the specials board. There was a generous serve of gnocchi and I was impressed with the very large fresh pieces. I could smell the strong cheesy flavour as this was placed in front of me. So it’s not surprising that the blue cheese was quite strong from the first mouthful. I could taste the saltiness of the prosciutto but the cheese was definitely the dominant flavour. Great for strong cheese lovers!
My friend chose the duck risotto option ($18.50) which looked great. Non-gluggy with a bit of shredded duck meat mixed through.
A few long communal tables are set up in the next room for those that prefer to eat in. I like the plant beds imbedded into them.
There is also a cute little corner with additional seating.
Since there was no food in the house, I ordered take away for the next day – the half portion lamb shank ($12.50) with mash and veggies. There is a full portion option for $22.50 but I hear it’s pretty big and one shank usually fills me anyway. I took a shot of this when I got home. It smelled absolutely delicious! And still as good the next day. The tender shank easily came off the bone and was drenched in this beautiful tomato-based sauce. I found there weren’t enough veggies but there was a good serving of mash. I can see this as being a popular menu item come the cooler months.
The staff are so polite and really friendly. Chez Frederic made a good first impression on me. It really is good food and fast. I’m keen to try out the duck ravioli and other items next time.
Foodgasm 7/10
