Chef Carol Chow took the helm of the kitchen at Fraîche Restaurant last April with a mission to make the menu at the celebrated West Vancouver restaurant a bit more accessible to diners.
Chef Chow, who hails from the North Shore, came to Fraîche from her most recent tenure at Beach Side Forno. Prior to that she served as both a consulting and personal chef in Shanghai and London, as well as a member of the kitchen team at Gusto di Quattro in Lower Lonsdale.
I was keen to see how Chow's philosophical commitment to accessible cuisine would translate into reality and recently booked an 8 p.m. reservation for my wife DJ and I. This would be the first of two nearly backto-back meals I would have at Fraîche under Chow's watch. As it turns out, the two meals were so dramatically distinct that it was almost as though they had been served in different restaurants entirely. The reason for this, I think, is that Fraîche is at a crossroads. As Chow implements her long-term vision for the menu, she must contend with the spectre of chefs past. The influences of the two most recent executive chefs prior to Chow - Jefferson Alvarez and Jason Harris - are still very much alive in the form of the current à la carte menu, which has remained unchanged since Chow's arrival. It was from this menu that DJ and I dined during the first of my two recent visits to Fraîche.
Our meal began with a first course of foie gras with tête de cochon, lentil salad and chamomile syrup. The foie gras, prepared in the decadently rich and buttery au torchon style, was stunningly tasty, creamy and subtle as it melted instantly on the tongue. The foie nicely balanced the succulent meat of the pig's head preparation. For her main course, DJ had gnocchi with textures of carrots and hazelnuts in Banyuls brown butter. The gnocchi - tender, al dente little morsels of potato perfection - were expertly prepared and the hazelnuts offered a nice textural counterpart. The carrot component, which included an emulsion that infiltrated the Banyuls brown butter, was a touch on the sweet side and made for an intensely rich dish overall.
My main course consisted of confit rack of boar with pork dumplings and bacon jam. The boar, though nicely seasoned and clearly of exceptional quality, was a bit dry for my liking. However, the bacon jam was a beautiful and inspired accompaniment to the boar, offering a nice balance of sweet, smoky and salty flavours.
We finished the meal with a basket of warm lemon madeleines that were light as air and paired brilliantly with espresso.
It wasn't until about a week after this meal that I learned that Chow had launched a three-course taster menu of her own creation, called the Sunset Menu. Available Tuesdays through Thursdays and again on Sundays, the Sunset Menu features Chow's first original menu creations for Fraîche. I felt compelled to try it and booked a table for myself on a Thursday evening. I am so happy that I did as my meal was truly exceptional and foreshadows Chow's more accessible menu.
The Sunset Menu features weekly rotating dishes. On my visit, the first course was an unforgettable sweet summer pea soup with a seared scallop balanced atop toasted brioche. The dish had the texture of a hearty winter pea soup but somehow managed to preserve a light and fresh flavor that just screamed summertime. Next up was an impeccably cooked, porcini-dusted lamb sirloin with white and green asparagus and celeriac puree. The lamb was impossibly tender and moist and the nicely seasoned celeriac puree presented a welcome alternative to a traditional starch accompaniment.
Of special note was the dessert course, a summer pavlova with fresh berries, white chocolate cream and raspberry sorbet. Two textures of meringue were presented, one light and ethereal, the other slightly more caramelized and dense. The balance of sweet and tart flavours, crisp and chewy textures, and vibrant colours made this dish a runaway hit.
Based on her Sunset Menu, I have high hopes for Chow's new à la carte menu, tentatively due this fall.
Fraîche is located at 2240 Chippendale Road, West Vancouver. Phone: 604-925-7595. fraîcherestaurant.ca. Closed Mondays.
