Catch me Outside | Frites Atelier

Howbow dah?

And with these first few words, I am starting out with a "review column" which will be dedicated to good food & drinks in the outside world of my kitchen. Wherever I may be, if something catches my eye - I'm gonna write about it.

Since I live and study in Arnhem, throughout the year I will predominantly be focusing on the Netherlands. But hey, if I travel somewhere I'm bringing my laptop with me.

I also travel home to Croatia during winter and summer holidays, so expect more variety.

My first post is about Frites Atelier.

Imagine fries on a Michelin star level, and you'll get these. Frites Atelier is quite literally an atelier which dedicated their whole existence to the love of fries. By teaming up with Michelin star chef Sergio Herman, they created (for now) 4 different varieties of toppings which you can choose from, and by using the best kind of potatoes from the Netherlands in Zeeland, you are definitely in for a treat.

With 3 current locations in the Netherlands - The Hague, Utrecht and Arnhem, Atelier announces 2 more openings in 2017 - Amsterdam & Antwerp.

My immediate first reaction to this place was ; wow, this looks very posh, and seems like something I would very much like to taste. Keeping it very classic with the white marble interior, and dark wooden exterior, while enhancing the golden lettering and logo payed off tremendously - they essentially created something which will draw your eye no matter if you are hungry or not. Having a small porch with just a few tables and chairs, they are inviting you to sit in peace, whilst enjoying their creations.

Atelier offers a menu in both Dutch and English (much respect for that) which consists of a small booklet-like portfolio. The booklet is free to take if you want to torture yourself with looking at these at home. It contains beautiful images of the 4 varieties you can choose from, their contents, and specifications on possible allergens. It looks a little something like this;

They offer the following:

Sergio Herman's Seasonal Special - topped with Kimchi (South Korean picked and fermented cabbage), Sriracha, Greek yoghurt, Curry mayonnaise, Furikake (Japanese rice topping) and a crispy wonton to round it all off - 6,50€ / portion
New York Pastrami - thinly sliced smoked corned Belgian beef, topped with mustard mayo, pickles, and mustard cress - 8.50€ / portion
Flemish Beef Stew - beef stewed in old brown table beer, topped with flat-leaved parsley, cress and mustard seeds - 8.00€ / portion , + mayo 8.75€
Indo Peanut - served with crunchy peanuts and fried onions, Rempejek (peanut cookies) and finished of with a touch of lemon zest - 5,75€ / portion
Regular Frites - fries only, flavoured with sea salt - this is the base from which you can choose 4 types of sauces : Andalouse, Classic, Basil, Bernaise and Truffle - 3.50 € /portion + 1,50€ for a selection of 2 sauces

What you are essentialy eating if you choose any of these 4 kinds, is a proper meal.

If however, you just want their regular fries, feel free to choose which type of sauce you would want them to be accompanied with.

I personally ordered the Seasonal Special, and my boyfriend had the NY Pastrami + their homemade raspberry ice tea.

Season Special

NY Pastrami

They do come in a charming cardboard box, I have to admit!

As to the taste - One word, amazing! Crunchy and golden on the outside, fluffy on the inside. Everything that you dream your fry to taste like. The toppings work really well, and the flavours are well balanced. The only negative I have is that since there is a melange of different sauces, I would have preferred there to be less of each. But hey, if you like fries drenched in sauce, you'll definitely be enjoying these!

Our total was around 18.00€, but well worth it. I know they are not that budget friendly, but look at it this way - you are tasting something made by a Michelin star chef, that was developed over a course of one and a half year. Give the guy some credit, he experimented with every possible variety of potato, and has indeed found the best.

To round things off, I had some lovely lovely loooooovely fries, and I recommend them with a warm heart! I also wanna try all the other kinds which they offer, so keep your eyes peeled on the Instagram page if you want more photos, I'm definitely coming back here.

Scorched approved,

and signing out

x, Lora