Frantzen, Stockholm, 6/26/15

Frantzen exterior
Frantzen exterior

menu

Interior
Interior

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A small place that has 2 Michelin stars and calls itself “relaxed elegance” – it lives up to its reputation and motto. There are 5 tables and 8 stools facing the open kitchen and probably as many service people as patrons. The servers provided well paced and very friendly service yet made you feel like royalty for the night. They serve only one tasting menu which is seasonally driven. One very Swedish touch are the cold wet towels that were passed out a couple different times as opposed to the usual hot clothes.

Frankie checked out the menu on the tablechampagnetea of green tomatotea

We started with green tomato tea while making wine choices and noticing the spelt bread proofing on the table. They have the menu on the table for you to follow along which is a helpful and appreciated detail.

bread proofing on the table when you arrive  moved to a peel for baking

Next was the macaroon with rhubarb and foie gras and a dot of balsamic vinegar,which was tart, rich and delicious.


Macaroon with rhubarb and foie gras with dot of balsamic vinegar

Chef Marcus

Then to a stacked course of potatoes with an oyster and leek cake on top and creamed and pressed potatoes in the bottom portion with caviar “gold” and vichyssoise that were a real “bowl licker”. The dish served with this was an interesting mix of flavors (set onion soup, licorice and toasted almond with goat’s cream) which eaten separately were nowhere as good as when they were combined into a dreamy bit of heaven. (Chef Marcus above right)

top part: oyster and leek cake  creamed and pressed potato with caviar Set onion soup, liquorice and toasted almond with goat's cream

Frankie checks it outThe langoustines from the west coast of Sweden were deep fried with crispy rice and they were so good I didn’t want to dilute the flavor with the wonderful dill emulsion.

Deep fried langoustine and crispy rice

Butter emulsion with dill for langoustine     The server churned the cream at the table into butter which she then put in the small simmer pan to be used for the fish course.

butter to be churned table side and then warmed slowly in little pan on right 

She works it tableside

The scallops were from an island off Norway and were tender and sweet and mixed well with the dashi broth, finger lime and pine tree oil.

live scallop presented to be prepared for next coursescallopscallop served with

The salad was a bit of everything and it was preceded by a list of 46 possible ingredients that are grown in their garden. It was accompanied by our just made bread.

Satio tempestas: garden stuff - Jerusalem artichokes, tomato, asparagus, and various greensspelt brown bread is back. It is from a starter that has been alive for 14 years.

The melt in you mouth turbot was slowly baked and part was served with umami puree and other part with the churned butter that had been made and  melted table side and then mixed with broth of the fishbones and poured over part but left at the table if you wanted more, and who wouldn’t? Yummy! Grilled lemon and salt was served on the side but wasn’t needed.Slowly baked turbot, umami pureeadd churned butter (made earlier and left warming at table) with broth of the bones

grilled lemon and salt to turbot

red wine

The Guinea fowl was served with vinaigrette of roasted skin and a side dish of morels stuffed with fowl forcemeat and Perigord truffle puree, that you would swear was foie gras and blissfully reminded me of ‘oyster and pearls’ at Per se, which made sense when we found Chef Marcus had just finished working there. A great course!

smoked, stuffed morels with Perigord truffle puree
smoked, stuffed morels with Perigord truffl

Guinea fowl with eggs, dried ramson

We finished the savories with a face-off of Swedish dairy cow aged 40 days and Kagoshima wagyu beef. Both were tremendous and served with a tasty Tellicherry pepper and grilled beef and fermented mushroom tea.

Kagoshima vs dairy cow with cooking jus, toasted hay oil  Tellicherry pepper and grilled beef & fermented mushroom tea

Then we started the sweets. The smoked ice cream with salted date toffee, bitter cacao beans and hazelnut was truly amazing

Smoked ice cream with salted date toffee, bitter cacao beans & hazelnut  second dessert wineOur server was the nicest!                          Server took Frankie for a kitchen tour

If we didn’t feel special enough the server presented us with glasses of dessert wines to go with the menu’s dessert courses. The frozen wild strawberries and shipped roses were on top of a custard with a caramelized tonka bean cookie underneath and red rosaceae and tomato marmalade.  Once again the mix of all the flavors was spectacular.

start of next dessert Finished: frozen wild strawberries, whipped roses, tonka bean cookie with red rosaceae & tomato marmelade dessert wine Bento box with

Their Bento box with “fika” contained 7 treats: crispy lingonberry with aged vinegar, chervil & anise; Lemon marmelade, blueberry & lemon thyme; Tartelette with preserved blackberry, violets & meringue; Dark chocolate praline with blood cream, blackcurrants & cacao nibs; Canele de Bordeaux with buckwheat & chestnut honey; Fudge with goat’s whey & fleur de sel; Basil macaroon with Swedish strawberries & long pepper.  It proved to be filled with more delightful tastes and textures.

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