Restaurant of the week Frank’s Smokehouse

My Restaurant of the week Frank’s Smokehouse

Disclaimer: If you’re a vegan, look away, as this post contains gratuitous and explicit descriptions of eating meat.

I first discovered the food of Frank’s Smokehouse many years ago. An American friend of mine in Amsterdam had a thanksgiving party and served turkey he’d ordered from there. Being British, I, of course, I grew up eating turkey for Christmas and Easter. Nevertheless, I was a little concerned when told that we’d be eating turkey at the party as it often can end up being as dry and rubbery as the sole of a pair of Birkenstocks.

My fears proved to be unfounded as my friend served smoked turkey which was tender and just damn right delicious. Since that time, whenever I spend Christmas in the Netherlands, I always order their smoked Turkey. In recent years, they’ve opened a restaurant in Amsterdam East which I finally got around to visiting.

Frank’s Smokehouse Restaurant

Frank’s Smokehouse is a combination of a delicatessen, a smokehouse and a restaurant. Frank, is a kut buitenlander from the USA who studied at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris and has lived in the Netherlands for many years.

Service

I must say that the service was relaxed and friendly from the start with a warm welcome upon arrival. Not a typical Dutch service experience at all. Drinks arrived quickly and the food, my god the food!

The meal

I had the hometown shrimp. Steamed prawns beautifully seasoned and served in their shells. I then moved on to the brisket which was apparently lightly smoked. I can only tell you that it was so succulent that it practically melted on the tongue. Beautifully seasoned and every mouthful was an absolute joy. I kid you not.

Dessert

I don’t often eat desserts but I decided to try their chocolate lava cake. I can only say that it was even better than it looks in the photo below.  It managed to be rich, creamy without being too sweet. The lava filling provided me with an almost religious experience. The homemade ice cream left me wanting more. It was just an incredible dessert!

I should also add that they have an excellent wine list and a selection smoked fish which I’ll definitely try the next time I pay them a visit. Which will be very soon. If you’d like to pay them a visit here’s their website. I’ll finish this piece by making it clear that this is not a sponsored post, I had one the best meals I’ve eaten this year there so am happy to let people know about it.

No vegans were hurt during the writing of this post.