Fred’s Not Here
321 King Street West - Main Floor
416-971-9155
Dinner for two with all taxes, tip and wine: $160

According to the restaurant’s name, Fred is never here. But it doesn’t matter because Fred’s Not Here is still good without him! My first encounter with this fancy restaurant was a date. We actually had dinner at Red Tomato, the restaurant located in the basement of Fred’s; they’re owned by the same person which means that they have similar food on their menus, but then again, some different items and a totally different experience. I have always been a fan of restaurants with odd or artsy décor, so the dark walls with murals depicting strange scenes combined with an elegant chandelier made me wanted to try this restaurant out.

My very first opportunity to test out their cuisine was through their Summerlicious menu two years ago and I’ve found myself walking through those doors repeatedly ever since. One of the things I always order is their famous “baked lobster and crab soup with a shot of sherry” ($7.99). The soup alone is a little on the salty side, which I find common when indulging in lobster soups, but the saltiness was offset by the puff pastry that covers the soup bowl. My only complaint is that the soup is usually very hot. The vapour is trapped inside the bowl by the pastry puff and I almost always burn my tongue while enjoying it. Other appetizers are equally tasty and I have yet to sample them all since there are over 20 items on the menu under the appetizers list!

Simple yet complicated is my way of describing their menu. The long list of food items offer a variety of cooking styles often fused into one. One of my favourites is the “Ontario pork 3-ways” ($19.99). This creation accentuates the ingredient in three different cooking methods where each shows off its own representation of how pork is prepared: the Asian way with the roasted suckling pig, the German style in the form of a wiener, and the good old-fashioned American ribs. All three methods are very rich in both texture and flavour and it is perfect to pair with a nice glass of cold beer.

Another one of my favourites is the dish “Duck 2-ways” ($19.99). It is cooked in contrasting styles: the European way in the form of confit and the Chinese barbeque way. The confit is aromatic, the meat is extremely soft and is soft to the bite. On the other hand, the Chinese barbeque duck is crisp and tender and relies heavily on the complimenting sauces and the natural sweetness of the duck’s meat which opens up a different view on the traditional European method of duck preparation; and hence, the reason why I call this the “Ying and Yang” dish.

With a lot of positive experience from the menu thus far, I would say the desserts at Fred’s are their weakness. Nothing really interesting struck me on the menu compared to the varieties I was offered in appetizers and main courses. Sampling from their Summerlicious menu, my judgement on their desserts is just fair. Out of my Summerlicious and regular meal experiences, I must say my regular visits were a lot better since I had better service and the foods were better prepared. But considering it is such a bargain to test out their menu for a mere $25 during Summerlicious and Winterlicious, I was pretty happy with the food.