Frank Restaurant (Summerlicious #1) - NO GOOD

First stop of Summerlicious at Frank Restaurant (AGO) was really not a good start given that I've half given up on winter/summerlicious. I've had quite a few good experience with "licious" but it seems to be going downhill year after year. I've heard of some great things about Frank and I've been meaning to try it out, so I made my reservation on the first day for AE card holder for 5 person.

Ben and I arrive just on time but 2 of my friends have already arrive while one of us couldn't make it last minute... I arrive with the Maitre d' not finding my reservations while I told her that 2 of my friends have already arrived and she actually ask me to look around for them; then when I finally found them, my friends told me that our table was meant for the 5 of us since there was an extra chair at the end of our 4 seats table when they got there. I just can't believe they accepted my reservation without mentioning that there was only a 4 person table left or did they only realize that they overbooked on that day. My friends already ordered a bottle of wine while waiting but our waiter didn't came over for the whole 10 minutes that we sat down until Ben decided to pour the wine, the waiter from the other section actually saw us and came over to pour it for us.... then our waiter finally came over and ask if we had any question with such a lack of energy and didn't really want to answer the question that I had with the menu. And unlike other restaurant, they didn't have their regular menu available to order at all. Enough of my babbling and more about the food....

Butter w/ Maldon sea salt

3 type of bread, so far so good

 

Seafood Ceviche

~ white shrimp, calamari and octopus with avocado, lime and fried corn tortillas

Ceviche is normally raw seafood marinated in lime or lemon juices and spices may also be added.

But I could def not find any taste citrus or remotely sour taste other than the small lime wedge on the side, this was bland and tasteless. If you have told me that this are boiled or steam without salt or oil, I would totally have believe you (>_<) 

And the tortilla was all curl up together, the least they could do is spread it out.

Watermelon & Feta Salad

~ with cured black olives and wild arugula

Horrible presentation and I was thinking that at least taste wise it can't go wrong.... but the feta was horribly dry and tasteless 

Jambon Persillade

~ with housemade cassis mustard and baguette toast

This was the best looking and best tasting appetizers although they could have use fresher greens, they just look wilted. It was very flavorful and well seasoned but the cassis mustard was sort of tasteless when eaten with the ham, not a great pairing.

Dandelion Greens sauteed in garlic and chili peppers (sides)

Grilled Lamb & lavender house made Sausage

~ warm du puy lentils and grilled summer vegetables

Three of us order this and it wasn't that great.... the sausage was full of peppers corns, so so that one of my friends couldn't finish hers and so over seasoned that it could have been any meat since you can't taste lamb at all. It wasn't horrible but def not something to be serve at a restaurant. The lentils are dry and tasteless, maybe some sauce would have help ?!? The grilled vegetable consist of one bok-choy, one bean and charred/burned scallions (>~<)

Roasted Chicken Supreme

~ on creamy rosemary polenta with baby courgettes (zucchini), roasted garlic, caper sauce

This is probably the best dish of the night. The polenta was creamy with just the right texture (not too smooth, not too grainy) with just the right amount of rosemary. The sauce was delish with the crispy flavorful capers and the chicken skin was very crispy, although the meat was a bit overcook and on the dry side, definitely not as moist as I would have like (unlike the one we had here and here)

Btw, our waiter didn't came back to our table until we waived him over to refill our water.

Sour Cherry and Almond Cobbler

~ with amaretto creme fraiche

It was not really a cobbler since the fruits sauce was on the outside, it was more like a almond cake which was super hard and dry served with sauce. So hard that we all had difficulties digging in with our spoon.The best part was the fresh sour cherries on top (1st time eating sour cherry).

Flourless Chocolate Gateau

~ raspberry coulis, fresh raspberry and whipped cream

 Better than the cobbler but way too sweet and really nothing special. Taste like something you could get for $3 at any bakery.

Verdict ;

I'm not sure if it's because it's Summerlicious or not but it was horrible food and horrible service

I don't think I'll ever go back ever again.

My friends left un-satisfied and even hungry =(