Review: Bram's Gourmet Frites - Pulled Pork BBQ Stew
A few days ago, I happened to be in the area of Rotterdam-South to visit my brother and I finally paid a visit to the new Bram's Gourmet Frites shop at Kop van Zuid (posthumalaan 90). When you get out of the metro station Wilhelminaplein (exit Veemstraat), you can find the store on the corner at the far right.
Just the day before, I had eaten a bag of potato fries at the normal Bram Ladage shop on Binnenwegplein 24 and I thought it was a good idea to compare the two different fries before I forget how it tasted (and I was also craving for more fries). Bram Ladage is very famous in Rotterdam for their fresh potato fries and the fries during my last visit were really excellent, so I was curious to find out how the gourmet version would taste like.
The Bram's Gourmet Frites shop has an interesting black container box exterior and there is a large terrace outside with tables and chairs for you to enjoy your fries along the water. The concept is quite simple: you order a large portion of wide cut fries with skin and choose a stew of your choice developed by the famous chef Herman den Blijker. You can also only order the fries (small €2.45, large €3.15, and box €3.45)
There are 5 different stews: Captain's Beef stoof €7.25 (slow cooked beef, kidney beans and gravy with added piccalilli, grated old Rotterdam cheese, and fresh parshley - upon request, you can also get some bacon on top), Pulled Pork stoof €6.95 (pulled pork, apples, onions (in Dutch: zilveruitjes), and a special BBQ sauce), Veggie Mushroom stoof €6.45 mushrooms, fried egg, parmesan cheese, truffle mayonnaise, and special spices), Asian Chicken Stoof €6.75 (Asian Style marinated chicken thigh with seroen deng, spring onions, sambal, and Bram's special peanut sauce) and Pumpkin Veal stoof €6.95 (cheek of veal combined with pumpkin chunks, dried dates, coriander, shallot, and a drop of tabasco).
They all sound very tasty, but I picked the Pulled Pork stoof, since I wanted to know what the pulled pork trend was all about. I had never eaten pulled pork before, so I didn't know what to expect. I had my doubts about the combination of a warm stew with crispy fries, but it really worked.
Great, mild, sweet and sour BBQ sauce (and that really is an enormous compliment because I normally don't really like BBQ sauce). Soft, melt-in-your-mouth-and-don't-stick-between-your-teeth pulled pork with a rich pork flavor (maybe a bit dry but that is normal for a stew). Wide cut fries with a nice crunch and full of potato flavor (the skin really added another dimension to the crunch and flavor, you can really taste the difference with the normal Bram Ladage fries). Loved the final touches on top with crispy fried onions and fresh parsley.
With my take-out order, I also received a pretty Bram's Gourmet Frites canvas tote bag for free. I know that it is for promotion purposes, but I really like it. The nickname for the Bram's Gourmet Frites shop, "stoofdoos" (which litterally means stew box), is typical for Rotterdam, very down to earth.
Just the day before, I had eaten a bag of potato fries at the normal Bram Ladage shop on Binnenwegplein 24 and I thought it was a good idea to compare the two different fries before I forget how it tasted (and I was also craving for more fries). Bram Ladage is very famous in Rotterdam for their fresh potato fries and the fries during my last visit were really excellent, so I was curious to find out how the gourmet version would taste like.
The Bram's Gourmet Frites shop has an interesting black container box exterior and there is a large terrace outside with tables and chairs for you to enjoy your fries along the water. The concept is quite simple: you order a large portion of wide cut fries with skin and choose a stew of your choice developed by the famous chef Herman den Blijker. You can also only order the fries (small €2.45, large €3.15, and box €3.45)
There are 5 different stews: Captain's Beef stoof €7.25 (slow cooked beef, kidney beans and gravy with added piccalilli, grated old Rotterdam cheese, and fresh parshley - upon request, you can also get some bacon on top), Pulled Pork stoof €6.95 (pulled pork, apples, onions (in Dutch: zilveruitjes), and a special BBQ sauce), Veggie Mushroom stoof €6.45 mushrooms, fried egg, parmesan cheese, truffle mayonnaise, and special spices), Asian Chicken Stoof €6.75 (Asian Style marinated chicken thigh with seroen deng, spring onions, sambal, and Bram's special peanut sauce) and Pumpkin Veal stoof €6.95 (cheek of veal combined with pumpkin chunks, dried dates, coriander, shallot, and a drop of tabasco).
They all sound very tasty, but I picked the Pulled Pork stoof, since I wanted to know what the pulled pork trend was all about. I had never eaten pulled pork before, so I didn't know what to expect. I had my doubts about the combination of a warm stew with crispy fries, but it really worked.
Great, mild, sweet and sour BBQ sauce (and that really is an enormous compliment because I normally don't really like BBQ sauce). Soft, melt-in-your-mouth-and-don't-stick-between-your-teeth pulled pork with a rich pork flavor (maybe a bit dry but that is normal for a stew). Wide cut fries with a nice crunch and full of potato flavor (the skin really added another dimension to the crunch and flavor, you can really taste the difference with the normal Bram Ladage fries). Loved the final touches on top with crispy fried onions and fresh parsley.
It is a bit on the expensive side, but you get a very filling and a non-fastfood-almost-fine-restaurant meal. So totally worth it!
With my take-out order, I also received a pretty Bram's Gourmet Frites canvas tote bag for free. I know that it is for promotion purposes, but I really like it. The nickname for the Bram's Gourmet Frites shop, "stoofdoos" (which litterally means stew box), is typical for Rotterdam, very down to earth.
Update: I also tried the Captain's beef and Pumpkin Veal. Find the review here.
