Review on Frodo Joe’s Petit Cafe
Jacky Tsang
Staff Writer
Food innovations have been slowly increasing in Fremont. I have been dining at some of Fremont’s most popular restaurants, but sometimes, the best places are the ones that have been around for a long time. Frodo Joe’s Petit Cafe is one example.
The cafe is located between Fremont’s 24 Hours Fitness and Sweet Tomatoes. It’s located in an open area, and looking at it from an exterior point of view, its dim lights give the illusion that it is never open. On Sunday and Monday, the cafe is open from 9 AM-4 PM and, from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 AM-9 PM.
I was not greeted until after a few moments, but I was still seated very quickly. The menu contained a wide variety of savory crepes, dessert crepes, and sandwiches.
I ordered a savory crepe called the Buffalo Crepe. It had ham, turkey, mushroom, mozzarella cheese, spinach, and tomato inside it.
The wait time was around 20 minutes before my food came, which was the downside of my experience. There were only 2 employees in the entire building: the cook and the waiter.
Nonetheless, my food eventually came. The presentation of the Buffalo Crepe looked amazing. It was layered in a triangular shape, with bacon strips and pesto sauce slathered over it. On the side, there were 4 different types of fruits and a sauce pan of buffalo sauce. The crepe was cooked to near perfection, with a golden-brown outside that made it even look more appetizing. Taking my first bite, I instantly tasted the cheese, since it dominated the entire inside of the crepe. Not only did I taste the saltiness from the ham and turkey, but I could also taste hidden sourness and spiciness from the tomato. The mushroom and spinach also contrasted with the crispy texture of the crepe itself. It had the right amount of everything to really achieve that rich, cheesy taste the crepe was supposed to have. However, the only downside was that the content inside fell apart when I cut into it.
Overall, I would rate this place a 3.5 out of 5. I enjoyed this crepe because I didn’t get bored of it–not like the savory crepe I had when I was in Paris, which really surprised me. The prices were around $8-$10, but the taste was definitely worth it. This place is definitely better for lunch because savory crepes represent the ideal size for a lunchtime meal. Dinner here, however, proved to be just as sufficient since I was very full and satisfied. And despite waiting a long time for my food to arrive, I had a great experience trying something that has been around for over 6 years.
*The address of this place is 39286 Paseo Padre Pkwy, Fremont, CA 94538. It is located on the building across from Sweet Tomatoes, next to the 24 Hour Fitness.
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