Date of visit: 4 April 2013
L'Enclume is a Michelin two-starred restaurant helmed by Chef Simon Rogan located in the quaint Cartmel, Cumbria. My group of friends and I planned our Lake District vacation around two Michelin restaurant lunches.
This was the first Michelin meal of our trip and we had it the day after climbing Scafell Pike. It was a welcome change from being in the middle of beautiful unexpectedly snow-covered peaks and a wonderful reward for doing well on the climb!
The reward: Feeling on top of the world :)
The beautiful contrast between colours of the ground, snow and the clear blue sky.
Our six-course lunch menu, consisting of two appetisers, mains and desserts each
I found this dining style refreshing as the other Michelin restaurants I'd been to so far all had quite a few options to play around with. I would sometimes be quite overwhelmed by the many enticing names and descriptions, but for this meal I could just sit back and enjoy whatever the team presented to us.
According to the service staff, this lets them serve us the freshest produce from their garden for that day and I personally feel it lets the chef show off his planning and presentation skills to great effect. I for one was more than happy to let the chef take charge.
The pamphlet that shows you the miles of stone walls and farms we had to drive past to reach the restaurant. This place is definitely only accessible by car! This picture actually brings to mind the first property law lecture on chattel vs fixtures. Oh goodness too much law.
These rolls tasted much better than how they look. Although we had three each (one tray was shared between two people), I remember all four of us asking for more bread and really liking the lighter brown ones. I believe the butter was homemade as well and the boys spread it generously on their rolls.
They came fresh from the oven, something we found out when we asked for more and they said they needed time to bake another batch. I always make a mental note of restaurants that bother to serve their bread warmed up or freshly baked (like in this case) because it shows attention to detail and greatly adds to the satisfaction gained from the whole experience.
Appetiser one: Cod 'yolk', sage cream, pea shoots, salt and vinegar
This dish doesn't look particularly exciting because the construction seems simple. However, the 'yolk' was really well done and had a good balance of texture and flavour. It tasted like a richer version of a chicken's egg yolk. The seasoning was impeccable and even that humble piece of pea shoot tasted great. Clean flavours and good contrasts in texture made this a standout dish that started off our meal well.
9/10
Appetiser two: Westcombe dumplings, vegetable broth, beetroot and shoots
Just look at the rich colour of this broth! The broth complemented the dumplings really well. They remind me of balls of mozzarella cheese but were really light and smooth. They are almost like the chilled beancurd dessert that has been all the rage in Singapore but with a much more firm and springy texture. The cheese was not too strong and had notes of other flavours as well.
I believe the cheese used could have been from this supplier (www.westcombedairy.com), which explains the other notes that made this course more sophisticated.
8/10
Main one: Valley venison, charcoal oil, mustard and fennel
This was a standout dish, and the boys were full of praise for this despite the small portion size. They were intrigued by the strong charcoal-infused taste of the venison and how it was executed so well.
I liked how they paired everything purposefully, from the mustard to the small onion rings and the accompanying greens. Everything came in small packages but each packed a punch and came together to make this a memorable dish for all of us. And again, texture was not neglected. Notice the small green cubes of pickles? They added a nice crunch :)
10/10
Main two: Butter poached hake with mussel cream, grilled carrots and brassicas
The boys are not big fans of fish but were raving about this. Again, a small portion that packed a punch because of the attention to detail. The purée and sauces were great, mainly because they were concentrated or light in the right amounts and contrasted with one another nicely. This photo was not taken with a professional camera nor was any photo editing used, but you can see how rich the colours are. This is a personal favourite.
10/10
Dessert one: Coniston oatmeal stout with rye, pear and elderberry vinegar
My friends did not fancy this very much because they said the stout ice crystals were too overpowering and did not seem to go well with the rest of the dessert.
However, I thought the stout flavour was refreshing as I had never tried stout in a dessert before and the way the cold filling burst out from that crispy shell made me very happy. There's just something delightful about having something cold burst forth from a warm shell. I'm all for having a bold dessert in the chef's repertoire if he manages to surprise me with a play on texture and temperature. The pear and vinegar balanced the stout flavour well too.
8/10
Dessert two: Rhubarb, yoghurt, hazelnuts and sorrel
What a way to end a fantastic meal :) This dessert has to be one of my favourites that I have ever had in a Michelin restaurant.
It had the right balance of sweet, tart, nutty and creamy, all without feeling too rich or decadent (as compared to a gooey chocolate cake with a big scoop of ice cream). Having previously tried a rhubarb dessert at Dinner by Heston (which I actually struggled to finish), I was a bit wary of how sweet the rhubarb would be. The chef spared me the sugar overload this time, for which I am very grateful.
Again, beautiful purées that actually served a purpose by contributing to the balance of flavours. Would have liked this to be a bigger portion but other than that, this was lovely.
9/10
Service: 9/10
I like how they were happy to serve us another two trays of bread (fresh from the oven again!) and the menu that we could take home was a nice touch. They were also happy to converse with us when we got curious about their methods and they also walked us through what their restaurant prides itself on (the freshness of their produce).
Taste: 9/10
I believe the freshness of the produce and it being from their very own garden made this a very special meal. It felt like we were eating a meal prepared by a very talented good friend in his home. Everything was presented so delicately and despite the humble appearances of the dishes, they managed to surprise us that way by delivering boldly on the tastes front.
Nothing on the plates was wasted because everything served a purpose. Our plates were always very clean at the end of every dish! The portion sizes were perfect for a six-course meal and let us enjoy all the courses equally. Meal planning done right really adds to the whole experience. The chef definitely impressed all of us with his many delightful courses.
On a personal note, I appreciate that the same level of attention and artistry was found in the desserts (unlike at Chez Bruce) and that this meal ended off with a bang. Some chefs overlook desserts as they may personally prefer to focus on the appetisers or mains, but Chef Rogan believed in delivering a solid whole package, so kudos to him!
Ambience: 9/10
I loved that they had full-length french doors along one wall that opened to the lush green grass right outside. This allowed plenty of sunlight to stream in, which explains why I managed to capture decent photos of the food as well! The tables were also generously spaced apart but not too far apart so we could see how others were enjoying their meal as well. The main hall did not have too many tables and this made the area we were seated in very cosy.
One thing I appreciate about having a standard menu for the meal was that we could enjoy every dish together and share our thoughts and reactions to them immediately. We also didn't have to cut portions of our own to share around. This meant that we could enjoy every course in its entirety and it also encouraged greater interaction and discussion. This is something I never realised I would have liked during a Michelin meal until I had this one.
Return?
Absolutely. I can see why they were recently awarded two stars in the Michelin guide. A very memorable meal because of the whole package - peaceful surroundings, the nice drive along country roads to get there and its cosy interior. In fact, I am planning to bring my parents to this restaurant come next year when they visit me and if we go on a road trip.
Like their website says, 'So, come and visit, have your personal table, your personal experience, forget the menu and relish the experience.'
Cavendish Street, Cartmel,
Nr Grange over Sands,
Cumbria
LA11 6PZ
Tel: 015 3953 6362
£45 for Set Lunch menu
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