Dining at UK’s Best Restaurant

Today we are heading to Cumbria, in North West England. Join us for 15 courses at L’Enclume, which is located in a small sleepy town called Cartmel. The founder and Chef is Simon Rogan. They received the first Michelin star in 2005, a second star in 2013, and its third star in 2022. They currently hold the number one spot as the UK’s Best restaurant according to The UK Good Food Guide.

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My name is Alexander. I’m the co-owner of a ONE Michelin star restaurant, and I’m on a mission – to find inspiration in gastronomy. I love fine dining, good wine and sharing what I know with other people.

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Today we are heading to  Cumbria, in North West England. Where natural beauty is front and center. It’s a hard place to reach, but totally worth it. It’s a land of lakes, castles,  coastline, and breathtaking scenery Almost like it’s frozen in time.

So it’s fitting that we are off to a  former 13th century blacksmith shop to sample the cuisine where the  only thing imported is the name. Join us for 15 courses at L’Enclume. We arrive in Cartmel. A medieval lovers dream. Nesselled on the edge of  the English Lake district,  

It’s a hidden gem with a population  of just under 5000 people. Little English towns always bring  me back to my days as an Au Per. As a fresh faced Hungarian in my 20’s,  coming here was an exciting adventure. in many ways shaped the person I am today.

Like everything in this sleepy  town, L’Enclume is easy to find. From the outside, it looks untouched. For many many years it was  a family blacksmith shop dating back to the 13th century. And every effort was made to keep  much of that history in tact.

The anvil on the door tells  us we are in the right place. L’Enclume is French for  Anvil which is a nice touch. Inside the restaurant, much  of the history has been saved. That explains the design and the decor,  using wood, metal and stone throughout.

The furniture is simple but functional  and borrows from Nordic design. Everything is custom made using Cumbria oak  by a local furniture maker in nearby Kendall. Although it’s minimal, they manage to create a  welcoming atmosphere with some elegant touches. Dining with me today are some  friends from the music industry.

We met throught this channel and we  get together when I come to England. The menu here at L’Enclume is a 15 course  tasting menu for just under 300 euro. For wine, there are three pairings starting with the taster pairing for 115 euro.

Getting more exclusive, we have  the signature pairing for 175   and only the best wines in each region make it onto the select pairing for 340 euros Which what we will have today. But first, champagne. There is a surprising champagne by the glass here. The Jacque Selosse Grand Cru Brut Initial

This is a special blend of three  vintages limited to 33,000 bottles. It is world-class, and our first  pick to kick off this dinner. Our first little appetiser arrives. It’s a tartlet of Carmelized  and dehydrated beetroot, Raw ribbons of beetroot with edible flowers

And It comes with a little chaser of  beetroot juices infused with perilla oil. It’s super fresh and popping with flavor. Our next bite is a pork belly and smoked  eel fritter with a puffed onion tapioca. Under it is a lovage emulsion and on top is  fermented sweetcorn puree and lovage cress

Another strong opener. The Jacques Selosse was nice but  there is always room for Krug. This is an oh three. This vintage was disgorged in 2012 which means this champagne has been untouched and developing beautifully  in the bottle for 11 years. Our next course is a savoury cheese  pudding caramelised in birch sap,

Then topped with stout vinegar jelly  and grated aged Berkswell cheese. Lovely contrasting textures. And the vinegar jelly gave it a nice acidic kick. If you like amazing food like this  as much as I do, hit subscribe. It would help us a lot. Thank you!

Our next wine is from the  Vouvray region in France. It’s a 2012 Chenin Blanc Clos  du Bourg from Domaine Huet. Next course is Langousitine  from the west coast of Scotland. Served uncooked, cut in Japanese style  rounds and rolled in fig leaf ash.

Over the top is a Buttermilk  sauce with smoked pike perch roe. It might not look like it, but this  dish was in a league of its own. Perfectly balanced, bold flavors. Best in class. Coming up is Orkney scallop  brushed with homemade EXO sauce Under it is Crown Prince squash and rosemary oil.

Sauce is made from the flowers of nasturtium. The scallop is ultra delicate, and this  sauce is concentrated and delicious. Another powerful dish. Although the scallops come from the Orkney  Islands off the northern tip of Scotland,   everything else is grown on Chef Rogan’s farm. Nicknamed Our Farm.

More than 90 percent of the plants  used in the menu come from here. A dish starts with the Head Grower of the farm  choosing what’s at it’s peak in the garden. The ingredients are then  discussed with the senior team and they go to work in the development kitchen.

The chosen dishes then make their  way onto the menu at L’Enclume. It started because they couldn’t get the  quality they wanted at the grocery store. and has grown to define the  mission and values of the company,   with farm to fork being the main feature.

The idea is to strengthen the  relationship between cooking and growing. Our next wine is a 2019  Trebbiano d’Abruzzo from Italy.   Made by Triple A producer Emidio Pepe. This wine really showcases the terroir  and has made Pepe a legend in the region.

Up next is Pink Fir Apple potatoes gently  cooked in chicken fat and pickled walnut. The sauce is based on Parkhouse  cheddar from the North Lakes split with an oil from burnt onion ash. On the side is pumpernickle rye bread Really creative dish here with a lot happening.

Another fabulous effort from  Chef Rogan and the team. Chef Rogan and his wife Penny  opened L’Enclume in 2002. They received the first Michelin star in 2005, a second star in 2013, and its third star in 2022. They currently hold the number one  spot in the UK Good Food Guide.

Since opening L’Enclume, they have  built a little empire in town. They have another restaurant  just a short walk away and have rooms for rent for  those wanting to stay overnight. The power couple have also opened  restaurants in Hong Kong, London and Malta.

Although Chef Rogan has seen a lot of success,  his beginnings were far less glamorous. He got his start in the kitchen at a  Greek restaurant cooking kebabs and chips. From there he took an apprentice role   under Savoy-trained chef Paul  Norman at Rhinefield House.

He went on to work for 8 years  at different restaurants. Moving forward, he landed jobs  with Marco Pierre White and   John Burton-Race who urged him to go to France. This led to three Michelin  star Lucas Carton in Paris. And later to his first head chef  role at Adlington Place in Croydon.

While in France, there is a good chance Chef Rogan  tried this at one time or another. Drappier Champagne. Next in our wine pairing is  this 2012 Grande sendree. Our sommelier has chosen it  specifically for the next dish. It’s seaweed custard, served with beef  broth infused with bone marrow fat,

Topped with L’Enclume’s blend  of caviar and Maldon oysters. It seems the kitchen is pulling out all the stops. This is as good as seafood gets. This is Masuizumi Private reserve from 2018. This sake is aged in barrels  used to make Burgundy. The result is a delicious combination.

For sure Japanese philosophy is  a big influence on Chef Rogan. According to the man himself, the development of the L’Enclume  menu is inspired by ingredients that change with the seasons, and ensure a truly traceable  dining experience philosophy. We also know that Chef Rogan is  influenced by French chef Marc Veyrat,

Who creates avant-garde, natural cuisine  and uses mountain herbs and flowers. Back at the table, our server  teases us with a little lamb. This will be our main course later. But for now, we have salt baked artichokes, cooked in brown butter, with Welsh truffle.

The broth is infused with roast chicken,  carmelized artichokes and truffle. It’s earthy and aromatic thanks to the truffle, and the sauce is a hearty base with lots of depth. What really comes through is the brown butter. Brown butter is one ingredient we  come across a lot on this channel.

It’s a staple in French cuisine but is  also used in kitchens all over the world. Making it is easy. Take a stick of unsalted butter. Add it to a sauce pan Bring it to a simmer over medium-high heat. When it starts to bubble, turn your  heat down and keep stirring it.

In just a few minutes, it will turn  golden brown with a nutty smell. Transfer to a heatproof bowl and you’re finished. Use your new super ingredient  wherever you use regular butter. It’s great in baked goods, and as we just tasted it’s amazing on roasted vegetables. We wanted more champagne.

I told the guys that We should try a 2006  Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Millenaires, because it’s a beautiful bottle and worth trying. and it brings out a very nice umami. Our next course is West Coast Monkfish  tail served on top of King oyster mushroom,   and topped with carmelized red baron onions.

The sauce is an oyster mushroom and yellow wine. This is a happy accident. The champagne gods couldn’t have  chosen a more fitting champagne. They complemented each other’s  flavors astonishingly well. The umami in the dish was  amplified by the champagne.

To go with our main course, we have a 2002  Saintsbury reserve California Pinot noir. This wine is super lively for its age  and I can’t wait to try it with the lamb. That would be dry aged Herdwick  lamb loin and yellow pea puree

Spooned on top we have a sauce  infused with fennel vinegar and fermented yellow beans and tapioca With it comes a lamb fat crumpet so  we don’t miss a drop of the sauce. It doesn’t happen often,  but I’m at a loss for words. To call this amazing would be an understatement.

So far, this menu feels like the  first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones. I just really hope it doesn’t turn  into the seventh and eighth ones! With the main courses over, we  are invited for a little tour. There is tons of positive energy here. I love it.

Desserts are next, led by  a Hungarian dessert wine. This is a Tokaji Aszu from Berecs Stephanie Ultra smooth and sweet. Our first dessert is frozen Tunworth cheese, malt crumb, berries and lemon thyme jelly. Savory and sweet with cheese-like  ice cream and then the sweet berries. Excellent texture, mildly sweet, pure genius.

They follow it up with  concord pears with rosehips,  Pear mousee, meadowsweet sorbet and sugar wafer. Also really good, but much sweeter. Our final dessert is a signature  that pays tribute to the past. It’s called The Anvil Caramelized Pink Lady apples and  custard with a caramel mousse flavored with a housemade miso.

And covered in an apple and spruce sauce. Another banger. We are in the home stretch now,  starting with a cheese service. Here we have farmhouse cheeses  from all over the british isles. Eleven of them, including  goats, blue, hard and soft. Finally, the petit fours. A peach ice cream mini cone. 

A carmelized quince tartlet A kendal mint cake stone  And finally a chocolate  bonbon with pine cone praline. A beautiful finish to a great meal. Our total for 5 people is just over 6700 euros. So let’s summarize my experience at lenclume. The wine pairing.

For the magnitude of these amazing dishes, I would  have gladly tried a more serious wine pairing. I was told that there is no demand for  bigger wines here in the countryside. In terms of service, it was  flawless and professional. I will remember the service team  as kind, attentive and sensible.

We were quite hard to serve in our little room, but they managed it perfectly. This menu was a true experience,   like sitting behind a Formula 1 driver  as he speeds along the racetrack. It was intense, brave, modern and unique. I really liked the plating too.

Every course had strong characteristics  and was deeply connected to the chef. In terms of dishes and tastes, it  was similar to my days as an Au Per. A defining experience in my life. This is my favorite Kitchen in the UK and  this menu is one of my favorites of all time.

And that does it for this episode. Thank you for joining me. If you like this video, hit subscribe! See you next time.