Suzi Edwards

I made my journey to Cartmel by train. The view over the bay as you travel towards Grange Over Sands, the closest station to L’Enclume, is breathtaking as only nature can be. I’d forgotten we had scenery in England. From my seat the train track seemed to rise from the water, curving away from land on both sides with an almost supernatural aspect. Even if you have a car, leave it at home, because the journey, for me, was a huge part of my L’Enclume experience. Chef Simon Rogan later talked to me about how he’s glad that he didn’t originally open in Brighton as “this is food from nature” and that he would be “uncomfortable” cooking his food in an “urban environment”. The scenery around the restaurant, the green, the bay and the misty hills all adds to create a feeling that you’re leaving the man made world behind and stepping into a completely different realm. The feeling of otherworldliness was a broken on my cab journey to Cartmel. All isn’t well as it could be in the village. Relations between L’Enclume and Rogan are tense with the villagers feeling that the restaurant isn’t good value for money and Rogan feeling that he’s not supported locally. It makes a strange dynamic for visitors; I received nothing but the warmest welcome from everyone I met, but I did get the feeling that most people thought I was completely insane to travel from London just to eat in a restaurant. What’s strange, to me at least, is that L’Enclume is exceptionally good value and the food, although innovative and sometimes sublime, is very accessible and cooked & served with such passion that even someone who’s happiest with steak and chips could be delighted. Much has been made of who influences Rogan. But he was keen to set the record straight that when it comes to Chefs; Veyrat has his heart. I have a sense of a Saul of the road to Damascus type conversion for Rogan after eating here and certainly this evangelical zeal came through when we spoke. He’s a driven man, irked by the UK’s need to compartmentalise what he cooks, the lack of support from locals and being ignored by Michelin in 2004. But I didn’t eat a meal created in anger. I ate a meal that’s all about harmony and balance, a meal that is probably the most finely balanced degustation menu I’ve ever eaten. Rogan conjures with his ingredients and was able, over the 20 courses I ate, to take a multitude of preparations and flavours and tie them together into a cohesive whole. He pulls flavours that you would expect in desert forward into the meal by serving a perfect piece of John Dory alongside bergamot aromas and swirls of sticky caramel that had been taken to the very edge of caramelisation. Coming after a less successful dish of brill cooked in clay that smelled like my school’s artlab and before two perfect slices of loin of lamb with cumin bouillion and grains of paradise that offered up flavours of citrus, cardamom and pepper and wafted Moorish scents into the dining room, the John Dory was a sensory reminder of what was to come, as well as an outstanding dish in its own right. There’s something primal about L’Enclume. This isn’t intellectual, show-off food that appeals to the head. It’s about nourishment and awakening; my meal sated my hunger, but also stimulated my eyes, nose and tongue. I tried flavours I had never or rarely eaten before; coltsfoot, myrhh, eucalyptus, perilla, but that shared a strange aspect to their flavour profile, all of them are haunting, resonant flavours. My favourite dish of the night was cubes from land and sea with eucalyptus hollandaise, a trinity of lobster, sweetbreads and girolles, napped with a verdantly green sauce. The three major ingredients all had a meaty textural similarity that heightened the incredible sweet/herbal flavour of the dish that remained long on the palate. It was unlike anything I’d eaten before, a texture dish that relied on all textures being similar to express flavour. The innovation at L’Enclume comes from techniques and presentation. The unusual ingredients are generally from nature so it’s technically incorrect to describe them as innovations. They’re revivals. There were a few foams, most successful of which was a strawberry mousse foam that sat rigid in a perfect cube of the plate. A proper foam, if you like, not one of these wannabee foams that squirls all over the plate. This was an upright, stiff upper lip English military foam that literally stood to attention. “Virtual tomato” was a scoop of snow-like tomato, the texture of which just vanished when I closed my lips leaving behind the ghost of a tomato flavour. It didn’t absorb, it didn’t melt, there was no osmosis. It’s the Harry Houdini of the tomato world. Imagine the nitro and green tea mousse from the Fat Duck, but take away the texture. Dishes felt more three dimensional than at any other restaurant I’ve eaten at. A beautiful pyramid of foie gras, a cube of foie gras with black truffles, coated and deep fried, a perfect quenelle of foie gras ice cream go together to make up “Cubism in Foie Gras, two cold, one hot, cantaloupe, fragrant myrhh, almond cake” a dish that literally rises up out of plate, almost too beautifully composed to eat. Rogan can’t just cook food, he’s amazingly artistic, using contrasting colour and flavour to animate his food. So what’s wrong with L’Enclume? The service needs work and the wine pairings were pretty poor. I know almost nothing about wine so I like to leave the choices in the hands of the sommelier. There were no pairings available the night I ate there, but a new restaurant manager is joining soon so I would guess this would change. It will be hard for Rogan to get all the stars he wants if the wine service isn’t as inspiring as the food. As it was I drank a fairly mediocre glass of champagne (there was no choice on offer) a half bottle of Sancerre that killed the “Half soft and scrambled eggs, soy, wasabi, smoked cod froth” and was killed by at least two other dishes. A glass of Chilean Pinot Noir worked well with my lamb and carried me through nicely to the cheeseboard that’s nurtured and loved by Mary, one of the most experienced servers there and someone with such an obvious passion for L’Enclume and cheese it almost brought a tear to my eye. The rest of the service was technically adequate, no more so, but always sweet and charming. I’ll forgive a lot of things if they’re done with passion and care. L’Enclume has been a sleeping giant of the English restaurant scene for too long and he’ll be recognised by Michelin this year. This is, at the very least, two star food. Most appealing to me though was that this is a really English restaurant, despite the fact they have an all French cheeseboard, with a spirit unlike anywhere else I’ve eaten in the UK. L’Enclume isn’t part of a movement. And I loved it all the more for that. Additional Info: If you’re planning a trip to L’Enclume you could do worse than stay at the Royal Oak Inn. Call them on (015395) 36259 If you’re travelling by train you’ll want to organise a car from the train station. Call C Cabs on (015395) 35733

Wow. I'd never thought of writing to a restaurant after I had eaten there. Does anyone else do this?

The real turn-off, though, was the horrible service. When we sat down the matire d'hotel came to our table to ask if we were going to have the pre-theatre menu. We told him that we were indeed going to the theatre but wanted to see the regular menu as well to consider all the options. He then launched into a lengthly and aggressive explanation about how we could only have (or even see, I think) the pre-theatre menu if we agreed to leave in at 7:30 (55 minutes later). (The restaurant was almost empty at that point, and only 1/2 full when we left around 7:30.) There then ensued a back-and-forth of us saying that we understood the limitation and would chose either the pre-theatre or a la carte menu accordingly -- and if the former, that we would finish by 7:30 -- and his insisting, with increasing stridency, that we had to be out of the restaurant by 7:30 (to the point that it sounded like he was threatening to throw us out). ← I was once barracaded into this branch of this restaurant by the maitre'd and the chef. This is not a restaurant that I would ever describe as having good service. The Islington branch is much better, or at least, they've never attempted to kidnap me. I am not joking.

Interesting. I had a terrible, terrible meal at Royal China, but I'll take your lead should I go back. The dish I ordered off the smaller "specials" menu was delicious, clams in a spicy sauce. I rememebr thinking afterwards that that might have been the way to go for the whole meal.

I had a not bad ceviche at Titos, a peruvian place just by London Bridge, was a while ago though.

I might be able to forgive you going to Tesco but I can never forgive you spelling my name wrong. Twice.

Actually, I read this column every week and I would think that the "our" refers to his kitchen rather than mine, yours or the world at large. My sense is that the register he uses for the column is always very personal, hence "our" meaning that of his crew. That said, the "I" in the previous sentence would undermine that supposition a bit.

Small opinion piece from The Sunday Times suggesting that the current obsession with detoxing is really down to a binge/purge mentalityInteresting, if very light.

The taco bar downstairs in Destino on Swallow Street off Regent Street is a reliable shopping stop for me. Best Mexican I've had in London (which admittedly isn't saying a huge amount)

For all we know you might have teeny tiny baby hands and that might be a jam jar.

I met him over two years ago in passing at the Union Square Greenmarket. He was talking to Mike Anthony and Mike and Dan Barber had just done an eGullet Q&A. The subject came up and he said he didn't use or have a computer. I realize that was a long time ago now, but at the time it didn't seem as if it was possible to pursue the subject. ← Maybe you tipped him in the right direction given he now posts on here!

So, say you'd assumed that you had to book here 1 month in advance and had booked a flight from London and then discovered that it was 2 months. Apart from feeling like a prize ninny, what would you do? Do they run a cancellation list? Should I make a sacrifice at the altar of restaurant reservations? Shall I just eat at Manresa twice and deal with the fact that clearly I am fated to eat at every great restaurant in the world apart from any of Keller's and pretend that this is more his loss than mine?

I'm intrigued, which UK city has better dining than London? Think really carefully before you answer that because you will be required to back it up! Name me a city that has the depth and breadth of the London dining scene, the panopoly of ethnic cuisines, the range at both high and low end. Go on. Please.

We don't want your musings young man. We want reviews!

You can have roast potatoes on my detox. What's wrong with potatoes, oil, maybe a little garlic and rosemary? I also allow myself pork after the first two weeks. In the words of CurlyWurlyFi "What colour is pork?" Once you've decided that pork is pink and therefore not a red meat you could also have bacon (however, I avoid cured foods when cleansing so it's out for me) Thanks for the fruit tip. I'll try that next time.

You mean that doesn't happen as a matter of course to restaurant reviewers? *cancels place on upcoming food writing course*

I had a fantastic meal (and stay) at Le Quartier Francais. It is the most perfect place I have ever stayed. Margot Jones' food was exceptional too. It's in Franschoek.

Day Six! One of my friends who I happen to work with also tried to detox. She had a terrible headache on day three so decided to have a diet coke to get rid of it. She seemed to think my utter dismay and shock was amusing. My sense is that day three is when it starts to get back, thinking back to my first detox this was my weak point. The drinking water tip to get rid of a headache is a good one (research suggests that a lot of headaches are caused by dehydration) I'm still trying to find some other tips for easing detox related headaches. Of all of the things I'm using to cleanse, lemon juice in hot water as soon as you wake up is my favourite. It's something that I think I might keep doing, it really eases you into the day and is really good for waking the digestive system up. Follow with a nettle tea and you're set up for the day!

And they're off. First up, Victor Lewis Smith ruminates on the fact that "he who eats alone, chokes alone" when he visits Arkle in ChesterThe review's a bit like culinary "Where's Wally" as he sums up by saying that this is "breathtakingly imaginative and innovative cuisine" yet appears to have eaten a veloute, some foie, some truffles and some monkfish. Oh, and that pinnacle of avant-garde desserts, an assiette de chocolate. Nothing from The Observer this week (but if I'm wrong I'm sure Jay will send us a link. Don't all rush at once to Manta an Ayurvedic restaurant in the City. Richard Johnson found it bland but writes the number one thing I never thought I'd read in a restaurant review; "It's not fair to judge a meal like this on taste alone" Right. Giles Coren continues his Northern tour with the best steak he's ever had at The Drunken Duck in Cumbria AA Gill has created a rather self indulgent "quiz" for us to enjoy. That's all for this week! (edit because Gary was right and I was wrong)

I stayed at the Royal Oak Inn, it's about 40 meters from L'Enclume. I was really pleased with my choice, it's a lovely pub with a big open fire and the rooms upstairs were really comfy. Lots of B&Bs are a bit chinzy, and while this isn't the Plaza Athenee, this felt good to me. My room was beamed (sorry, don't know the proper word) which I'm a total sucker for. I hate spending money on hotels, but I was pleased with the £50 I spent here. Nice cooked breakfast in the morning as well included in the price. Call Michael on 015395 36259 to book. I'll see if I took any photos of the pub and post them if I did.

You should find some good advice on here :-) You might especially want to read the Media Roundup on a weekly basis (yep, this week's is late again, I'll do it after the Big Cat programme on BBC1) Of the UK newspaper reviewers I find Jay Rayner (Observer)and Giles Coren (The Times) to be reliable, but Coren seems to be moving down the AA Gill route and it's becoming more about him and less about the food at the moment. Terry Durack (The Independent) has really grown on me, Jan Moir (The Telegraph) has started to grate but that's probably just a personal preference. AA Gill (Sunday Times and Victor Lewis Smith (Guardian) both have threads on here that you might want to check out. There's also Marina O'Loughlin and Fay Mashler in The Evening Standard who are very reliable for London but you have to pay for the online content This is London Zagat is meaningless in the UK but the Time Out Guide to Eating and Drinking is invaluable, although much, much stronger for ethinic food. The only reason I haven't cancelled my subscription to the mag is that I do find their food coverage useful when it comes to new openings. They, oddly enough, seem to me to often have the first review of new places.

Thanks Sir.

I think the 20th might qualify as "around the 21st".

If food writers start cooking food there'll be anarchy. Before we know it chefs will want to be tv personalities and we'll have someone who knows almost nothing about food writing a weekly review in a major publication. Oh...

Ainsley Harriott was the Queen Mother's private chef? Can you confirm or deny if she liked sally salt and peter pepper on her royal meals?