From Lucky Cat to the Lake District: A new era for Gilpin Spice

You may recall a couple of months ago that we had the pleasure of staying at Gilpin Hotel & Lake House, between Kendal and Windermere, in the Lake District. As part of that stay, we dined at the hotel’s 2 AA Rosette Gilpin Spice restaurant.

A few changes have happened since that visit, most notably the recruitment of new Head Chef, Ralph Rojas – previously at Gordon Ramsay’s Lucky Cat – to steer the Gilpin Spice’s Pan-Asian concept. With his introduction comes a new menu which we were lucky enough to sample this week.

Our evening kicked off with welcome drinks and snacks (the Cornish crab and smoked pike roe being a particular treat) on the new Laurent-Perrier Terrace, along with the opportunity to chat with Chef Ralph before heading inside to Gilpin Spice.

Front-row seats at the pass

On this occasion we were seated directly at the chef’s table counter, right against the open kitchen. It’s always a pleasure to see skilled chefs at work – woks firing up, flames jumping off the grill, sushi being prepared and rolled, and plates being quickly assembled – and this was no exception. The spectacle somehow gives an added energy to the evening.

The new menu

The menu relies heavily on small plates, sharing dishes, and sushi inspired by spice route flavours, alongside a few substantial mains.

Proceedings began with Prawn Crackers served with a coriander and sweet chilli emulsion. Simple, light, and wonderful with a refreshing glass of New Zealand Sauvignon.

After a selection of sushi, including the delightfully rich and buttery otoro (the fatty underbelly of the bluefin tuna), along came the small plates.

The small plates vary in price from just £7 (Tomato Cha Saar Soup) to £17 (Scallop – with a sweetcorn hot sauce). Our first was the Wagyu Tataki which had been prepared right in front of us- thinly-seared Wagyu beef finished with both a truffle ponzu and a truffle emulsion. Rich, heavy on the umami, and pure ‘melt in the mouth’.

My favourite was the Grilled Octopus. Ever so slightly charred, it was coated in a punchy Korean BBQ glaze, and served with a tofu foam and chimichurri.

The ‘Kinilaw of the Day’ was a standout also. This Filipino-style ceviche combined fresh tuna with coconut milk, vinegar, calamansi (an aromatic citrus fruit cultivated in the Philippines), chillies, ginger and crispy shallots. The acidity cut through the coconut cream brilliantly.

Our last – but by no means least – small plate was the SFC (Spice Fried Chicken) – extra crunchy chicken tossed in a fiery Korean hot sauce. But like all Gilpin Spice dishes, still a delicate amount of spice that’s thoughtfully balanced, rather than the ‘blow your head off’ kind.

From the large plates, which vary in price from £21 (Tandoori Spiced Hispi Cabbage) to £42 (30 Day Aged British Rib Eye), we had the Beer Brined Cumbrian Pork Steak. The brine had kept the pork beautifully tender, and it was topped with wild mushrooms and a fragrant Thai Phat Phet glaze to give it a slightly spicy, aromatic flavour.

On the side, we had Gilpin Spice’s famous Egg Fried Rice which you might remember from our last visit, as well as a nice, crunchy Tenderstem Broccoli tossed with crispy arare and a tofu foam.

As you can imagine, we didn’t really have room for dessert, but it felt rude not to at least share the Coconut and Lime Sorbet, which proved to be the perfect light, tart cleanser needed to complete a lovely evening.

On this showing, Chef Ralph’s influence is sure to keep Gilpin Spice the vibrant and relaxed dining venue that both locals and visitors have come to love.