While on our anniversary in the Lakes, we always are looking for fun food to try. We both really enjoy Asian food, so on the more rainy day, we decided to go for a big lunch at Gilpin Spice, which is a restaurant attached to a hotel. You do not need to be staying at the hotel to eat here and can easily walk in and enjoy the menu that they have on offer. When we went, at about 1pm, it wasn’t too busy at all. The venue itself had bar seating that looked straight into the kitchen, as well as a bunch of tables and booths. We opted to watch the chefs cook our food! They do have a short menu at Gilpin Spice, but everything smells and tastes fantastic.
Kamikaze and Baby Funky Monkey
When it came to drinks, Dann went with the Kamikaze, which had plum sake, gin and chili. It was spicy and delicious for Dann, though I wanted something a little more sweet, so went with a mocktail called Baby Funky Monkey. This tasted like a really tropical blend of fruit juices and was extremely refreshing as well.
Asian Fried Chicken and Egg Fried Rice
We got a little starter of Asian Fried Chicken, which had a spicy and sticky sauce on it. The chicken was moist and crispy on the outside. There were very delicious pickles on top too, that weren’t too overpowering. I am really glad we got this as it was fantastic. The fried rice was actually really surprising, which is always nice to see. This rice had a lot of spice on it, a lot of different textures, and an entire egg yolk in the middle?! We popped the egg yolk and stirred it through, which made it taste super delicious and creamy. This was actually a recommendation by our waiter.
Clay Oven Seabass and Cumbrian Saddleback Pork Belly
Dann got the Clay Oven Seabass, which had a delicious broth that he literally ate every drop of. There was a good level of spice to this, but it wasn’t overpowering. The fish itself was flaky and charred perfectly, with a little salad on top. I am not a huge fan of fish and got the Cumbrian Saddleback Pork Belly, which I watched the chefs cook and cover in the sauce over and over. It was juicy and such a lovely texture for pork belly – probably the best pork belly I have ever had in my life. The taste of the pork was just full of umami! Everything went very well with the rice as well.
We really enjoyed the vibe of Gilpin. The food itself was fantastic and it was very fun to watch it all get cooked. The scents were fantastic, as you waited for your food to come. I have been dreaming about the pork ever since and cannot wait to go back.
That looks like a great restaurant. I love that you get to watch them make the food. That’s always fun.
Trying out Gilpin Spice during a rainy day in the Lakes sounds perfect. I love the idea of watching the chefs cook your food while enjoying a big lunch. The atmosphere you described, with bar seating overlooking the kitchen, sounds very inviting.
omg every thing looks so delicious…I love Asian food. The restaurant seems amazing. I would love to try it out.
Thank you for your awesome review of lunch at Gilpin Spice! The Asian Fried Chicken and Clay Oven Seabass sounds unbelievably delicious, and we loved the cozy vibe of watching the chefs in action.
The food all sounds awesome and the presentation is so impressive. I love the Asian flavors…what a great experience!