INDEX FOR GRASMERE LODGE
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| Grasmere Cuisine |
Summer at Grasmere |
Dining at New Zealand lodges is a key part of the whole experience. We know produce from our clean, green country is amongst the best in the world, and we want you to be able to taste it and appreciate it.
At Grasmere Lodge, we aim to provide the best of New Zealand produce, seasonal and preferably locally grown. The chefs check what fruit and vegetables are available in the markets and order accordingly, rather than bringing in exotic ingredients to try to impress.
We want to present honest food elegantly, to make it easier for you to enjoy the flavours, without confusing the palate or disguising the taste.
The meal might be elegant but we want you to relax. The dress code is smart casual – gentlemen, you don’t need a jacket and tie.
Our tariff includes a five-course gourmet dinner, partly because there are no other restaurants around us. We offer what’s known as a table d’hôte menu – with the menu set by the chef, and changed daily.
Five courses sounds daunting, but our portions are smaller than normally served in a hotel restaurant, so that you don’t feel over-fed. This format means we can serve a wider range of flavours and cuisine styles in one meal, while keeping it balanced and healthy.
Because there are no choices offered, please let us know if there is anything you can’t eat or don’t like. With advance notice, the chefs can design the menu around any diet restrictions.
Usually all our guests sit together at one table, like a dinner party with friends, rather than at tables of two away from each other. The conversation is as much a part of the experience as the food, and something guests enjoy very much.
However, for families , or couples who want some private time together, we have other dining options, such as the fireside Hawdon room, or the glass-topped Conservatory beside the rose garden – perfect on late summer evenings.
Pre-dinner drinks, often in the form of a premium New Zealand wine-tasting, are complimentary, and a chance to meet the other guests and enjoy some delicious canapés. This is when you’ll be asked to select your wine for dinner, from our cellar of award-winning New Zealand wines. We’re happy to offer advice on your choice, depending on your preferences, and the night’s menu.
Later, coffee, tea and handmade chocolates are served in the lounge, with port, whisky and other digestifs available. We have one of the best selections of single malt Scotches in New Zealand.
In the mornings, breakfast is served in the Verandah restaurant of the Lodge building, with cereals, fruit, fresh muffins and a full range of cooked options. Try the full-on Musterer’s Breakfast if you’re brave, or planning a big day.
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| Our Chefs |
Jude Eakin – is as keen on fishing as she is fine food. You may even be lucky enough to get Jude as your fishing guide.
Scott Hannon – joins us this season from Icon, the fine-dining restaurant at Te Papa, the National Museum, where he worked with one of New Zealand’s best chefs, Peter Thornley.
Darren Fischer – returns to Grasmere from Canada after completing his training, and will be serving your breakfast and lunch most days.
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| Typical Menus |
Our menu changes daily, but your dinner at Grasmere might include a selection of the following:
Asparagus and Braised Veal Soup
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Terrine of Smoked Salmon with Salad Greens
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Apple and Green Peppercorn Sorbet
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Tenderloin of Cervena
crusted with Herbs and Mustard Seeds
on Onion Marmalade
with a Cabernet Sauce
* * *
Blueberry Créme Brûlée
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or
Beef Consommé
served with Cheese Straws
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Garlic King Prawns
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Watermelon Sorbet
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Oven-Baked Loin of Lamb
marinated with Rosemary and Garlic
served with a Mint and Tequila Demi-Glaze
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Double Chocolate Frozen Terrine
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or
Salmon Tortellini with a Green Pea Sauce
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Tomato and Feta Tartlet
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Strawberry and Balsamic Vinegar Sorbet
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Roast Five-Spice Duck Breast
with an Onion Tart Tatin
and an Aniseed Jus
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Pears Poached in Wine
served with a Vanilla Bean Sabayon
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The Wine Cellar |
The summer house adjacent to the swimming pool leads into an underground wine cellar, dug back in the sheltering hillside.
The cellar holds 5000 bottles of fine New Zealand wine and is dug back into the hillside behind the pool house. The wine is kept at a constant temperature to ensure it ages well. Dinner is not served in the cellar because the temperature would have to be raised for guests, above the comfort level of the wine.
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Author: Russell
Wenn.
Copyright ©
November 01, 2007
DesigNZ
on
Travel. All rights reserved.
Revised:
November 01, 2007 |
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