Review of new lunchtime menu at Kernow Dine & Deli Falmouth

The teenage head chef is creating mouth-watering dishes for the customers of Kernow Dine & Deli in Falmouth, while eyeing up how he gets his first Michelin star.

So does this teen prodigy, who’s already trained under the likes of Gordon Ramsay and Adam Handling of renowned Cornish restaurant Ugly Butterfly, live up to the hype?

Head chef Gabriel Verdi (Image: Maddie Meddings)

We put his food to the test with a review of the recently launched new lunchtime menu at Kernow Dine & Deli.

What we ate

With the likes of scallop ceviche and salsa verde with Newlyn crab on the menu (and that’s just the starters) choosing was no easy task.

In the end I plumped for venison croquette served with fennel jam and black garlic puree (£8), followed by honey and pepper glazed duck breast, bacon puy lentils, braised chicory and beetroot puree (£24).

Meanwhile my dining companion chose the fig and goat’s cheese sumac filo tart to start (£10) and then the charred asparagus, lemon crab and beurre blanc for her main (£18).

Fig and goat's cheese tart (Image: NQ staff)

Other main course dishes included Sailors Creek mussels with confit garlic and homemade focaccia (£18) and chickpea curry, mango chutney and pomegranate couscous (£16 and a very close contender for both of us).

Before we get into the food, let’s address the price. There’s no getting away from the fact that this is not your everyday ‘grab a sandwich on your lunchbreak’ option - and that's not what they're going for (although the cake section does offer something in the way of that line, but more on that later).

What it does offer is an altogether more refined experience, away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

READ MORE: Meet the teenage head chef running his own kitchen in Falmouth at just 19

While the busyness of The Moor may be outside, inside is an oasis of calm – knowledgeable servers, a two-course meal packed with genuinely fresh, local ingredients, and a chance to escape for an hour safe in the knowledge that you’re being looked after.

The taste

First up the venison croquette: its meaty inside had flavour without being overpowering for game, which married well with the surprisingly smoky tones of the black garlic puree.

What proved to be a revelation was the fennel jam; chunky and thankfully (for me) tasting not at all of aniseed, it actually had more of a sweet, fruity taste and was absolutely delicious with the venison.

Venison croquette with fennel jam (Image: NQ staff)

With its carefully placed baby leaves, it was also one of the prettiest starters I've had in a while! 

Meanwhile the strong notes of the goat’s cheese were balanced beautifully by the fruitiness of the fig in the tart, leaving one very happy friend.

On to the mains, the tender, just-pink (how I like it) strip of duck breast with a delicately thin layer of crispy skin was balanced on a bed of puy lentils, made all the more interesting with the addition of finely chopped bacon and a pouring sauce. The lentils still had some bite to them, which offset the softness of the duck.

Duck on puy lentils (Image: NQ staff)

If I had one minor criticism it was the beetroot puree on the plate, while very pleasing to the eye, was not quite enough to really add an extra element to the dish – and what I could scrape up with my knife had a lovely flavour, which left me wanting more.

Although not generally a lover of crab, for the purpose of the review I did taste a small mouthful – and I confess that, on the basis of this, I may just understand what the fuss is all about. The flavour of the all-white crab meat was SO delicate and sweet, leaving my friend in seafood heaven.

Crab on asparagus with beurre blanc (Image: NQ staff)

She also raved about the charring on the asparagus giving an extra element of flavour, while the beurre blanc was the rich, buttery addition that you’d hope it would be.

What about pudding?

While the lunchtime menu doesn’t have a dessert selection, this isn’t a downside. Instead diners can choose from the selection of cakes and pasties in the window, which can also be bought on their own as part of the deli range.

The cake selection (Image: NQ staff)

We decided to split one of the cookie dough stuffed croissants that we’d been craving since we arrived, having just been placed there fresh from the oven, and an apple pie blondie.

It proved the perfect way to finish the meal for a couple of self-confessed sugar addicts. If you’re not eating lunch, grab one anyway!

Cookie dough stuff croissants (Image: NQ staff)

The evening offering

Once lunchtime service is over and the deli has closed, things get a little more intimate.

The lights dim, lamps are added to the tables and the atmosphere changes to something more befitting a high class dinner out.

As for the dishes, picture a series of sharing plates to choose a selection of. Averaging around the £11/£12 mark, they include lobster ravioli, Westcountry lamb and Newlyn crab cake – see the website for full details.