Dum Dum Donutterie

Welcome to the baked doughnut evolution - Dum Dum Donutterie - where doughnuts are baked multiple times but not fried. These doughnuts are light, fluffy and sweet rather than oily and greasy - which let's be honest in some cases does the trick as well. They say these doughnuts have just teh right amount of fat. It all sounded too good, we just had to check out their new store at Boxpark.

Dum Dum don't only make 'traditional doughnuts', no that would be too easy. They also make cronuts, also known as crodoughs, and in this case croissant doughnuts. They are a mix between a croissant and a doughnut. We tried the the Zebra croissant doughnut - Layers of Croissant dough and chocolate croissant dough. Filled with chocolate butter crème and decorated with dark chocolate. I couldn't resist and had to try their Peter Andre's yum yum dum dum - I mean with a name like that. This little wonder is filled with Dulce de Leche crème and glazed while still warm and drizzled in chocolate.

The 'traditional doughnuts' come in a variety of flavours and fillings - we went for the double dipped almond glaze, the crème brûlée, the chocolate ganache and hazelnut and the strawberry purée fondant. So basically the only two we didn't try - now I really feel like a pig - were the raspberry preserve and the banatoffe. Oh well I guess we have an excuse to go back. 

The result was an empty and sad looking pink box. I found the Zebra cronut absolutely delicious and delighted it didn't have all the oil from a traditional cronut - which was my big disappointment with the cronut, and that filling was just perfect - chocolate butter crème and decorated with dark chocolate. My favourite was probably the traditional crème brûlée doughnut which was filled with fresh custard creme coated with a crunchy caramel glaze.

Where:
Boxpark
Unit 31, Box Park
2-4 Bethnal Green Road
Shoreditch, London - E1 6GY

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Burro e Salvia

In my books there is simply nothing like a good bowl of fresh pasta - this reminds me I have to share my Mac n' Cheese and white Truffle oil recipe with you guys soon. 

The great thing about living close to Shoreditch is that we are also close to so many delicious places to eat, and Burro e Salvia - Pastificio is no exception. 

Burro e Salvia - Butter and Sage - makes fresh handmade pasta, and when I mean fresh I mean you can actually see them making it in front of you. First and foremost the place is a 'pastificio' which is both a fresh pasta shop and workshop, but it is also a restaurant. 

In the front of the shop you can buy your fresh handmade pasta, some delicious sauces - I mean cream, parmesan and truffle sauce just sounds divine - and a selection of Italian produces and wine.

If that wasn't good enough, you can also eat in and try something from their small but perfectly thought-out menu. I have yet to sit down and try out their menu but there is very little doubt; we will be coming back soon.

In the meantime we didn't walk away empty handed - we took away a lovely box full of filled paste with ricotta and tartuffo. Tonight we will be eating fresh truffle pasta served with butter and parmesan and a drop of white truffle oil - a table.

Where:
Burro e Salvia, Pastificio
52 Redchurch Street
London E2 7DP

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The Venezuelan Deli

I finally got round to trying out Arepa & Co - the Venezuelan Deli at De Beauvoir Crescent. A great little place for a quick lunch - even better on a sunny day - along the canal. 

Arepa is a traditional dish in Columbia and Venezuela. It is a flatbread ( somewhat like a pitta) made of ground maize dough or cooked flour prominent in the cuisine of Venezuela. They serve arepa with all kinds of ingredients - chicken, pulled pork, grated cheese, guacamole, avocados, cucumber, tomatoes... you name it, they have the filling (picture above).I went for the chicken, cheddar, guacamole and plantas (basically grilled bananas).

Arepa & Co also do some amazing traditional Venezuelan scrambled eggs which are delicious with cachapa - also a traditional Venezuelan and Colombian dish made from corn. They look a lot like pancakes but made out of fresh corn dough and taste a bit sweater than you traditional flour-based pancake (pictures above with the sunday special - traditional scrambled eggs, beans, pulled pork and cheddar cheese. 

If you go on a weekend, they will automatically hand you the special weekend menu, but don't hesitate to ask for their full list of arepa and cachapa options.

Where:
Arepa & CO
58A De Beauvoir Crescent, London
Greater London, Haggerston - N1 5SB

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Duck & Waffle

Duck & Waffle is the full package - great service, delicious and affordable food and a destination in itself. The restaurant is located on the 40th floor of the Heron Tower and takes about 30 seconds to get up to the top. It is currently the highest restaurant in London making it one of the most impressive places to eat with an unbeatable view. But it is not all about the view, the food is just as good.

Chef Daniel Doherty is friendly and humorous - as I have discovered on the social media grapevine - and this is reflected in the food he serves. Every single dish we had was unfussy and perfectly simple, delicious and well seasoned and nothing we had ever had before - with the exception of the classic English breakfast.

What we ate

The Duck egg en cocotte with wild mushrooms, gruyère, truffle and soldiers (not pictured), the Columbian eggs with toast avocado and grilled chorizo, the English breakfast with sausage, eggs (any style), bacon, grilled tomato, field mushroom, hash browns and Scottish black pudding (not pictured), the bbq-spiced crispy pig ears in a bag and the classic Duck and Waffle with crispy leg confit, fried duck egg and maple syrup.

For dessert we tried the Tiramisu (not pictured) and the Belgian Waffle with caramelised banana, home-made Nutella, vanilla ice cream and peanut crunch.

Although they are open and serve food 24/7 I highly recommend you book at least three weeks in advance.

Where:
Duck & Waffle
Heron Tower, 40th Floor
110 Bishopgate, London EC2N 4AY

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