[Restaurant review] Young Vegans Pizza Shop

UK is spoilt for choice when it comes to Vegan foods.
On my vegan tasting journey, I have tried vegan fried chicken, pies, countless burgers but not much pizza which called for a journey to Young Vegans Pizza Shop.

This pizza joint is founded by Marco and Carla Casadei where they make their vegan cheese in house.

Anyway, discovered this place after I tried Young Vegans Pie Shop in Camden which is also owned by them.
Prior to the pizza joint they had a stall at Netil Market which was so successful that they started restaurant located in Bethnal Green in Nov 2019.

Finally tried it one evening and I was impressed with the open kitchen where you can see the wood fired oven and chefs making pizza.

On the other side of the restaurant is the takeaway section.

Photos of the restaurant:

As it was early, I was the only diner there so I took my time to decide which pizza to get.
To be honest, it was such a difficult choice but luckily they were able to do half and half in one pizza so that I could try two different pizza toppings.

Two more pizzas were added on the menu so I was glad I didn't try earlier as I had more choices on this visit.

The Menu:

Analyzing the menu they had two different cheeses: mozzarella and ricotta.
For vegan meats there was Seitan pepperoni, Seitan chickun and ham.
Interesting veggies would be the samphire and Brussels sprouts although samphire is a common ingredient in vegetarian places.

My choice of pizza was really hard as I wanted to try different cheeses and different meats so I ended up getting the Devils Coglioni which had Seitan pepperoni and mozzerella and the Corn of the Dead because it was an unusual combo of pickles, sweetcorn and Seitan Chickun with extra ricotta cheese.

The pizza was so legit when it arrived especially the pepperoni and how fresh the basil leaves were as if they were freshly plucked!

Devils Coglioni:
This was topped with Seitan pepperoni, basil, marinara sauce and mozzarella.
The seitan pepperoni pieces were crispy and tasty which satisfies your pepperoni pizza craving.

Corn of the Dead with extra ricotta:
The pepperoni was classic which was why I had to have the corn of the dead because the topping on this were vastly different.
It had roasted sprouts, creamed corn, pickled vegetable, mozzarella, balsamic drizzle and the extra ricotta I requested.
The taste of this one was a total surprise especially the carrots which didn't look pickled but looked fresh carrots because of its vibrant orange.
Overall it was very appetizing with balsamic dressing and creamed corn.
I liked the sprouts too and wished they were pickled because I loved anything that is pickled.

As I was having this whole pizza to myself, I was trying not to stuff myself by eating the middle first which is probably why the boss Marco noticed me eating the pizza in a strange way :)
Anyway, I managed to eat most of it which was good.
To summarize, their pizzas and homemade cheese were fantastic.

Will definitely be coming again and I would also recommend the mac and cheese if you haven't tried the mac at Young Vegans Pie Shop.

Young Vegans Pizza:
393 Cambridge Heath Road,
Bethnal Green.

Further reading:
Young Vegans Pie Shop review
https://supersupergirl-dining.blogspot.com/2019/12/youngveganpieshop.html

[Review] £2.49 Pizza deal at Dominos

Pizzas takeaways are getting cheaper and more competitive these days not to mention sourdough pizzas which are also trending.

At Dominos, you can now get a pizza deal with two toppings for 2.49 from 12-4pm.
If you google this, you will find that it was only 1.99 some time ago!

Anyway, tried this pizza deal and it was not bad.
The quality is just your usual pizza while the taste depends on what you chose!
The pizza is sliced which makes it convenient to eat.

[Review] Purezza in Brighton

Purezza is the first plant based pizzeria in UK so how could I not pay it a visit.
It is so successful that they have a second branch at Camden.

I was also attracted to Purezza because of their home made rice based mozzarella and other cheeses which they ferment themselves.

They offer a range of vegan sourdough pizzas, gluten free food, salad bowls, raw dishes, pasta and desserts.
I found out about Purezza on TV because they were the only restaurant to show how they make their vegan cheese while other restaurants keep it top secret.

When I got there, we were greeted by a member of staff who asked if it was our first time there as payment is by CARD only.

On the menu, there was mac and cheese, cheese platter as well as their signature pizzas on sourdough, Hemp flour base or gluten free.

As it was Christmas, there was a special menu with Pizza and Calzone.

Initially, I was going to order the cheese board which was cashew based cheese so that I could compare it with this other place I tried.
In the end, we chose the Festive pizza, Lasagna and the Mac and Cheese.

The first dish that came was the Mac and Cheese which was penne pasta in a cheesy sauce that was light topped with some crispy stuff which I didn't really like.

The Festive pizza was butternut squash sauce, mozzarella, porcini mushrooms, crumbled sausage and crunchy red cabbage.
It was stunning when it came especially the red cabbage.
The pizza was just as good as anticipated because the pizza base was soft and fluffy like naan you get in Hong Kong while the mozzarella was light and dreamy.
The only thing I didn't like was the butternut squash sauce which was sweet.

Last but not least was the Lasagna which was creamy bechamel style cheese and a tasty ragu mince.
Unfortunately, there was a strong taste of rosemary in it which we didn't quite agree with.
If it was basil, we might have liked it better.

Purezza Camden:
12 St James Street
Brighton

2/3 Dolci starring at Cafe Deco Pizzeria

Cafe Deco Pizzeria has been around for ages.
There was a branch at Sheung Wan which I didn't get to visit. 

Previously they were on the 1st floor of elements and now they have moved to the 2nd floor next to the cinema. 

When I arrived, I was greeted with a gelato cabinet which happened to be my favourite gelato brand 2/3 Dolci. 

Their pistachio gelato is highly recommended. 

As I was early, I had the salted caramel milkshake which is made with 2 scoops of 2/3 Dolci gelato.




Crostini plate: This was a nice light assortment of crab and salmon on crostini.




Steak Tartare: The steak tartare is highly recommended as there was a nice balanced taste with tart pickles.




Roasted Octopus: Not what I expect to find on the menu but I liked it because of the Mediterranean twist with olives etc.




Pork cheeks cavatalli: It was a creative combination of olives which was really moreish as the sauce was tangy and just the thing for summer.




From the choice of 10 pizzas, we reduced it down to two!
The Japanese free range egg with smoked tuna belly pizza and the M6 Wagyu beef and prawn.

Japanese free range egg with smoked tuna belly pizza:
The tuna belly pizza was really tasty enhanced by the egg and Shichimi oil which gives it a spicy exotic flare.




M6 Wagyu beef and prawn:




Desserts are a must and they have the latest souffle pancakes but my favourite was the cheesecake which was presented in a deconstructed way wrapped in fruit jelly.
The fighting flavours:
Salted caramel mousse with candied peanuts.




The best of both worlds (cheesecake):




Souffle pancakes: Original and Matcha.

Summer fiesta at [Spaghetti House]

I am so glad, Spaghetti house has launched the summer menu because they have my favourite pasta with lemon and other summery dishes.

While I was deciding what to order, I had the strawberry cooler which was refreshing as well as photogenic.

To my surprise, there was fresh melon at the bottom which makes such a different to tinned cocktail fruit.

Started off with the [Spaghetti with lemon, dill and shrimps] pasta and it tasted better than I had expected.
The spaghetti was al-dente infused with lemon yet you could also taste some slight bitterness of the lemon peel.
It would be great if there was a wedge of lemon served beside it because I like my lemon strong and the dill could have been stronger as it was just sprinkled on top so the flavour didn't really come out when it was cooking.

Next was the [Lobster claw salad with pomelo in white wine vinaigrette] which turned out to be such a big portion that it seemed good for three people. It was refreshing with pomelo meat bursting with sweetness and chunks of lobster claws.

Finished with the [Prosciutto, air dried beef and arugula pizza] which was loaded with Prosciutto and air dried beef.
The saltiness of the prosciutto and beef worked very well with the pizza while the arugula and balsamic vinegar balanced the flavour and heaviness.

[Spaghetti House]
http://www.spaghettihouse.com

[Momo Cafe] The ultimate crab pizza

As well as good food, there are two cute guys which are double trouble because they are twins.
Went there for a gathering as the tables are spacious and the decor is stylish as well.

The menu is clear and comprehensive.

Here was what we had: Started with the Port Wine Beef cheeks which were served on a bed of silky mash.
The beef cheeks were soft and gelatinous in this rich port wine sauce.

Next was the crab pizza ordered by my friend. I didn't have any expectations because I thought it was just going to be pizza with crab meat but when it came it just got stole everyone's attention as it was literally a whole crab on top of the pizza.

It was convenient to eat because the crab had already been chopped up.
I took the crab shell thinking there was tomalley but it had totally cleaned out so I thought it was just there for decoration but it turns out they put the tomalley on the pizza so it was evilicious with all that cheese, crab tomalley and orange roe.
Although it was quite heavy, there was basil leaves to freshen it up.

Last but not least was the Suckling Pig which was soft and tender while the skin was crispy.

Overall, I really enjoyed the dinner and I was surprised at the quality and creativity at MoMo Pizza.Pasta.Beer.

[Momo Cafe]
Tel: 34622503
Flat 103, 1/F, Cheungs Building, 1-3 Wing Lok Street, Sheung Wan

[Extra Virgin] Affordable Italian pastas in Hong Kong

It is really difficult to find affordable and delicious pastas in Hong Kong.
Extra Virgin has finally answered my prayers after Pasta Mio closed in Central.

The menu is diverse so it caters for Hong Kongers.
I felt that the drinks selection could have been better because they only served Hong Kong style tea in those thick rimmed cups and lacked Western teas.

The Italian choices were clearly the picks for me.
It had almost everything I wanted except Lasagne so I made quite a few visits to try them.

Here was what I had: Spaghetti aglio de olio, spaghetti pomodoro e basilico, fettucine bolognese and the Feta cheese pizza.
Everything was cooked to order.

+++++
spaghetti pomodoro e basilico:

Perfect pasta with fragrant basil and rich tomato sauce.
+++++
fettucine bolognese:

This was al dente fettucine in a lovely meat sauce loaded with lots of minced meat.
+++++
Feta cheese pizza:

The pizza was impressive because the cheese was just melted to how I like it while the base was thin and crispy.
It would be great if they used tomatoes instead of cherry tomatoes because they were clumsy and kept falling off the pizza.
+++++
Spaghetti aglio de olio:

Unfortunately, this was boring and tasteless, perhaps the Vongole might be a better choice.
+++++
Will definitely come again for the ravioli and hope that they will add lasagne to the menu.

Extra Virgin:
https://www.facebook.com/Extra.virginss/