It’s a difficult task to really stand out in the bustling, globalized metropolis that is China’s capital city of Beijing. And—trivial as it may seem—it’s no different with pizza. For years, chains like Pizza Hut and Domino’s have only multiplied within the city,…
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Once synonymous with New York, family-run pizza shops are an endangered species these days as more and more owners are force to shutter their stores to make room for the city’s ubiquitous (and stomach-turning) dollar-a-slice chains. In an effort to preserve and…
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If you have meandered through Smorgasburg in Brooklyn, or any other major food-focused event in New York City in the last few years, you may have noticed some funky looking ovens pushing out delicious pizzas….
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After Modernist Cuisine’s first two books, their debut encyclopedia of kitchen knowledge and their lighter at home edition, the kitchen scientists at…
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Determined to bring the quality of wood-fired pizza home without having to invest in the pricey and cumbersome options that filled the market, Kristian Tapaninaho created the prototype for Uuni, an affordable, wood-burning oven that was small enough to keep in the kitchen. About the size of a suitcase…
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1. Rain Room One spotlight, 100 square meters, a grid of water spigot panels and an array of cameras enable the profoundly rad experience that is Rain Room. Installed in Barbican’s Curve Gallery in London, the Rain Room uses 3D mapping of moving bodies to give visitors the experience…
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The Big Smoke’s top five mobile restaurants
While NYC has been loudly blazing the trail for a Twitter-hyped food truck revolution for some time, across the pond London is gradually creating its own community of street food vendors through a more stealth blend of social media, word of mouth and truck coup d’etat. To find out more about the city’s burgeoning street food culture, we checked in with Burgerac—London’s top burger detective—who tipped us off to five London joints dishing up delicious fare all over town. “With an ear to the ground, and an eye on Twitter, you can find wonderful food cooked by enthusiastic individuals in their homes and from their stalls and food trucks all over the capital,” he explains.
The blogs are abuzz about this newly formed culinary insurgence, but in typical English fashion Burgerac adds, “hype can be the enemy of enjoyment—the bottom line about all of these guys is that actually what they do is very simple. They just use good quality ingredients and do that one thing really super well, and that’s reflected by people’s reaction to what they’re doing.” See Burgerac’s picks below.
Located under the Hungerford Bridge not far from the Tate Modern is the Pitt Cue Trailer, a food truck offering sweeping views of Big Ben and the Thames while you chow down on a super juicy pulled pork sandwich and a can of Brooklyn Lager. Topped with their legendary pickles and pickled onions, the pulled pork is where it’s at but serious barbecue fans should also consider adding on sausages or brisket.
Less talked about than London’s revered Lucky Chip burger—but equally respected—MotherFlipper Burgers at King’s Cross station could easily give In-N-Out some stiff competition in an international burger contest. A simple stack of lettuce, onions, tender beef and buttered buns garnished with ketchup, mayo and mustard, MotherFlipper has mastered the basic burger.
With a few stalls around town (and a recently opened brick-and-mortar location in Shoreditch), Banhmi11 may be London’s most ubiquitous street food vendor, but it certainly hasn’t lost its touch. We downed one of their classic pork belly sandwiches at their Chatsworth Road market location, which starts with a toasted buttered baguette and then carrots, cucumbers, cilantro, special spices and the all-essential pork. Vegetarians will equally enjoy their tofu creation, featuring the same tasty fixings without the meat.
Big Apple Hot Dogs are a souped-up sausage version of NYC’s gourmet dog scene. Situated on a sidewalk just a stone’s throw from Old Street, this street cart serves up several styles of juicy sausages prepared by a local butcher, resting on buns by a local baker and smothered in toppings (like kimchee and sauerkraut) pickled by a friend.
When the sun starts setting and most of the bazaar has cleared, you can find the trio behind Homeslice Pizza serving up wood-fired pies in an oven out in front of Ridley Road Market Bar in Dalston. Lovingly known as the closest thing to a thin crust Italian-style in London, Homeslice makes pies that are also on par with Brooklyn’s renowned pizza joint Roberta’s. The revolving menu includes everything from a classic margherita to an aubergine, spring onion and siracha pie—each best enjoyed with one of the bar’s ultra fresh ginger beer mojitos.
See more photos of these five food havens in the slideshow below. Images by Andrea Dicenzo.
Local design blog editor Cassandra Pizzey shares five must-see places
After a five-year stint studying in the picturesque Holland town of Leiden, Cassandra Pizzey moved to Amsterdam, where she interned and was subsequently hired on as an editor for Design.nl. Working as a freelancer has allowed her to explore by bike during her more than two years in the bustling hub of culture and design. “If you can look through the mass of tourists and make the city yours,” says Pizzey, “it really is an amazing place to live thanks to impressive architecture, a rich cultural program and great shopping—and don’t forget the fearless Amsterdammers themselves.” Here, Pizzey shares a handful of her favorite local spots.
This pizzeria promotes itself with the slogan “Pizza and Prosecco”, and what could be better? It’s the best pizza I’ve had in the Netherlands with gourmet toppings and fresh greens.
This photography museum is one of the hippest in town and is tucked away on the beautiful Keizersgracht canal. They always have great exhibitions featuring some of the biggest names in photography alongside young talent.
For club nights and concerts, the former printing warehouse Trouw is my favorite. Great line-ups, an industrial feel and Fritz Kola always manages to make the night special. If you don’t fancy partying to the early morning you can always grab a bite to eat in the restaurant.
It’s a great 1920s cinema where they play art-house films and the occasional blockbuster. There’s no popcorn, but the period interior is to die for—and less grand than Tuschinski.
When the sun is out during Fashion Week, the Westergasterrein is the place to be. It has a couple of bars and “green” eateries that are always packed. For those not into waiting in line, bring a picnic hamper and a blanket and sit yourself down in the huge field—you might even catch a concert.
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