Angelina - Exquisite Italian-Japanese Cooking in East London

Name: Angelina

Where: 56 Dalston Lane, London E8 3AH, http://www.angelina.london/

Cost: £39 for 5-course tasting menu with an optional £35 Italian wine pairing, or £9 for the dish of the day with an optional £3 for a beer or glass of wine.

About: Few London restaurants have excited me as much as Italian-Japanese @Angelina.dalston - and glad to report that our experience there was nothing short of outstanding.

Owner and General Manager Joshua Owens-Baigler @joshuabaigler, a Japanophile at heart who lived in Umbria, trained at the River Café and cut his teeth with the Bistroteque Group,  Hix, and Bocca di Lupo. And this is where he met Roman Head Chef, Daniele Ceforo (former Café Murano and Enoteca Turi), now heading the kitchen at Angelina.

Joshua’s knowledge of Italian and Japanese ingredients is encyclopaedic, but better still is how he brings these two cuisines so beautifully together, nothing is forced or out of place, and every ingredient, be it moromi miso, extra virgin olive oil or fatty tuna, matters and complements his harmonious Italian-Japanese creations.

Angelina, a bright 40-cover restaurant, was designed by Jason's mother, an award winning interior designer and founder of Anna Owens Designs. Angelina is heavily inspired by Japanese minimalism and monochromatic aesthetic combined with high-quality Italian materials including a gorgeous Italian marble bar overlooking the open kitchen. 

We also loved the use of gorgeous green foliage scattered around the restaurant which brought freshness and warmth to the elegant decor.

What We Ate: We went for their 5-course tasting menu, a real steal at £39pp, opting for an additional cheese and miso course (£10 supplement).

The meal kicked off with a selection of 7 primi (small dishes), a mix of ‘Fritto Misto’ and ‘Crudo’ raw fish to share:

1. Deep-fried, Panko coated Taleggio cheese with pancetta and pickled cucumber served with tonkatsu sauce (made in-house):

2. Red snapper Carpaccio with truffle soy and furikaki seasoning:

3. Japanese Shishito peppers (akin to Padron Peppers) served ‘kushiage’ style (though no skewers), coated in Panko and deep fried - an Izakaya staple:

4. Vitelo Tonnato - a classic from Piedmont - thin slices of cooked veal in a rich tuna mayo - though at @angelina.dalston a katsuoboshi mayo (air dried bonito flakes used to make dashi stock) was used instead with great results:

5. Light as feather Cime di Rapa tempura:

6. Exquisite fatty toro (tuna belly sashimi) with moromi miso & extra virgin olive oil and crispy pancetta:

7. Sliced sourdough bread - top image in What We Ate section.

And then onto the pasta course - raviolo filled with soy marinated egg yolk, and served with oyster mushroom, baby yucca, nasturtium leaves and shavings of Perigord truffle in a light dashi of kombu and dried porcini - exquisite!

Secondo (main) was a delectable dish of red mullet and burnt soy butter served with Tema artichoke.

Cheese and miso platter included wakame (Japanese seaweed), aged tofu in moromi miso, and robiola piemonte cheese, Gorgonzola naturale, tastuno al Barolo, served with Sardinian Carasau bread (paper thin and crispy), and a glass of sweet Passito wine (Sagrentino Montefalco).

Dolci (dessert) of black sesame Castella cake, chocolate langues de chat, and an ultra-refreshing blood orange sorbet ended our meal in a high note.

If you don’t fancy a full-blown 5-course meal, the restaurant offers a daily changing plate (katsu curry on the day we were there) for £9, with the option of adding a glass of wine or beer for £3.

What We Drank: A fantastic Italian wine pairing for the 5-course tasting menu is available for £35. Though as we were there at lunchtime, we decided to play safe and had a glass of Zabibbo, Curatolo Arini 2018 from Sicily, a luscious, muscat-like wine with tropical fruit.

Likes: the toro with moromi miso and extra virgin olive oil was sensational, as was the red snapper carpaccio with truffle soy and furikake, and the deep fried taleggio! We loved the selection of Piemontese cheeses and aged tofu, I would recommend it for the £10 supplement. The optional £35 wine pairing is excellent value and features some unusual, niche Italian wines. We loved the Sicilian Zabbido wine (and grape), it was our first time trying it (similar to a Moscatel).

Dislikes: None.

Verdict: One of my favourite restaurants in London right now - there is so much to love about Angelina - harmonious, creative Italian-Japanese cooking with great quality ingredients, in a very beautiful setting and at £39, their 5-course tasting menu is also a real steal. I cannot wait to return! Very highly recommended.

#MadeinItaly Vs The Italian Sounding Phenomenon

I was recently at a dinner hosted by the Italian Chamber of Commerce and Chef Giorgio Locatelli to learn about the Italian Sounding Phenomenon. But more on that later.

Italy has a staggering 810-plus food products and wines recognized by the European Union as Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) or Protected Geographical Indication (IGP), making it one of the leading countries in the world for food and wine excellence. Think Pasta di Gragnano (IGP), Salame Toscano (DOP), Mozzarella di Bufala Campania (DOP), Amalfi Lemons (IGP) to name just a few, there are so many easily recognizable names even for us folks here in the UK, right?

But what if I told you that an estimated sixty billion euros are generated worldwide from sales of Italian-sounding products that have little if any connection at all with Italy? Welcome to the Italian Sounding Phenomenon!

In the UK, Italian products that are mainly affected by this include Parmigiano Reggiano, Prosciutto di Parma and olive oil. We all use Parmesan cheese in our everyday cooking but perhaps not many are aware that the real McCoy Parmigiano Reggiano is matured for at least 12 months and has “Parmigiano Reggiano” fire-branded on the rind. In addition to that, the name Parmigiano Reggiano and their DOP certification symbol should both be visible on the packaging. Having the words “Parmesan Cheese” on a label is not in itself an indication of authentic Italian Parmigiano Reggiano. So watch out.

DOP and IGP certification go far beyond the labeling and marketing of Italian food and wine, they are certificates of provenance and outstanding quality that we should understand and look out for.

Protected Designation of Origin (DOP) identifies food products and wines that are made in a specific geographical area by local producers using only local ingredients under a precise set of specifications.

In addition to Parmigiano Reggiano, other popular DOP labeled ingredients are Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Prosciutto di Parma. Their DOP certification attests to their quality and is a guarantee that these products could only have come from Campania and Parma respectively. So make sure to look out for their full Italian names and the red DOP logo on the packaging before making your purchase.

Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) refers to Italian food and wine linked to a particular region where they are made by local producers. The main difference between DOP and IGP labeled food and wine is that with IGP products, the ingredients used to make them need not to have come from that same geographical region. IGP labeling is very commonly seen in wines, though to obtain this classification, at least 85% of the grapes used for the production of these wines should come from the indicated geographical area.

A fine example of an IGP labeled food ingredient is Pasta di Gragnano IGP. Gragnano is home to the very best artisan pasta of Italy and I was lucky to visit it only a few years ago by invitation of the Italian Trade Agency and learn about San Marzano tomatoes, Mozzarella di Bufala Campana and Pasta di Gragnano, you can check this feature here: http://www.thelondonfoodie.co.uk/2015/01/a-foodie-pilgrimage-in-campania-italy.html.

Back in London, and in the very good hands of Chef Giorgio Locatelli, we were treated to a spread of authentic Italian DOP and IGP products. These included a selection of breads and grissini, olives and cured meats such as Salame Felino IGP, and Salame Toscano DOP studded with fennel seeds (which was rather special), and Prosciutto di Parma DOP.

Next up were steamed asparagus, quail egg and Parmigiano Reggiano DOP – the matured, umami-laden cheese brought great depth of flavour to a deceptively simple dish.

The following dish included two other DOP ingredients - Mozzarella di Bufala Campana DOP served over Caponata (a Sicilian aubergine stew with a number of other vegetables) with Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale DOP, which imparted a lingering sweetness and acidity, perfectly balanced.

The star of the dinner though was the Calamarata di Gragnano Pasta IGP with monkfish, candied Amalfi Coast Lemon IGP peel, samphire and capers. Locatelli tells us that you should always choose your sauce based on the shape of the pasta used.

This was my first time trying Calamarata, a tubular pasta very similar to the Neapolitan Paccheri but a tad shorter. I loved the sauce – a mix of small pieces of monkfish with candied Amalfi lemon peel and crunchy greens, indeed a great match to the Calamarata di Gragnano IGP.

Locatelli then served us Sicilian cannoli filled with almond cream made from Mandorle di Noto IGP (almonds of Noto), and Pistachio di Bronte DOP ice cream – a perfect ending to a highly accomplished Italian dinner.

As with Japanese, Italian food is a fine example of a cuisine that is deceptively simple but relies on high quality ingredients. It is all about the ingredients when it comes to Italian food, so using lower grade or Italian sounding ingredients to create authentic Italian dishes will just not do.

The Extraordinary Italian Taste is a campaign that aims to increase awareness of authentic Italian food produce and wines to non-Italian food professionals, writers and consumers. If you would like to learn more about this project, check their website at http://www.italchamind.eu/news_item/the-extraordinary-italian-taste/1/519/EN

Gourmio – Authentic Italian Ingredients and Recipes Delivered to Your Home

I love cooking at home and do it often, but when I am not recipe testing or cooking for the supper club or friends, I enjoy a good quality take-away. And that will invariably mean a choice between two of my favourite things right now – very cheesy Quatro Formaggi pizza with added extras of yes, even more cheese, or the mixed kebab special from my local Turkish – a super generous assortment of barbecued meats, rice and salad. Both bring me great joy.

But I must admit I rarely buy ready-made meals – I usually find them disappointing in both flavour and quality, mass produced and made to last, these more often than not contain all kinds of e-numbers and additives I prefer not to indulge in. 

I was recently approached by Gourmio for a sponsored review of their home-delivery service of Italian pre-made meals, and was just about to delete their email, when I took a peek at their site.

At first, Gourmio intrigued me – as a lover of Italian food (I lived in Genova to do my Erasmus and return to the country often) I was curious about their claim to bring authentic, regional Italian ingredients in pre-made meals to the UK. Their website is easy to navigate, with recipes divided by either category (starters and main dishes) or by their Italian regional provenance (Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and so forth). Every recipe featured on the site is well explained with great care taken to describe the ingredients used, their provenance and the historical background of each dish. I was impressed.

Gourmio was founded in 2016 by Marco Sargiani who is a real champion for Italian agricultural produce, his family has been making aceto balsamico in Modena for over 300 years! The idea of Gourmio came from a previous business concept Marco had of trading Italian DOP ingredients online (artisan products bearing a quality seal denoting Denominazione di Origine Protetta or PDO Protected Designation of Origin). Marco wanted to help small, artisan producers who often lacked the marketing and language skills to sell their products beyond their immediate region. But this idea needed a little tweaking.

In its new incarnation, Gourmio aims to offer not only some of the country’s best artisan DOP ingredients, but also presents them in recipe combinations so that authentic Italian dishes can be recreated at home with clear, easy to follow instructions. 

And it was so simple to get started - I selected the recipes I wanted to cook from their website, and Gourmio delivered the ingredients along with the recipe cards. The recipes are detailed on their site with step-by-step photos and sometimes a short Tastemade-style video, so I pretty much knew what I was getting. They state clearly what they will deliver and what you might need at home, these are usually cooking utensils like pots, pans and spoons.

As of today, there are 10 recipes available, 3 starters and 7 mains. It is not clear from their website when new dishes are added to the website, but I would guess seasonally. In my opinion, it would be helpful to know this as well as being able to see previous dishes, even if not currently available, they would give a better idea of what else we can buy and encourage us to return for more.

I ordered four different recipes to be confident in writing this review. I ordered them on a Monday pm, and was given a choice of delivery dates from Wednesday to Friday, so delivery can happen within a couple of days, and it is free for orders over £40. Dishes (for 2 people) are priced between £10 and £15.50 for both starter and main courses.

All ingredients come from Italy and are pre-cooked and vacuum-sealed. Pre-made sauces and meats display nutritional information and a full list of ingredients. I received my meals on Friday, the 28th July 2017 and the expiry date for these ingredients was 15th August 2017, so well over two weeks. This is excellent shelf life considering that there are no additives or e-numbers added.

Each recipe is delivered in its own individual box, containing a printed card with detailed, easy to follow instructions, and photos so that you know what your finished dish should look like. Recipe cards are also detailed with times, dietary notes (like contains eggs etc), provenance, difficulty level and the number of servings, which is usually 2 people per recipe. 

One of these recipes was Sicilian “Spelt Macaroni with Swordfish Ragu and Lemon Zest” (£15). 

This was an absurdly easy recipe to put together which took me just a few minutes – cook pasta in boiling salted water for 3 minutes, re-heat ragu sauce, drain pasta, add the sauce and Bob’s your uncle!

The only minor snag about this dish is that the recipe calls for parsley and lemon zest to be added though no lemon or parsley was listed as supplied or as needed to buy. Luckily we had both ingredients in the fridge to finish off the dish. 


I loved this Sicilian dish – the pasta was al dente and had a beautiful, vibrant yellow colour from the spelt flour, the swordfish ragu sauce (one of the most ancient Sicilian recipes as explained on the card) was rich and perfectly seasoned and most importantly, it tasted fresh! I could not detect even a hint of the out-of-a-jar type of flavours one gets from ready-made sauces.

Another excellent dish was Umbrian Pancia di Vitello or “roasted belly of veal with wild fennel and a side of sautéed potatoes and courgettes” (£15.50).

I love belly meat, and veal’s is such a treat. The meat had been seasoned with dill and pre-cooked, it only took 10 minutes to re-heat in the oven, just the time I needed to chop and sauté the courgette and pre-steamed potatoes in a little olive oil and parsley (again not listed).

The recipe came with a white pork sauce, which I personally felt lacked in both seasoning and flavour and did not add much to the final dish. That aside, the meat was delicious and so tender, and the vegetables were a great accompaniment.

Our meal continued in Umbria with “Strips of spelt with cockerel sauce and Castelluccio lentils” (£10). Castellucio lentils are a delicacy of this region and I was super keen to try them.

The lentils were mixed into the cockerel sauce (cockerel is a young, less than a year old male chicken), this was a delectable tomato-based sauce with cockerel meat, paprika, onion and other ingredients which I gently re-heated. 

The Straccetti di Farro pasta, another traditional Umbrian specialty made with hulled wheat, was cooked for 2 minutes in salted boiling water, drained and added to the cockerel and lentil sauce. The pasta had a light nutty flavour and firm texture, and the sauce tasted fresh but intensely flavoured. I loved the addition of Castellucio lentils - they brought another layer of texture and great flavour to the final dish. A fantastic little starter that did not take me 10 minutes to prepare!

Though equally good, the ‘Octopus cooked Elba style” (£10) from Elba Isle in Tuscany, was a bit more problematic – the images on the recipe card do not relate to this dish and no information is given on what to do with the octopus sauce.

As the chunky pieces of octopus were heated in their juices with the pre-steamed potatoes for about 10 minutes, I re-heated the sauce in a separate pan. 

The sauce was again fresh and well seasoned, and worked a treat with the tender octopus and the serving of steamed potatoes, we thoroughly enjoyed this Tuscan dish.

I was genuinely impressed by the quality of the ingredients and the opportunity to learn about Gourmio’s dishes, their provenance and historical background. For a new start-up, Gourmio still has a few teething issues to put right, and despite the minor snags with the recipe cards, I would fully recommend their delivery service

I love the concept of Gourmio, the quality of the ingredients they offer and their genuine passion to introduce to the UK some of the best regional ingredients and dishes of Italy, but most importantly - their food is pretty tasty too! 

To find out more about Gourmio’s dishes and try them for yourself, visit their website here and place your order!

Disclaimer – this was a sponsored feature by Gourmio. The London Foodie has however maintained full editorial control over its content as always.

San Pellegrino's 'Live in Italian' Dinners by Four of London's Best Chefs at Harvey Nichols

This summer from the 10th July to the 7th August 2016, San Pellegrino will be hosting four dinners themed ‘Live in Italian’ at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor, which will be transformed into an Italian alfresco terrace for the occasions.

Resident ‘Live in Italian’ chefs Ollie Dabbous of Dabbous, Theo Randall of Theo Randall, James Lowe of Lyles and Alyn Williams of The Westbury will each host every Tuesday of the takeover. The chefs will create a 4-course menu with Italian influence, accompanied by S.Pellegrino and Italian wines.

Tickets for the S. Pellegrino ‘Live in Italian’ dinners cost £40 (plus £2 booking fee) per person and can be purchased online at https://billetto.co.uk/en/events/spellegrino-presents-live-in-italian. This is the line up:

12th July, 7pm: Ollie Dabbous (7pm)

This is the one I signed up to, so do say hello if you come to this! 

Ollie Dabbous: The founder of Fitzrovia’s celebrated Dabbous, Ollie Dabbous, will bring his innovative take on modern European cuisine and unique style to the S.Pellegrino ‘Live in Italian’ Terrace on the 12th July at Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor. 

19th July, 7pm: Theo Randall

Theo Randall: Naming Italy ‘his favourite place to eat in the world,’ and renowned for his simple, rustic, Italian cuisine, Theo Randall will bring his relaxed approach to fine dining to the occasion.

26th July, 7pm: James Lowe

James Lowe: On Tuesday 26th July Lyles’ James Lowe will bring his focus on quality ingredients, charming service and love for entertaining to Harvey Nichols to remind guests what Italian dining is all about – an innovative menu worth crossing London for. 

2nd August, 7pm: Alyn Williams

Alyn Williams: Alyn Williams will bring his Michelin star and progressive, sophisticated cooking style to Harvey Nichols serving a brilliantly accomplished, playful menu.

Outside of these times, the S. Pellegrino ‘Live in Italian’ Terrace on the Harvey Nichols Fifth Floor will be open for lunch every day from the 10th July to the 7th August 2016, the menu will be curated by the Italian Supper Club.

For more information and to purchase tickets visit - https://billetto.co.uk/en/events/spellegrino-presents-live-in-italian