Pulia, Borough Market

I have a lot of love for Italy. Obviously it is a beautiful country, but it is the food that steals my heart. I have always dreamt of spending a summer there filled with cookery courses and a food tour from top to bottom.

I was recently invited to another great Zomato Meetup at Pulia on Stoney Street. I always look forward to these meetups as its an evening filled with lots of food (obviously) and great people who also share my love for all the food. It’s always good to catch up with friends and new faces.

On arrival I was introduced to Gorges and Sarah who run the restaurant, who throughout the evening were great hosts. Pulia derives its name and identity from the region of Puglia, so you’ll find typical Apulian products ranging from cheeses, focaccia, panzerotti and pizza rustica to different kinds of parmigiana and pastas.

Standing a stones throw away from the hustle and bustle of Borough Market Pulia is a lovely oasis of calm to enjoy good food. All the food is made by Apulian chefs and supplies are delivered weekly from local producers in the region. I think this is why the food is just so delicious – so much care has gone into sourcing every single aspect of the dishes.

After a lovely cold glass of Bombino, a lightly sparkling white wine and a good catch up with the lovely Connie from Connie Consumes we were seated down a long table to begin our enormous feast. The decor in here is light and airy, making it feel a little like you are in fact on holiday in Italy.

So where do I start on the the food… we were served dish after dish of such authentic and delicious food. It really was a feast!

We started with Taralli which is a common snack in the area and very similar in texture to a breadstick. These were served with a variety of fresh dips: aubergine, black olive, onion and raisin. The Taralli spiced with fennel seeds and black pepper were very moreish and in hindsight I definitely had a few too many in preparation for the rest of the food!

Next the heart of the burrata was served alongside focaccia barese with tomato. A regional variation of the traditional focaccia it simplicity was perfect for topping with the smooth and creamy burrata. Platters of burrata, nodini mozeralla (it is tied into a knot and slightly chewy) were served with tomatoes, olives and charcuterie. I felt like I was in Italy the food felt so fresh – the burrata is imported and is kept no longer than 3 days. Though I’m surprised if it ever lasts that long!

Boards of hot Crocche Di Patate (like croquettes), Rustico Pulia (mini puff pastries filled with spinach and ricotta) and Panzerotto Grande (mini calzone style pasties is how I would describe these) were brought to the table.

We were also given a semolina pasta making demonstration – it was made to look very easy! I had a go at making orecchiette which is typical of Apulia and its name comes from its shape, which resembles a small ear. Pulia often holds pasta making evenings: I really enjoyed this part of the night and definitely recommend checking one of these evenings out.

Obviously this meant there was a pasta eating round coming up… feeling extremely full by this point I thought, okay I must be polite and try a mouthful and then I’m done. Well, after one mouthful I was like, what I have to share this plate of delightfulness!? The Capunti pasta (shaped like open pea pod from Puglia and made from the highest quality durum wheat semolina) was served in such a simple tomato sauce and sprinkled with salty ricotta – it was heavenly.

I was ready to pop by this point but then the desserts came out. Oh well, went in Rome, right? The absolute highlight for me was the pasticciotto served with mandarin infused olive oil. It was incredible and you must order this.

What an evening of food. I’m glad I have discovered Pulia. Georges and his team are so passionate about what they do and that deifnitely comes across in the quality of the food. This is a lovely spot amid the craziness of Borough Market.

Thank you to Zomato for organising another wonderful evening with lots of lovely bloggers. If you don’t know Zomoto and love food as much as me then you need to know them! Zomato helps you to discover places to eat in over 22 countries. You can join a huge community of people who love food and leave reviews, add photos and follow fellow foodies. Go check it out!

Pulia
36a & 36b Stoney Street
London
SE1 9LB

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