Polentina, London E3_ ‘Totally illogical, however altogether good’ – restaurant evaluation

Three minutes after strolling into Polentina in east London, I messaged the one who had tipped me off about it, asking: “The place the hell am I?” I had muttered a number of a lot saltier issues whereas I used to be wandering round an industrial property in Tower Hamlets, down dusty tracks and weaving my manner by way of overflowing bins whereas searching for this restaurant, which isn’t fairly a restaurant, however somewhat a canteen in a manufacturing facility, the place the meals is, I’d been advised, astonishingly good.

Polentina is the work of Sophia Massarella, a photographer and a forensically passionate fan of Italian meals, though it’s clearly the cooking facet that has taken over of late. Massarella, a Canadian, began a enterprise throughout lockdown to recreate the polenta, pasta and salad dishes so cherished by the Italian facet of her household. Her subsequent, completely illogical step was to tackle this small house within the employees canteen of the sustainable trend manufacturing facility ApparelTasker, although, in a world the place hire, charges and meals and staffing prices thwart a lot creativity in cooking, nothing is remotely logical any extra. Anybody with sufficient funding can serve gold-leafed slop in Mayfair, nevertheless it requires real guts and fervour to tackle just a few tables in Bow that look out on a load of stitching machines.

‘Wonderful’: Polentina’s spaghetti with aglio, olio, peperoncino and bottarga.

On the day I went for lunch, one dish on the blackboard menu learn: “Pomodori col riso, £13”. Massarella had stuffed large, fats Sorrento tomatoes – the kind of lush, pink fruit we Brits spot on our holidays, eat avidly and declare: “Now that is what a tomato ought to style like.” Right here, it had been hollowed out, stuffed brimful with herby, tomatoey carnaroli rice, then baked till the candy flesh was yielding, but by some means nonetheless supportive of its innards. I inhaled this tomato whereas stating to Charles the umpteen methods this “easy” dish could be ruined by a much less ready prepare dinner (ie, me). How was the rice al dente, although it had soaked up a lot flavour? How did the tomato’s pores and skin assist the load of the stuffing, whereas being so pleasingly squishy? And was this facet of fried potatoes for sharing, as a result of, sadly, I had eaten all of them? The opposite foremost course on provide that day was a bowl of fantastic recent spaghetti aglio, olio, peperoncino and bottarga – a tangle of pasta, garlic, fish roe and a touch of chilli completed with good olive oil for £15.

The meals at Polentina is great, however I can’t say that the whole lot else about consuming right here isn’t somewhat peculiar, as a result of it completely is. Lunch was served at 1pm on the dot, and the manufacturing facility employees ate similtaneously the random diners, who simply have to slot in round them and be respectful of the truth that that is their house. In case you can’t do this, I recommend you keep away – and never simply from Polentina, both, however from all hospitality venues. Have a ready-meal and maintain your poor manners within the one room as a substitute.

‘Singing of summer season’: Polentina’s ricotta di pecora with braised beans.

In case you can share tables and be good, nonetheless, Polentina is a spot that performs on recollections of Italian nonna meals – stuffed issues, layered issues, offally issues – blended with a smattering of soups, dumplings and crepes in broth in a nod to the Austrian facet of Massarella’s household. I cherished a easy plate of fennel, pickled sharply, however with an excellent aniseedy kick, topped with some large, fats, delicate, inexperienced pitted olives collapsing clumsily over the veg, and all scattered with a touch of pecorino. My favorite dish was a big pile of long-stewed, fats bobby beans draped over excellent, recent ricotta, served barely heat, but nonetheless singing of summer season. There’s a spread of fantastic, if bizarre kombuchas, too (do strive the Matka Ferments’ dehydrated strawberry and candy cicely).

‘Pleasingly squishy’: Polentina’s pomodori col riso (Sorrento tomatoes filled with rice and herbs, served with a facet of fried potatoes).

As I ate my pickled fennel, one other diner – at a guess, a manufacturing facility employee – opened a plastic field and started devouring a selfmade egg-and-salad-cream Kingsmill sandwich and a Wagon Wheel. We’re a broad church. Massarella was cooking and serving alone this lunchtime, however at weekend dinners she has not too long ago been joined by Ollie Bass, previously of Quo Vadis and Periods Arts Membership, as a result of at evening the place caters to an even bigger crowd and presents an extended menu. No matter that, the open kitchen at present operates with solely two induction stoves and a bain-marie in an area extra suited to creating egg and chips. Although, I dare say, in Polentina’s arms, that, too, could be price travelling for. Desserts had been plump selfmade iced lemon cookies and little tubs of Puglian lemon ice-cream from La Grotta.

Polentina will get greater, slicker and extra well-known, for certain, however, just like the Intercourse Pistols’ first gig within the Widespread Room at St Martin’s School of Artwork, it’s good to expertise a brand new factor when it’s bizarre and unsettling, and on the similar time already altogether good.