Culinary Hackney

Where: "Tina we Salute You Cafe"

What: Latte, small glass

How much: £2

More: No doubt the best Latte in London, in a dodgy corner of Dalston. It is of the same quality you find in Melbourne and Tel Aviv, both Latte capitals. I could speak critically of the ironic decor and the designer chairs, and pay lip service to the sturggle against gentrification, but when it's class struggle or good coffee, I take the second.

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Where: Shacklewell Lane, under the plastic cover of the vegetable stall of Penikulum Turkish supermarket, hiding from the rain

What: Kofta (we call it Kubbeh back home): Bulgar wheat dumpling filled with meat and vegetables

How much: £1

More: You don't often see these Kubbeh dumplings in London. This version was different from Arab Kubbeh that I know which are made of meat, pine nuts and onion. The Turkish version was moistier, more oily, more chopped vegetables than meat, and too few pine nuts. But the bulgar crust was perfect: the right texture, between crunchy and moist. Recommended, unless you're vegeterian.