Mąka i Woda
Food has been at the heart of our lives ever since we were born. From the functional eaters to the weight watchers to the indulgers food is at the core of everything we do. We break many times to eat food so that we nourish, enjoy, reward, fuel, comfort and sometimes avoid any feelings. Many different reasons fuel our desire to eat. As with everything else the way we consume food has evolved and from being eaten at home with family we have moved it outside to a cafe with our gadgets in tow. Less communication, more chow chow.
The urban food scene is all about grabbing that Matcha latte or one of those cold drips with a good breakfast preferably in your neighbourhood in your fancy athleisure, deliverooing your lunch to office and perhaps grabbing a cocktail and a dinner at a new buzzing place with your friends or special someone. Pre-lockdown I embarked on a trip to Warsaw and I was besotted by the urban vibes and the fun and inventive food scene, especially on the vegan side. Sometimes even finding that vegan options were better than their non-vegan counterparts. Amongst the many beautiful places I tried I have to have to mention Mąka i Woda (pronounced Mawka Eee Woda) translating to mean Flour and Water. True to their name flour is the base of their food menu specialising in pizzas and pasta. They have the most amazing pizzas with the thinnest of crusts with the mostest of flavour and freshness. This truly is gourmet quality served up with a casual vibe.
Before I get into talking about Mąka i Woda, I wanna say that the experience of eating is so much more than just food. It is about the setting, staff, vibe, service, love and the taste. I’m going a bit off tangent here but in my past travels I always find I remember a place not just because of its food but also because of its service. I have had few experiences where I have loved the food but because I was made to feel lesser by the way the staff served us perhaps because I didn’t fit in their usual flashy fashionable clientele the food tasted a little less tasty. But of course Mąka i Woda is far from that. They are young, hip, busy and always overbooked. On my first ever visit there they accommodated us in a side kitchen just so that we could eat there. I mean that is something to be said for hospitality. There is also no judgement just a lot of good, fast and consistent service.
My first visit to this pizza heaven was a weekend late lunch, where we were made to sit in their side kitchen just because it was so full. It was probably as close to sitting in a private room of a restaurant that I got to be and it felt like a safe haven in an otherwise bustling place. If you closed the door it was quiet and if you opened it was like there was a whole world of people to see and know. We ordered the Diavola pizza consisting of mozzarella di bufala, basil, chilli, parmesan and the greatest ingredient of all salami picante. We also added the Porco, a mouth-watering and juicy slice made up of mozzarella di bufala, datterino tomatoes, speck, rucola, parmesan and olives. I had stopped craving pizzas a long time ago after years of sustained Dominos / Pizza Hut overdose but when I went to Mąka i Woda I craved a pizza every week and I still do now that I'm back in Dubai. To be fair to Dubai I haven’t even looked because as I returned the corona furore increased and I haven’t ventured to find new places or places outside of my delivery radius.
For drinks we ordered Limoncello and a Browar Lancut ( a lager) they were both on par as drinks are considered but the Limoncello was a true winner as it was so refreshing. Moving on to the most important course - the desert course - we ordered a Budino, Panna Cotta, both safe bets, and we gambled on the pistachio flan and boy was it the best gamble in a while. Budino is like a caramel mousse with milk chocolate and sea salt and some chocolate shavings served as a garnish. Pistachio flan is served up with goat's yoghurt ice cream and a cripsy caramelised biscuity thing. When you break open the flan out flows some goey pistachio sauce and it's the best surprise I have had in a dessert in a while. Panna Cotta is so-so served with some berry compote and grapes.
Obviously as this had turned to a weekly crush I did go back and try a few more things. I tried the Asparagi, a mix of mozarella di bufala, asparagus, culatello ( Google tells me that this is the best ham to try), eggs and pecorino romano. Boy oh boy it was exceptional and I would so love to eat it again and again. I also tried their natural ginger lemon tea perfect for the cold weather at the time.
I'm sat here in Dubai on a hot hot afternoon craving the watery delicious ingredients of a Mąka i Woda pizza and it looks like I'll be craving for a while. If you live in Dubai and know of a fabulous and authentic pizza place please please do let me know.
Until next kritical post. xoxo