The tastiest things we ate in 2022

I’m a sucker for everything on Tofu Vegan’s menu, but these are next-level knock-out. The sauce is a mouth-watering concoction of chilli, black vinegar, garlic and sichuan peppercorn, which work together to numb your tastebuds into a state of pure savoury bliss. I’d drink pints of it if that sort of thing was allowed. The wontons themselves are bouncy and plump, stuffed with water chestnuts, veg and tofu for a great bit of bite (there’s no soggy nonsense here). Chiara Wilkinson, chief features writer

Tofu Vegan, 105 Upper St, N1 1QN.

Musical mash-ups are abhorrent sonic anachronisms that belong to the early 2000s and should never be resurrected. But culinary mash-ups? Well, when you squidge together Scottish haggis with Canadian poutine (chips covered in gooey cheese and gravy), that’s something no one can object to. Super-savoury, ultra-comforting and filled with offal. Perfect. Eddy Frankel, art editor

Exale Brewing and Taproom, Unit 2C, Uplands Business Park, E17 5QJ

If you’re a fan of Pizza Express’s legendary dough balls, you’ll swoon over Alter’s feather-light vegan ‘pizza’. Delicate triangular puffs of dough are deep-fried, coated in tomato-flavoured dust and served with a garlicky ajo blanco dip for an airy, playful and utterly delicious reimagining of the Italian classic. It’s easy to see why Off Menu podcast host James Acaster has called it his favourite bread-based dish ever – it might just be mine, too. Alice Saville, contributing writer 

Alter, 22-26 Brunel Rd, W3 7XR.

The new(ish) incarnation of Dalston’s much-loved Turkish mainstay Mangal II serves up some seriously magic mushrooms. These almost impossibly delicate dumplings, which come swimming in a punchy bowl of broth, impressed even my fungi-phobic mate, who wolfed down the dainty pockets of roasted chanterelles and black trompettes. Like going for a non-scary late-night walk in the woods. Leonie Cooper, food & drink editor 

Mangal II, 4 Stoke Newington Rd, N16 7XN.

It’s been ages since I ate this. But I still remember how it felt in my mouth. The Nook is a funky small-plates joint (with a lovely wine list) in Highbury. Chef Lale Oztek-Pook’s locally famous hazelnut praline parfait comes swimming in miso butterscotch and sprinkled with crunchy cocoa nibs. It’s a shocking combination of textures and flavours, quite unlike anything I’ve ever eaten before. I’m not a dessert person at all, but I love this thing. Joe Mackertich, editor

The Nook, 220 St Paul’s Rd, N1 2LL.

How in carbs’ name have I managed to go 32 years without encountering the sheer genius that is double-bubble ravioli? It feels like such a simple idea: a single silky pasta pillow containing not one but two different fillings – each in separate compartments, waiting for an explosive reunion on the palate. The Pophams version is half roasted golden beetroot and half gorgonzola cream, served with wild rocket and poppy seeds, and it’s on the menu right now. Go get it. James Manning, travel editor 

Pophams, 19 Prebend St, N1 8PF.

Not all potatoes are created equal and Bubala Soho’s confit potato latkes with aleppo chilli are definitely up there with some of the best. While they’re quite petite, the crunch and hue of the golden bricks make them a must for anyone lucky enough to be dining at this veggie haven. Go for the ‘Bubala Knows Best’ set menu to try them alongside honey-soaked halloumi and chunky mushroom skewers. Ella Jinadu, SEO manager

Bubala Soho, 15 Poland St, W1F 8QE.

On a particularly scorching day this summer, my partner and I made the ridiculous decision to walk for two hours from our flat in Wood Green to Roti King in Euston. We got there, starving and sweaty, and were faced with an hour-long queue. To the rescue came Murger Han, an unassuming Chinese restaurant round the corner, which sort of feels like you’re eating in someone’s conservatory. Its biangbiang noodles, fat, juicy and smothered in braised pork, saved my life – and became my dish of the year. Grace Beard, deputy travel editor

Murger Han, 62 Eversholt St, NW1 1DA.

One of my favourite Korean restaurants in London, just behind Ridley Road Market, Babsang has some of the tastiest K-wings in town. Yangnyeom fried chicken – KFC drenched in a sweet-and-spicy red sauce – is a Korean classic. And they don’t mess around at Babsang, slapping the double-fried chicken, perfectly moist on the inside and uber-crisp on the outside, on to the plate smothered in the sticky gloop. Prepare for your hands and face to be covered in the lip-smacking stuff. India Lawrence, contributing writer

Babsang, 103b Dalston Lane, E8 1NH.

Meat substitutes are like elf bars: they’re all over London these days. But while most restaurants have successfully emulated the creatures of the land, few have mastered the underwater realms. Tofu Vegan, I applaud you. This Islington Chinese restaurant has created fragrant, spiced fish so delicious, so crispy, so addictive, that I simply had no choice but to order a second plate. Rose Johnstone, head of commercial content

Tofu Vegan, 105 Upper St, N1 1QN.

Known as ‘Little Eritrea’ to locals, Adulis is as close to authentic North East African food you’ll get this side of the Tropic of Cancer. The restaurant set up shop on Brixton Road in 1996 and put itself on the culinary map with its versatile injera – a spongy/sour flatbread – and honey wine list. It’s a veggie and vegan paradise with spicy chickpea dahl, spinach sautéed in olive oil and amazing linseed stew with onions, tomatoes, chilli and garlic. Jess Phillips, senior social media editor

Adulis, 44-46 Brixton Rd, SW9 6BT.