Review: Langoserie Benwell

6 Condercum Road, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE4 9JH/Contact: 07462021033/Mains £3-£5, Desserts £1-£3

My first Langos experience was three years ago during my last trip to Budapest. A winning combination of fried dough, cheese and onion-- an undeniable perfect yet simple match worth worldwide culinary recognition. Though comparable to garlic bread or funnel cake when described to those unfamiliar, there's nothing quite like it. When I found out something similar was available in Newcastle, I had to try one!

Langoserie Benwell, situated in Old Benwell near Elswick, is the only restaurant in the Northeast specializing in the Romanian version of this classic treat: the langosi. There is a lot of culinary overlap in Eastern Europe-other examples included sweet rolled breads, stuffed pockets of dough and cabbage rolls. The Benwell shop's version offers multiple topping options and is the size of a good-sized personal pizza.

The shop offers numerous toppings including sour cream, garlic sour cream, vanilla with powdered sugar, Nutella, cheddar cheese and traditional cheese. The traditional cheese is made from a Romanian recipe and does not melt. It has a delicious sharp flavour that is very different from British cheeses (think Greek feta). The tanginess from the cheese complements the garlic and then the subtle notes of sweetness from the dough completes a full journey of flavour paradise. If you can't decide between two kinds of cheesy goodness, the shop offers half-and-half as well!

I had one half-and-half langosi with garlic sour cream, and both cheeses were very good. The worlds-in-tension construct of the gooey cheddar and the flakes of traditional cheese embodied my two favourite cheese experiences at once: melted creamy goodness and fresh raw cheese from the bag. The garlic cream was spread evenly over the whole thing and there was more than enough cheese on top. I also liked that the dough was cooked perfectly; crunchy from the outside and fluffy from the inside. While I'm not often in Benwell, I would definitely go back here. (The best way to get there is on Bus 30 or 31 to Adelaide Terrace.)

Langoserie Benwell, despite being small, offers a lot more as well. They offer an impressive array of pastries and desserts, as well as tea and coffee. (I did not try any of these other dishes so can't speak to their quality, but the donuts look good.) If you are looking for a new local cafe experience, I recommend this place wholeheartedly.