Zapiecek, Polish Dumpling Restaurant

Dishes(left to right): A Pasta Soup, Steamed Pierogi topped with Chive, Fried Pierogi topped with Chive 
Drink: The drink is a summer special berries compote (bottom of the picture) 

Me enjoying a refreshing summer berries drink

A stuffed pancake baked on cast iron

This is a Polish Spelt pancake that was wrapped with sautéed mushrooms stuffing. I choose a tomato sauce to pair with this pancake. The pancake was warm and fluffly with a chewy texture that matched perfectly with the mushroom stuffing. This dish is rich in flavour and texture, and it gave me a cozy feeling as the warm, comforting food meander its way into my belly. (One thing to watch out is to not make any contact of the hot plate underneath!)

Pieczona Polska Golonka- Polish Roasted Pork Knuckle

The dish above 'Pieczona Polska Golonka' is a Polish style of roasted pork knuckle. The dish uses pig's front knuckle is cooked by slowly roasting in the oven, which apparently retains a lot of protein, iron and vitamins B. The method of slow roasting also helps the meat to remain tender and the skin to be soft. Underneath pork knuckle is pillow with roasted sauerkraut, which is type of fermented finely sliced cabbage that is found as a staple in Eastern European countries and Germanic cuisines. The main dish can be paired with bread and an apple salad. 

Pierogi in Polish, which translates to dumplings in English is the signature of this restaurant,Zapiecek. Pierogi can be found in East European origin. It is not just popular in Poland but also in Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Latvia, Lithuania etc. where they could be known as other local names.The picture on the very top of this blog post shows two types of savoury dumplings, one steamed and one fried. The pictures of pierogis shown above and below are sweet ones, as dessert. There are different types of stuffing for both the savoury and sweet dumplings and the choices are endless. The one shown on the picture below is with the stuffing of poppy seeds, which is very sweet and spiced with the taste of cinnamon to compliment the unique taste of poppy seeds. 

As a family, we tried quite a few of the savoury ones. I really liked the mushroom stuffing pierogis. My family prefer the friend pierogis over the steamed one because it adds a crunch to it, whilst I prefer the steam ones that resembles more like the texture of pasta. 

During my travel in Poland (Warsaw), as a family, we were looking for an authentic restaurant that is representative of the Polish cuisine. Having a younger sister that is fervor about food and with her fantastic google skills, we came to the conclusion that we must try 'Pierogi', which is Polish stuffed dumplings. In this foreign place, we were very confused as to where to find such food and being illiterate in Polish did not help. Luckily, we were approached by some very friendly locals, who recognised our distress and gave us a lot of advice about Warsaw and where to dine in very fluent English. The Polish we met highly recommended a restaurant called Zapiecek. We managed to find one in Stare Miasto, old town area of Warsaw and later we found out that this restaurant is a chained restaurant that is very popular with both locals and visitors. We were no exception. As a family, we were enchanted by its delicate and rich flavoured dishes, we needed to go back for more the next day because of the addicting taste. Not only were the food well made, the interior design and atmosphere also attracted us for seconds, Zapiecek possesses a homey feeling that allows the customers to feel right at home. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant for potential Warsaw visitors and get a taste of Polish flavour and hospitality.