9. Pizza East, Shoreditch - Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart

2012 was a pretty good year. We learnt things like, even at the age of 86, the Queen is the King of Standing and that it IS acceptable to fashion yourself a cape from a flag AND wear it in public (but only for 2 weeks every 4 years). 

And if the year had a flavour, it would be Salted Caramel. Which, conveniently, moves me smoothly on to the next dish...

I have mixed feelings about the trend. I've had some seriously good salted caramel ice cream from Brixton Market's Lab G, which makes me look forward to Oddono's, as The List suggests. But, Heston's salted caramel popcorn just tasted like toffee Butterkist and the Starbucks salted caramel latte I consumed almost immediately projectile un-consumed itself. 

However, according to Time Out, Pizza East (very cool, very Shoreditch) was on the salted caramel band-wagon when it was just a soloist wheelbarrow. So if anyone was going to convince me, they were, and I think I'm converted. It's all about the salt level - too much and you've got yourself a brine latte, but just right (like these guys), and the contrast is delicious.

Lovely thin, crispy pastry base, with gooey caramel and chocolate filling and the trendy sprinkle of salt. Be warned, it's jaw-achingly rich and fainter hearts (read: pansies) might want to share, but it's definitely worth a good go at it.