10
Wharf Life Dec 13, 2023-Jan 10, 2024 wharf-life.com
£20
virtual viewpoint by Chris Ezekiel
assessing a sweet collaboration between Crosstown and Burger And Lobster
lies inside
Smartwatches: Time to write to Santa?
R
egular readers of my column may recall that I declared a while back that my smartwatch (combined with noise cancelling earbuds) was my favourite gadget. And so it remains. I cannot recommend it highly enough as a festive gift. On a typical weekend, assuming one of my toddlers hasn’t already awoken me, my watch gently vibrates to wake me up. Glancing at my watch it tells me how much sleep I’ve had and lets me know if any important messages have arrived overnight. It’s even monitored my heart rate and temperature while I slept. I put my running gear and headphones on, select some songs from the millions available to stream and am ready to go. My watch tracks my run, monitoring my heart rate in real-time and keeps a measure of my fitness level. I can receive a text message while I’m running which can be read out to me and which I can respond to by voice. If I get lost on my run (it has been known) my watch will help me find my way back. Having finished my run I make a call home to get the breakfast order and pay for it – all via this device. But it also does so much more. I can check realtime bus information to avoid waiting at the stop in the cold. I can even pay for the bus. Once on board, I can check emails and read the news. All the while, my watch is constantly monitoring my blood oxygen level and checking for heart rate irregularities. If I have a fall it will alert emergency services automatically unless I confirm that I’m fine. I can even take an ECG and send the results to a doctor. I don’t need to have my smartphone with me. It does all this and in such a diminutive package – that’s why it’s my favourite gadget. Truly a very, very useful bit of kit. Soon measuring blood pressure and even blood glucose will be added to the list of functions – both game changers. Then there’s the fact it tells the time. If you don’t already own one of these technological marvels, it’s time to write to Santa. Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Chris Ezekiel is founder and CEO of customer engagement solutions specialist Creative Virtual based at Canary Wharf’s Cabot Square Scan this code for more information about Creative Virtual or follow @creativevirtual and @chrisezekiel on X
Crosstown Doughnut Burger
Burger And Lobster, West India Quay, £20 ingredients l Crosstown’s Tongan Vanilla Bean Glaze Doughnut l l Smoked Crispy Bacon l l Blue Cheese l l Fried Red Onion l l Three Smashed Beef Patties l
by Jon Massey
S
ometimes a dish comes along that’s so outlandish it demands to be sampled. Presumably, there were really only two options when Burger And Lobster decided to team with Crosstown Doughnuts. The first would have seen the delicious sweet tail meat of the crustaceans stuffed into a deepfried treat. But no. The two brands (which can be found in Jubilee Place and on West India Quay locally), went another route. The Crosstown Doughnut Burger is a generous, if standard, trio of patties combined with the filling favourites of smoked bacon, blue cheese and red onion. But what insanity is this? Instead of a bun, they’ve been placed between a bisected Tongan Vanilla Bean Glaze Doughnut from Crosstown. The result is a towering structure that arrives pinned together to prevent the possibility of collapse. Once placed between the fingers however, it turns out this creation’s structural integrity is better than expected. While the slippery glaze takes a bit of getting used to, it’s certainly possible to sink one’s teeth into the beast with relative, albeit messy, ease. The taste is, surprisingly, a
triumph – vaguely redolent of American pancakes with bacon and maple syrup. And then comes the hit of blue cheese. If there’s one criticism to be made of this thing, it’s that there could have been more. Its tang perfectly meets the sweetness of the drippy glaze and the richness of the beef. Overlaid with the crisp smokiness of the bacon, it’s a combination that insists on being gobbled down with committed rapidity. It’s good value too – the special comes with fries and ranch dressing for £20 with the doughnut on its own retailing in stores for £5. What’s more, customers get a gift card granting them a free coffee with any doughnut ordered at Crosstown. Suffice to say, the gooey glaze and oozing liquids make this one to avoid on a first date – unless you’re looking to play the confidence-in-the-face-of-absurdity card. But it is a curiously compelling option for anyone looking for a decent feed. Somehow the sweet elements lift the whole affair, lending it a certain lightness on the stomach. Go to burgerandlobster.com Scan this code to find out more about Burger And Lobster
Cost of the crossover burger, fries and sauce