Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pizza. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 25, 2017

pizza/fusion: i recommend MILANO PIZZERIA


MILANO PIZZERIA
No. 55 SiPing St, 2F
四平街55號2樓

MRT: Songjiang/Nanjing (2 minute walk) 


hours: 11:30-2:30PM; 5:30PM- 10PM. Closed Tuesdays

$$$ (about NT$700/person+)

kid friendliness: hawaiian and cheese pizzas available, and lots of dessert pizzas. 2nd floor restaurant.

visit reviewed: 4/24/2017

must orders: burrata pizza, fig pizza


FOR MONTHS, my friend and her husband had been telling me about this hidden pizza place they've been wanting me to try. "It's never crowded and I want you to post about it because I don't want it to go out of business," he said. "E loves it so much, he once ate there for five days in a row," she said. And today was the day, I finally got my mouth on this fig and mascarpone cheese pizza I had seen on her instagram weeks earlier. 

First thing you should know is that this is the entrance, next to a noodle shop in a lane that sits in front of the SiPing traditional market. No hipster neon lettering signage declaring "Keep Calm and Eat Pizza" in bright pink, no giant pizza logo. I had to double check the address on google maps twice before remembering that it was on the second floor. Walking a little closer, I spotted a red sign above the doorway.



Once upstairs, opening the door reveals a open kitchen decked with a wooden long bar, bookended by two pizza ovens. There's lots of window light, but muddled by sheer curtains and drapes, while the tables are decked with white tablecloths and emerald green runners. 





The menu was a bit overwhelming as a first timer, with over 18 pages to flip through. The beginning of menu were suggested set menus, then side orders, salads, appetizers, then meat pizzas, seafood pizza, calzones, vegetarian pizzas, meat dishes, and finally dessert pizzas. Even their salad options came with all sorts of topping choices- Europe Fresh Salad (NT$380) or with options blue cheese, duck confit, anchovies, italian cold cuts, smoked salmon or parma ham and fig. I couldn't even distract myself with their main dishes, I was here for pizza.

There are almost 50 pizzas to choose from, in 6 inch or 10 inch sizes. I knew I wanted the fig pizza for dessert, but there were SO many choices for the regular pizza. Duck breast and foie gras? Pig Knuckle? Crab and ikura? Scallop? Zucchini?  I wasn't sure what I was getting myself into.









Milano Pizzeria's dessert pizzas alone on the menu has over a dozen options, including mango, strawberry, mulberry, fig, dried lychee, peach, tiramisu, adzuki bean with matcha and nuts with raspberry jam.


I wanted to see what my friends' favorites were so I just ordered the caesar salad to start. (NT$380) It was lightly dressed, and came with a generous dusting of cheese over mixed greens, as well as some oven roasted tomatoes and olives. It was big enough to share between 2-3 people.


When my friends finally arrived, I let her do the ordering. She said she usually ordered the margherita with burrata (NT$740) and her hubby's favorite pizza was the fish and ikura- listed on the menu as flatfish pizza (NT$500). And we had to get the fig pizza (NT$480). Since there were only three of us, we got 6 inch pizzas instead of 10 inch, to share.


As soon as the first pizza arrived to the table with huge chunks of burrata cheese atop each slice, I knew this would make me happy.  I mean, who doesn't love burrata, the extra creamy cousin to buffalo mozzarella? The crust was pliable and not too thin and one person could probably finish a six inch by themselves. I LOVE BURRATAAAAA! 


The flatfish pizza was dotted with a few small orange pearls of ikura (fish roe) hidden under the cheese, and olives. I'm not a huge fan of engawa (the fatty part of the flatfish near the fin) even as sushi, since it's a bit too oily for me and has a specific chewy texture, though I have a lot of friends who love it. I tried one slice and didn't want another. (Sorry E!)

I could see the appeal of the pizza though-- I mean there's smoked salmon or clams on pizza, why not other types of seafood that work when baked or charred? Or have I lived in Taiwan too long that this type of menu no longer shocks me? There's also squid, cuttlefish, crab and roe or shrimp pizzas available here, for the more adventurous eaters. 


Last but not least, was the fig pizza. With a thick smear of sweetened mascarpone cheese, almost like a frosting, big slices of fresh figs and berries atop made this almost like a tart. But it was still a pizza, as there was mozzarella cheese atop the crust, though this pizza was served room temperature to cool, which made the crust not as tasty. But as I wondered aloud about where they got their figs, my friend said that Milano Pizzeria imported most of their ingredients, and that's why their prices were higher.  If the prices were a little lower, I would strongly recommend this place, but for now, it's a solid recommend. 



A thing of beauty.



Milano Pizzeria has been open for four years, but there was only another table or two eating while we were there during prime lunch time. Was its signless location near the SiPing traditional market too hidden, or was their menu too creative and pricey for most people? The average prices of the pizzas in the NT$400-800 range for 6 inches was definitely on the high side, but I could definitely see myself coming back for burrata and parma ham and the fig pizza when the craving hit. Would hard core pizza traditionalists say that these kinds of toppings aren't "real" pizzas? In the age of rainbow grilled cheese sandwiches and mac and cheese pizzas, I think it's hard to make that argument. 


WHAT's nearby Milano Pizzeria that I also recommend: Kura Sushi, Baba Kevin's Barbecue, My Zhao, Regent Taipei, Fika Fika Cafe, Joseph's Bistro (a little reminder to myself of places to blog!) 

Wednesday, December 23, 2015

pizza: i recommend BIG BOYZ PIZZA


BIG BOYZ PIZZA
No. 38, Lane 256, Nanjing E. Road, Sec. 3, Songshan District
南京東路三段256巷38號
(02) 2721-9797

MRT: Nanjing/Fuxing

website: Big Boyz Pizza's FB page

hours: 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM,5:30 – 8:30 PM; closed Mondays

$$ (NT$300-400 a person)

Kid friendliness: room for strollers. NY style as well as deep dish pizzas available. no high chairs spotted.

Visit reviewed: 12/3/2015




For some strange reason, two new deep dish pizza places opened in Taipei within the six past months. Either it was just a matter of time or the universe is telling us something- Taipei NEEDS deep dish pizza. After trying Love at First Bite a few weeks ago, a number of instagram readers suggested trying Big Boyz Pizza as well (in the alleys down the street from Breeze Center). 


So a few weeks ago, I headed to the three month old Big Boyz with a few friends who also hold Zachary's (from Oakland/Berkeley CA)as the benchmark standard for our deep dish pizza cravings. I was a bit surprised to see it completely empty, but it is only a few months old. (There's also an NCIS express down the street)
Big Boyz's Taiwanese chef trained at the Scuola Italiana Pizzaioli in SF, as demonstrated by the diplomas that hang on the wall.



The menu's focus is on pizza- deep dish and NY style pizza, with a few fried appetizers and drinks to add to the meal. No salads or desserts (which Love at First Bite has both, as well as some tasty ribs). But if you're there to enjoy the pizza, then you should save your stomach space for pizza! If you've never had deep dish pizza, it's like a stuffed pizza you eat with a knife and fork- the crust is taller like a pie and there's usually a mound of toppings underneath the cheese and sauce. Part of the reason I love Zachary's Pizza is the layer of crushed tomatoes atop so it feels a bit more fresh. Would love to see that in Taipei as an option!

 

Because we ordered the pizza when I made the reservation in advance (as suggested), the pizza was made already. So when we were about 20 minutes late in arriving and sitting down, the pizza was kept warm in the oven and a bit past its optimal state. I would have preferred the satisfaction of eating it hot out of the oven with stringy cheese. But the pizza was still tasty- the cornmeal crust was buttery and the toppings aplenty and flavorful. I got the recommended Pizza No. 1 with mozzarella, provolone, homemade italian mild sausage, bacon, pepperoni, mushroom, bell pepper and caramelized onions. The pizza was slightly smaller than I expected NT$799 for 8 inches, but still very filling for three people. 

Also on the menu for deep dish pizzas are the Chicago Classic (mushroom and pepperoni), Hot Summer (with chorizo, mushrooms, jalepenos, onions, olives), Bacon and Mushroom, and Veg Barrel (vegetarian).  Twelve inch pizzas are available for NT$1299-1499. NY Pizzas are available in 12 inch and 18 inch in NT$300+ and NT$560-790 range. There's more variation to the NY Pizzas with garlic shrimp or bbq chicken options along with the more traditional margherita and pepperoni toppings.



You can see the cheese has cooled off and is not stringy anymore. 






When you go to Big Boyz, I would recommend that you ask them to let them know when you want the pizza ready (right at your time of reservation, 20 minutes after, etc?) and not to precut it until it's served. Personally I would ask they bake the pizza to be ready 15-20 minutes after my res to let everyone settle in. They deliver to neighboring area, but they are closed Mondays. Between the two deep dish spots in Taipei (Big Boyz vs Love at First Bite), I would come to Big Boyz again to try the pizza hot as I liked their crust better and try their NY pizza, but if you have some people who want to eat other things then you're better off at Love at First Bite. Who would have ever thought that Taipei would have not just one, but two deep dish pizza places!

Monday, March 30, 2015

not taipei/rome: I strongly recommend BONCI PIZZARIUM



BONCI PIZZARIUM
Via della Meloria 43
Rome, Italy 00136
+39 06 3974 5416

#hungryinrome


Missing the great pizza and food I had in Italy! Just got back from a wonderful 10 day trip to Italy- my very first time so I devoured the eye opening sights and the drool worthy food.  I hope to share some of my favorite eats for future trips over the next few weeks, from Rome to Florence to Tuscany to Venice. 

I definitely recommend anyone visiting Rome to check out Bonci Pizzarium (near the Vatican). Choose your slice(s), pay by weight and they will cut and reheat the pizza in the oven. So many different kinds of super supreme toppings including romanesco (this year's kale?), arugula + cheese + sundried tomato, prosciutto and tricolored cabbages. Even tried the suppli, which was a bite size, deep fried nugget of spaghetti. 







Be sure to grab a ticket with a number by the door- they will call and serve numbers in order.



Ahhh! So hard to choose! Luckily we had four people to share, so we could try both veggie and carnivore delights. Love the creativity and variety of the toppings which was much more than cheese and pepperoni, but not as manufactured as bbq chicken or takoyaki pizzas.


Once I figured out they cut quite large slices, I would ask for smaller slices so I could try more "flavors." It ended up being about €4 a slice, and about €20 for a table full of slices for four people. They would also cut each slice into smaller strips upon request after heating it, then it was served on a wooden board you could hold if you didn't manage to grab a table or a bench.


Suppli con spaghetti 2.50. They also had suppli for lasagne and risotto! 


New pizzas are constantly being baked and brought out-- I spotted completely different types of cured meats and veggie toppings including potato, broccoli, spinach when I left from when I first came.


The crusts were thick, but airy and crunchy. I even bought a couple slices and sandwiched together to eat on the plane for dinner! Very happy I managed to find it after a morning tour of the Vatican and it was one of my favorite meals of my trip to Italy!! 


Craving pizza by the slice in Taipei? You can try Piazza, Pizza Denise or Square Pizza al Taglio... which one is your favorite?

Monday, January 05, 2015

snapshot/pizza: i still strongly recommend CHICAGO PIZZA FACTORY



Pizza isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think Taipei, but finding good pizza is pretty important to those of us who live here. Yesterday Taipei had such beautiful sunny weather that we had a picnic at DaAn park and my friend brought a couple of boxes of from Chicago Pizza Factory, which I haven't had in probably over a year (and last wrote about in 2009)  One slice of the combo pizza and it kickstarted my appreciation for their delicious pizza- the pliable chewy yet crispy crust, the plentiful toppings and the proportion of sauce to cheese to toppings to crust. Note to Chicago Pizza Factory fans, they are moving to a new location in March of this year-- hope they will let us know where.

Then I ended up making a collage of all the pizzas I instagrammed and ate and made a new tag (#taipeipizza)...


And I know I have lots more places I've yet to try. Where is your favorite pizza in Taipei? Check out all my past pizza reviews here!

PS. OMG! It's 2015! SO weird. I just looked at the date on blogger and thought it was wrong for a brief moment when it said 1/5/15.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

CLOSED! western/pizzas: i recommend LMNT (ELEMENT) EAT




closed a/o spring 2015 

LMNT (ELEMENT) EAT
at Neo 19
No. 28, Song Shou Rd.
粉絲團 台北市信義區松壽路28號
(02)2723-0068

MRT: XiangShan or Taipei 101 stations

website: LMNT Drink and Eat's FB Page

hours: 11AM- 2AM

$$

Kid friendliness: high chairs available, room for strollers. casual vibe during day

Visit reviewed: 6/12/2014



Neo 19, like the rest of Taipei's restaurant scene, has changed a lot since I first moved back to Taipei almost 10 years ago. Gone are Macaroni GrillJust In BistroDazzling Champagne Lounge BarWatami, Azabu Sabo (that's for you really old school readers), Jogoya buffet, Happy Hong Kong (sad face)-- Now currently replaced by Lighthouse Cafe, Warugaki Ramen, LMNT Drink and Eat, Nike's 2F, Very Thai, Hutong, Shanghai Tea House... So when I saw construction at LMNT Eat, my first thought was damn, I didn't get to write up my post from when I went last year in December and my second thought was another bites the dust. But I was wrong- LMNT was just getting a facelift and remodel. And luckily I was invited to the soft opening event for food bloggers to try out their new menu.

Inside, the front area is more lounge-y to transform from day to night and LMNT Eat can be sectioned off into two areas.


It was definitely more roomy and the tables had more breathing room between groups.


LMNT Eat's new menu is focused on their pizzas and pastas, but still has a selection of tempting appetizers and dishes that reflect a trendy fusion spirit that we saw on their previous menu. So instead of ramen burgers, there are now kimchi fried wontons, peanut butter pineapple burgers, or loco moco. I was happy to see they also kept their red velvet waffles and cake as desserts on their new menu, but bummed to see the huge gooey mac and cheese was gone.



Parma ham with melon and homemade figs (NT$280)


I liked the Kimchi Spam Fried Wontons (NT$280) and found them slightly addicting with the thin crispy wonton skin and the spicy sour filling inside. I didn't get spam in the first one, but I did in the second with chopped up pieces of kimchi cabbage.  There's also pulled pork nachos, chicken wings and fries with truffle sauce on the appetizer menu.


Grapefruit Summer (NT$180) Italian Soda was refreshing and fun. 


I really enjoyed the homemade squid ink spaghetti (NT$320)- the portion was huge, the al dente pasta was surprisingly flavorful for appearing to not have a lot of sauce and the squid was fresh and large enough to cut up and share. I couldn't finish this and took it home and it actually kept well the next day after reheating. I'd definitely order this again.




Always check yourself after eating squid ink pasta though! It's going to be messy.

We got a cool little packet from LMNT to make squid ink risotto at home. Still haven't had a chance to try it though...


The fun thing about going to blogger events is seeing some of the chefs that you usually can't spy on in the kitchen and seeing how they prepare their special dishes. LMNT had one chef prep a pizza from pizza dough scratch and their dessert chef make both desserts we were given to taste.




I liked the Truffle Mushroom Pizza (NT$300) too- the thin crust was not too crispy and the toppings were generous with four kinds of mushrooms- oyster, button, shiitake and porcino. You get a bit of the truffle aroma with the truffle oil and truffle bits, but at this price you aren't going to get shaved truffle atop (and you might not miss it).



And while you have to admire LMNT for being adventurous in trying to make UFO deep dish pizza with Hungarian beef (NT$320) or seafood fillings, it's more a pizza "bowl" than the Chicago style deep dish pizza that I'd love to see make its way to Taipei. I'd say stick to the regular pizzas as I didn't love the cheese atop or the doughier version of the pizza bowl crust.



As for the desserts, they let us sample lychee berry mousse (NT$220)...


and chestnut berry shell eclair (NT$250), I unfortunately am not personally a huge fan of mousse or chestnuts, so I can't say accurately how the desserts were. I would recommend the red velvet waffles or give the caramel banana shell eclair a try next time though.


All in all, LMNT Eat did a great job with their revamp- besides the dishes they highlighted during the event, I saw a number of things that I'd like to come back and try myself (vodka pasta, truffle mushroom risotto). There's also omelette and two egg options for all day breakfast or a weekend brunch menu available. Thanks to LMNT for inviting me to the event!

:)