A pizza the action

• Source: Global Times
• [10:00 July 22 2010]
• Comments

Parma delight. Photo: Courtesy of Pizza Express

By Shen Sijia

The closure of the California Kitchen in the Shanghai Center may have been a blow for the city's diehard pizza fans, but was perhaps not all that surprising. Guesses as to why the restaurant failed were as numerous as their famous toppings, but most agreed that charging 120 yuan ($18) for a standard pizza was high up on the list. Although some insist (perhaps tongue-in-cheek) that the building's questionable feng shui was also a contributing factor.

But the architectural auspiciousness, or otherwise, of the site evidently hasn't deterred another pizza chain from trying its luck there. The UK-based Pizza Express has already enjoyed four years of heady success raking in the tourist-shilling at Xintiandi. And from this week they will be hoping to attract similar numbers to the Shanghai Center. For its China operations, the company trades under the name Pizza Marzano, to avoid confusion with a homegrown pizza chain which also uses the word Express.

The decoration of this, their second Shanghai restaurant, gives a clean and relaxing feel. The open kitchen is on the left hand side of the entrance where you can see fresh ingredients laid out on the shelves and worktops. But the biggest difference to its previous incarnation is an extensive balcony for open air dining.

"We import our furniture directly from Italy," said Pizza Marzano general manager Adrien Ellul. "And all the lights and fittings are made in Britain. We use only the best quality furnishings to ensure an intimate and stylish dining experience."

This attention to details stretches to the waitstaff who all speak excellent English (although greeting Chinese customers in English is a little disorientating).

The menu is the same as that in Xintiandi, including more than 30 crisp, hand-tossed pizzas cooked to order in a custom-made oven from Europe.

Ellul also told the Global Times that the restaurant's signature tomato sauce is made from San Marzano tomatoes grown in Italy and used exclusively at Pizza Marzano restaurants across the globe.

For an entree, the Nostrana is highly recommended for its moist texture and subtle seasoning. Combining chicken, avocado, potatoes, green beans, grilled peppers, egg, and mixed leaves, the signature dressing makes this salad very appetizing. The Nostrana is served in a large portion and is sufficient for two to share (98 yuan).

For a simpler starter, the wild mushroom soup at 33 yuan has a creamy texture, enhanced by the imaginative use of white truffle oil. It is served with three small buns.

When it comes to the Peking Duck Pizza and the Gong Pao Chicken Pizza, however, the management would probably be better sticking with what they know best. Go for the classic Amatriciana and Margherita - as good as anything you'll get in Europe. All of the pizzas range from 70 yuan to 98 yuan.

Add: Shanghai Center, Suite 107, 1376 Nanjing Road West

Tel: 6289-8733

Opening hours: 11 am to 11 pm

Add: Xintiandi, 380 Huangpi Road South

Tel: 5383-9999

Opening hours: 11:30 am to 11 pm