Restaurant Assessment: Pizza ranks excessive among the many hottest consolation meals. The comfortable chewiness of the bottom, the tanginess of the sauce, the unbeatable satisfaction of stringy cheese… even earlier than toppings come into play, pizza looks like it could make us neglect our worries with its yumminess. Eating places all over the world are innovating to provide their very own twist to this Italian delight. Indian institutions aren’t shying away from the pattern. Relatively, they’re whole-heartedly embracing the chance to serve up a unique sort of deal with to its pizza-loving patrons. We not too long ago tasted such an providing in Mumbai and we have been left craving extra.
Picture Credit score: Stage 1 Pizza
Stage 1 Pizza is a devoted house above Joshi Home in Bandra specialising in a singular pizza-and-wine expertise. Whereas Joshi Home (backed by restaurateur Suren Joshi) affords Indian and Italian delicacies, Stage 1 has a separate meals menu. It options 12 connoisseur pizzas with a sourdough base (equal choices for vegetarians and non-vegetarians). These are handcrafted and baked within the wood-fired oven seen as you make your approach to the primary storey. What elevates the expertise is the prospect to pair your pizzas with some unbelievable wines from across the globe. Stage 1 has the identical in depth wine listing as Joshi Home and you have to take full benefit of it.
Picture Credit score: Stage 1 Pizza
Throughout our meal, we additionally tasted their Sangrias, which have been gentle and refreshing accompaniments to all our pizza selections. There are some fascinating wine-based cocktails on the menu too. We propose asking for the employees’s professional suggestions relying on the pizza you are having. We tried and liked the Cilantro Martini (we have been pushed by curiosity) – though it did not pair effectively with our chosen toppings. Questioning which pizzas we suggest right here? Discover out beneath.
Picture Credit score: Stage 1 Pizza
We determined to start with a basic – and a private favorite – Margherita. Right here, there might be no unique trappings or toppings to cover behind. Our pizza arrived with massive basil leaves and a thick crust we could not wait to dig into. It didn’t look completely picture-perfect, however that is what made us extra curious. The aroma instructed us that this was one thing that required increased concerns. We separated our particular person slices and took a chew. Our verdict? At Stage 1 pizza, pomodoro sauce, basil and mozzarella spell magic. Their Margherita is well top-of-the-line we have had in current instances. The sauce was tangy, however not sharply bitter or candy. It allowed the flavours of the basil and mozzarella to shine by way of in concord.
Subsequent on our radar was a non-vegetarian delicacy: Spicy Rooster Diavola. Tender items of grilled hen, purple peppers and truffle picante salsa graced this delight. The warmth was balanced with stringy mozzarella. We loved the peppery style and the beneficiant quantity of hen (which by no means got here throughout as overloaded both). The fragile hints of truffle elevated the dish from a very good grilled hen pizza to a tasty connoisseur deal with.
Picture Credit score: Stage 1 Pizza
Pineapple on pizza has its supporters and detractors. Should you’re within the former camp, you do not wish to miss out on Stage 1’s BBQ Rooster & Pineapple Pizza. The juiciness and smokiness of the charred pineapple have been an immediate hit. The jalapeno and mango habanero mayo did a very good job of balancing the sweetness of the fruit in addition to the BBQ sauce.
The toppings have been extremely well-balanced, but it surely was the sourdough base that made this meal stand out. Coming from a household of bread lovers, I perceive effectively the straightforward pleasure of chewing on well-made bread. Behind this facade, in fact, lies laborious work and years of expertise. The delicious sourdough pizza base at Stage 1 is actually a testomony to Chef Richard D’Souza’s culinary skills. We won’t wait to return and savour it once more.
The place: 602, Ambedkar Highway, Pali Naka, Pali Hill, Bandra West, Mumbai
