Vezzo

I was at M's house chilling and he suggested we ordered pizza. I haven't really been blown away by pizza in a while but Vezzo's was AMAZING. The crust was so thin and crunchy and the sauce was super hearty and delicious. My favorite was the sausage, onions, and basil pizza. The saltiness of the sausage was perfect with the sweetness of the onions.

Vezzo

178 Lexington Avenue 

New York

NY 10016

Bravo Pizza

N lives really close to Bravo Pizza so this is our go to whenever we hang out at her house. The crust is always great and the pizza humongous. My two favorite flavors is the ricotta and spinach and ricotta with pepperoni.

Bravo Pizza

146 5th Avenue 

New York

NY 10011

The New York Slice

Just a delicious slice of pizza from a random deli :D

Don Antonio

W is usually not a big pizza fan but she saw an episode of "Diners, Drive-throughts, and Dives" about this crazy deep fried pizza from a place named Don Antonio in New York and wanted to try it out. I was a bit skeptical at first even though I usually love fatty indulgences but agreed to go with her. The pizza was delicious! It sounded so soggy and greasy at first but I was so pleasantly surprised. The crust was fluffy and extra crispy but not too greasy at all! The restaurant also has a great lunch menu where you can get smaller personal pizzas. We ordered the fried pizza and also a pizza with pistachio on top. Both were delicious! We also got the burrata but it was very dense and not creamy as you can see from the photo below. The arancini was also very good and I would recommend ordering that.

I was really glad that I tried this place out and would love to return when I have a pizza craving!

Don Antonio

309 W 50th St

New York

NY 10019

Marta

Danny Meyer (Gramercy Tavern, Shake Shack, etc) has opened up a new restaurant named Marta in the Martha Washington Hotel that is inspired by the rustic offerings of Roman pizzerie with super thin crust pizzas and other hearty dishes such as meatballs and beer brined chicken. I was initially attracted to the truffle shuffle white alba truffle pizza offered here that I saw on their instagram but I knew I had to come and try their other dishes too once I saw their full menu. I met A for a late lunch date on a Sunday and although we opted for a non-truffle pizza, I already know that I will be back soon because I had an absolutely lovely dining experience here! The space was airy with high ceilings and the service was impeccable.

The entire meal was delicious and I was already telling A that I would love to come back, but something happened at the end which really sealed the deal for me! We ordered an ice cream panino but it was taking quite long and we ended up canceling it, we were then greeted with a lovely surprise by the Manager (Joseph?) when he appeared with two complimentary tiramisus! This kind of service is what takes a dining experience to the next level. We didn't wait for our initial dessert for too long at all and this sweet gesture was highly appreciated!

FRITTO MISTO DE MARE - Skate, Shrimp, Seppia, Bianchetti, Caper Mayo
The batter was seasoned perfectly, light, and crunchy. The selection of seafood was also perfect and I really loved the jumbo shrimp and the tender and flakey bianchetti. I would definitely order this again! 

POLPETTINE DI CONIGLO - Rabbit Meatballs, Black Olives, Ricotta
Extremely well executed meatballs. The meatballs were rich and tender and the tomato sauce and ricotta went perfectly with it. I also really enjoyed the addition of the scallions which gave it a perfect crunch and freshness. I personally did not care too much for the olives but they also did not take away anything from the dish. 

Close up mmmm

FUNGHI PIZZA BIANCHE - Fontina, Hen of the Woods, Chanterelles, Red Onions, Thyme
The amount and variety of mushrooms was amazing and the crust was also perfectly crispy. The topping to crust ratio was ideal and I loved the addition of the onions. A drizzle of truffle oil would be divine but this was really good on itself with the earthiness of the mushrooms. 

Tiramisu
This was the complimentary tiramisu that was given to us since we cancelled our other dessert. I actually thought that this was some of the best tiramisu I've ever tasted! It did not have as strong a coffee flavor as most but I adored the creaminess of it. Heavenly! 

I would definitely recommend coming to Marta and I already told my friends that I want to return! The food was delicious and I had a great time here!

Marta 

29 E 29th Street

New York

NY 10016

Oolaa

I'm actually really surprised I don't go to Oolaa more. I've been for a friends birthday before and another time because I was waiting for a table at Yardbird, but apart from that, I've never had Oolaa on my list of safe go-to restaurants for some reason. After this though, that will definitely change! We just got back from a Macau pool party which was SUPER fun and needed some delicious food to fill our hungry bellies. Oolaa seemed like a great choice because it had a really extensive menu and lots of satisfying options. Our table was a tad small for all the things we ordered and service was a little slow at times but nothing too serious.

Hash Browns
I really liked how these hash browns looked but their shape made for an overabundance of the soft fluffy middle and I much prefer the crunchy outer layer. The hash browns were still really yummy with a soft fluffy core and crunchy exterior but I actually prefer Mcdonald's. Those are quite unbeatable really.

Muesli - Topped with Fresh Fruit, Served with Greek Yogurt, Skimmed Milk, and Honey
S got a big bowl of health muesli and we all teased her about it because we were on a mission to pig out. She didn't really enjoy it and I also thought that the ratio of muesli to yogurt and milk was very odd. They gave her a tiny amount of yogurt and milk and it resulted in this dry lump of muesli that was not very palatable. The fruit looked quite good though.

Oolaa Laa Pizza - Cajun Spiced Chicken, Spinach, Mushroom, with Sweet Chili and Sour Cream
Nom nom nom this pizza was quite delicious. I enjoyed the unique pairing of flavors and the crust was very decent. This actually reminded me of a pizza I use to get in high school from Pepperoni's in Stanley Market. The dollop of sour cream and sweet chili sauce really gives the pizza a nice kick and the chicken pieces were the perfect bite size.

Linguine alle Vongole - Fresh Clams, Scorched Tomatoes, Saffron, in a White Wine Garlic Sauce
I only had a small bite of this but it was quite good. A little bit salty and unlike the usual vongole which is more delicate in flavor but still a solid pasta dish. It was also a little more oily than usual but the pasta was cooked well and the clams were plump.

Linguine Carbonara - Crispy Pancetta, Shallots, Garlic, and Parmesan, tossed with Organic Egg Yolk
Eeeeeee carbonara is my ultimate fatty indulgences (well one of a few). I just looooove creamy pastas and that added with bacon is just to die for. Now I know that this is not prepared the traditional way with no cream but this was oh so good. The pasta was super creamy and decadent and the amount of bacon was generous. It would be even better if the bacon was crispier and there was more black pepper! This really hit the spot.

Oolaa serves a wide selection of solid food and I will definitely be back again. The atmosphere is bright and airy and the location is also very convenient. 

Oolaa

G/F

CentreStage

Bridges Street

Soho

Hong Kong

Piccola Italia Da Luigi

After some old posts, let's go back to Phnom Penh! I was a bit skeptical when I was told that the pizza was Luigi's was amazing but it really really is! The crust is so thin and crunchy and the toppings were also delicious and generous. The one tiny tiny complain was the middle got a little soggy but it was really not an issue at all. Only if I wanted to be super picky and I think this also had to do with the fact that mine was a pesto pizza and they were quite generous with that delicious sauce. The pizza was SO good, and not just for Cambodia standards, for any standard! I have only been once but I am already yearning to return. I got the pesto pizza and added italian sausage. My friends got the pizza with the fried eggplant and that was also super good! A medium pizza (which I ate for lunch, then dinner, and had some for breakfast also) costs around $7! I've also heard that their antipasto is really good so I will definitely try that next time! The next pizza that I have my eye on is one with cream sauce, bacon, and onions (oink oink).

Piccola Italia Da Luigi

Street 308

Phnom Penh

Cambodia

UPDATE: I went to Luigi's again and was disappointed to find that the crust was much softer than before. It was much more "typical asian pizza crust" if you know what I mean. It was definitely not baked enough and lacked that great crunch and lightness that I experienced the first time. I talked to my colleague and he said that he also noticed the lack of consistency at Luigi's. The toppings and service was still very good and this wouldn't make me cross off Luigi's from my list, but it is slightly disappointing!