Spizza (East Coast)

Spizza has been my favourite pizza delivery since 2010 when I first discovered the little restaurant in Club Street. I have never dined in the restaurant, however, and when I spied this new look of Spizza in East Coast (it's right opposite Chin Mee Chin!) during lunch one day I had to give it a try (by the way the new logo looks gorgeous!)

We had 6 of us and ordered several items to share in the what-seem-new-menu together with the new look (I wonder if the rest of the outlets have all changed too?) Had the Franca, Quinta, Olivia and a gnocchi for sharing. The pizzas are still amazing as always, period. The gnocchi, which is a new idea as I have never seen it in the delivery menu was slightly salty but it was so addictive that we couldn't stop eating it. It's a perfect portion for sharing amongst friends/family (trust me, you do not want to eat this as your main as a lone ranger!) We also tried the new olive oil chocolate cake as recommended by the friendly restaurant manager. Unlike other chocolate cakes, this one is airy and light, making us feel less guilty in consuming it :P.

This may come as a surprise but my highlight for the meal (I knew the food is gonna be good so that's a hygiene factor) was the coffee. It came in a silver saucer with one white and one brown rough(!) sugar cube and a small almond biscuit. It was a cheap thrill for me seeing the presentation of the coffee. The others had to order one just to experience the small thrill I got.

It was a great (abeilt sinful) lunch but hey! One have to indulge in great food once in a while!

I was excited to try Spizza since I saw it at Balmoral Plaza the other day. However, I was slightly disappointed.

It wasn't that it was bad, but it wasn't as good as I expected.

The crust is thin but I prefer SkinnyPizza's rendition. One person can probably eat 3/4 of a pizza. 

The baked gnocchi carbonara did not look at all like what the menu represented. The pasta came drowning in a cream sauce and was nothing special, save for the metal mess tin it came in.

We ordered two pizzas. The Claudia was a tomato based pizza with plenty of vegetables and though it contained my favourite eggplant, the taste of the dough masked the earthiness of the vegetables and I would probably have enjoyed it more if the tomato sauce had a little more oomph to it. This pizza was a little flat; but it's hard to find good vegeterian pizzas.

The Quinta with its promise of truffle paste and an egg sounded like a foolproof choice but I found it way too salty! The egg yolk failed to ooze out nicely like I thought it would and instead turned out gummy and while the pizza had flavour, it wasn't refined and again, the dough was disappointing. The cheese was nice though.

The pannacotta is memorable though, a little sweetness to what would otherwise be a bitter review. I liked how it was the perfect balance of vanilla and was silky in texture. 

Would I return? Probably not anytime soon. The place was packed on a Saturday night and we were seated right underneath the aircon on bar stools so I didn't have an extremely good experience either. Oh well. 

For more photos, please visit Rubbish Eat Rubbish Grow.

Spizza opens its 4th outlet strategically at the East of Singapore. (The other three are in the North, West and Central.) A minimalist, modern decor of whitewashed bricks and full glass panels and light wood furniture. We thought the decor is a missed opportunity for Spizza: it could have built a bar counter in front of the open kitchen so that children could have fun, sit and watch the chefs work the wood-fired oven, stylishly gilded with copper.

Many key ingredients, such as tomatoes, artichockes, mushroom, parma ham, and extra-virgin olive oil, are imported from Italy. The 26 pizzas, baked in an wood-fired oven, available in medium (10-inch) and large (12-inch), are named after female names from A to Z, running across the gamut of alphabet. It would be fun if the pastas were named after male names. (OMG do I get $50 for suggesting this to Spizza as a reward for employee’s benefit?)

The antipasto (or appetizer) kicked off with chef’s creation, portobello al forno ($12), two portobello mushrooms topped and baked with Bolognese sauce and Taleggio cheese. By all logic, mushrooms, cheese and minced-meat-tomato sauce are awesome companions but in this case, the mushroom and the topping didn’t integrate well and tasted like two separate entities. The mushroom gave off liquid when cooked and must have diluted the sauce and hence, the cheese which was supposed to be strong, almost as smelly as blue cheese, lost its flavor. That being said, the dish is large enough for a light lunch for small eaters.

Pastas

The pastas are under-rated. You can customized your pasta with type of pasta, sauce and meat. There is dry pasta–those that come ready in a packet–but you’re better off going for handmade homemade fresh pasta such as pappardelle (the thick ribbon type), fettuccine (mee pok!), and a special flavor of the month. Isn’t honesty, telling the customer where the pasta comes from, so refreshing and endearing?

Homemade gnocchi (pronounced as knot-kee) with gorgonzola, cream and cooked ham ($17). Many people think gnocchi is a potato dumpling but the more accurate description is that potato is mixed into flour to make pasta and the pasta comes in a stone-like form, like a tang yuan. Gorgonzola is a type of blue cheese which is very strong, very pungent, very very salty and very creamy. I can understand the concept behind this dish: it aspires to be rich and filling, for people who like salty and heavy food, but I thought it was too salty and dense–I dislike potato in general unless they are deep-fried–and the overall texture, including the ham and gnocchi, was too chewy. I’d suggest putting in raw ham after the dish is cooked. Available for delivery.

Vegetarian option is available, replacing the ham with green peas ($16).

Every month, there is a handmade flavored pasta of the month ($17). This month, it issquid ink taglierini, made in-house, a thinner version of tagliatelle, a fatter version of spaghetti. A general compliment I have to pay for the pastas is they were very well tossed in the sauce so that every inch of every strand was coated.

Out of the three pastas we tried, this is my favorite pasta. It’s a running joke that I always order ink-squid pasta at an Italian restaurant because, you know what they say, once you go black, you’ll never go back. I’m pretty sure the saying is referring to ink-squid pastas. I mean, what else can it refer to, right?

So I have high standards for ink-squid and Spizza’s met my standards. The mussels were fresh, the prawns were fleshy and bouncy–felt very good putting the whole prawn in the mouth and letting it bounce off the teeth–but the squid was overcooked. The pasta was complex with inky taste of squid and two different types of distinct sweetness, the sweetness of seafood and sweetness of tomato-based sauce. I was so greedy I put a whole lump in my mouth and it was then that I could taste the slight inky stench of the squid–it’s usual for ink-squid pasta–but if you eat slowly, there shouldn’t be a smell. Overall, for $17, this is a pretty good deal. This dish should be a fixture on the menu, instead of just a flavor of the month.

We were fortunate enough to sample the Flavor Pasta for March for our food tasting and the PR told us we were the first to taste it! The slight greenness of the pasta comes from its spinach: spinach fettuccine with spicy pork tomato-based sauce and olives.

You can tell it’s homemade because of the rough and uneven edges. No bluff you one. It was slightly thicker than the usual fettuccine and was cooked al dente so that it was firm to the bite. Although it is named “spicy pork,” It tasted like salty non-spicy bak chor mee with a fragrance of olives. Even the texture reminds one of bak chor mee. I don’t know if the chef is inspired by the local dish but Sin Mod cuisine (Singapore modern cuisine) is the “in” thing these days and I won’t be surprised to find out he is. Fashionable chef, yo.

We took the leftover pastas home and guess what? The pastas, after being soaked in their sauces for a night, tasted great. The excess saltiness of the gnocchi was somewhat ameliorated, leaving behind a blue cheese-ness that was awesome.

Pizzas

Besides the Leaning Tower and Leonardo da Vinci, one of the icons of Italy is Venice, a floating city, a mystic city built on the sea, where it would vanish in 100 years. Many poets and novelists have written about the city. And of Venice, the most iconic item is probably the gondola, like a sampan, except the hunky gondoliers wear white-and-black tight tees, tight black pants, with red scarves around their necks and they serenade you with love songs along the waterways of Venice. It’s worth paying 60 Euros to ride on their gondolas.

I gave a long background because in theory, it is fun, exciting and intriguing to make a gondola-shaped pizza: Isabella in Gondola Shape (Medium $19, L $23). It differs from a calzone (a pizza folded in half, like a curry puff) in that the gondola pizza is more like a french loaf with mozzarella, imported parma ham and rocket on it. But in practice,  the bread was hard, the ham was difficult to chew and not very tasty. The idea of a gondola pizza isn’t going to float (pun intended).

Every month, like the Special Pasta of the Month, there is also the Special Pizza of the Month which consists either a special dough or toppings. This month, the special dough is spinach dough, so the pizza looked greenish. The crust in general was cracker-thin and crispy. The added spinach was a nice touch, just a waft of spinach which added dimensions.

Rebecca (M – $18, L- $22) is the pizza equivalent of the previously mentioned gnocchi, with similar ingredients. It is a white pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, cooked ham, rockets and sun-dried tomatoes. The cheese was caramelized into the crust, which gave the pizza a good crunch but I’d only recommend this if you like pungent, salty cheeses. It seemed that the cheese overpowered the other ingredients and the cooked ham was chewy.

What I’d highly recommend is the bestseller Ursula (M – $19, L – $23), a tomato-based pizza with mascarpone,  smoked salmon, and capers topped with spinach. Mascarpone is the cheese used in tiramisu and has the advantage of being creamy without being salty. The saltiness is already coming from the abundant smoked salmon. I asked the PR if this was the normal portion of salmon and she assured me it was. Worth the money! The generous portion of salty salmon, padded by the thin, crispy crust, with creamy cheese, sweetness from the tomato base and the fragrance of the herbs, made this pizza a clear winner. A well-balanced and complex pizza. Thumbs up.

Desserts

Olive e vanilla ($7) is made in-house, using olive oil instead of butter, and served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. In general, cakes that use olive oil is lighter than butter. This won’t be the best chocolate cake you have eaten in your life but there is nothing bad about it either.

Drinks: The PR ordered for us a passionfruit cooler ($4.50), a very refreshing drink of passionfruit and soda. You can see bits of passionfruit seeds and the pulp in the drink. I should have also tried the lemongrass ginger ice tea ($4.50); it sounds very thirst-quenching. Next time when I go back!

Because the pizzas are made fresh on ordering, you may have to wait a while.

Other information: The Piccolo Menu ($8.80) or kids menu comes with a small pasta or pizza, soft drink or juice and a scoop of ice cream.

Limited parallel parking along the road.

Spizza also delivers islandwide. You can call the hotline 6377 7773 or visit the online ordering portal. Delivery charges:

orders below $30 – delivery charge of $8

orders between $30 and $50 – charge of $3

orders above $50 – free

Additional $5 delivery charge on public holidays

Delivery hours (daily): 12pm-2.30pm and 6pm-10.30pm

Overall, there are some hits and misses. For the misses, it usually has to do with the saltiness of the cheese and I’d suggest you pair the dish with wine, which is available. Wine and blue cheese are a divine combination and I’m positive wine would improve the taste of dish. Or you can also wash down with a beer. Salty food goes very well with beers, and I think perhaps that’s why the chef makes some dishes salty. The hits, especially the Ursula pizza and pastas, are very value-for-money and can definitely be enjoyed on its own without alcohol.

When I pass by the street, I was attracted to its interior decoration; I realize it’s a new Italy pizza restaurant.

I went there for dinner with two of my friends, it was pack with customers, especially it was weekend, and their food is quite attractive. Personally, I feel the need to recommend the following dishes.

·         Parma e Melone

It's hard to imagine the Prama Ham and Melon mix can have such a good taste, a good mix between sweet and salty tastes, very unique, especially with the sweetness of the melon fresh, it is an entertaining choice.

·         Squid Ink Taglierini

The first time I try the Squid Ink Pasta, mix in fresh prawn and mussel, it has a slightly acidic tomato sauce, to open up your taste buds.

·         Quinta Pizza

Like the Pizza with an egg (^^) it’s crispy at the bottom of a great pastry, cheese and tomato sauce at the top to form the main ingredient, with the truffle sauce surrounding the egg, it has a surprising taste with such simple flavoring, it was my favorite dish (^-^).

I personally love to try the dishes of the restaurant, because there is always a great meal to be discovered.

I will revisit here again, because it's unique restaurant with diversified dishes, and the cordial waiters and comfortable casual dining environment leave us with wonderful memories of the place (^-^), we will definitely recommend this place to our freinds  (^_^).

當我路過這個街道時，我被它的室內裝潢給吸引，在了解之下，原來是一家意大利披薩餐廳的新分店。

我和兩位朋友約了一起去用餐，這裡的晚餐人潮很多，尤其是在週末，可以見得他們的食物相當的吸引人。以下是我個人覺得必須推薦的餐點。

Parma e Melone

很難想象PramaHam和Melon搭配的美好滋味，鹹與甜之間所營造的口感，非常獨特，加上蜜瓜的甜度清爽，是一道老少咸宜的選擇。

Squid Ink Taglierini

我第一次嘗試這樣的Squid Ink Pasta，內容裡搭配了新鮮的蝦和淡菜，還有那番茄醬的微酸，仿佛揭開了你的味蕾。

Quinta Pizza

喜歡這款Pizza的中間有個蛋(^^)。底部是脆度很棒的餅皮，上層的乳酪和番茄醬為基礎打底，蛋的周圍是松露醬，簡單的原味讓我們驚喜了，我超喜歡這款披薩(^-^)。

我個人偏愛嘗試主題餐廳裡的小菜，因為總有一些很棒的餐點有待發掘。

我還會再來，因為它與眾不同，菜色多樣化，還有那親切的服務生和舒服休閒的用餐環境(^-^)，我和朋友都非常的推薦(^_^)。

Spizza has decided to "spizze" up its look recently and has changed its look from a darkened atmosphere to a more sprightly bright feel to attract a much younger crowd - and this has worked as many school kids are now bringing their parents to this latest opening at East Coast.

At a recent tasting, I tried several of their new items on offer.

I started with the Spizza Signature Cooler ($4.50), a passion fruit soda water which is ideal and refreshing on a really hot day.

I started my meal with the Portobello Al Forno ($12), a huge portobello mushroom with a nice firm bite baked and filled with bolognaise sauce and cheese. Quite a rich way to start a meal.

From the Pasta section I tried the Gnocchi ($17), a thick potato based pasta that was paired with gorgonzola to give a strong blue cheese flavour and cooked ham that was overpowered by the cheese. The portion may look small but do not be fooled as it can be quite a filler.

I also tried the Flavoured Pasta of the Month ($17) which was the Squid Ink Taglierini. As the pasta is made with squid ink and it being a tomato based sauce, one does not have to worry about going back to office with black pirate teeth.

From the pizza menu I tried the Isabella in Gondola Shape ($19), a freshly baked pizza with tomato mozzarella, parma ham. I am not a pizza fan but this item did stand out - with its freshly baked bread and strongly flavoured parma ham followed by some rucola leaves to provide a soft finish.

I also tried the Rebecca ($18), a white pizza with mozzarella, gorgonzola, cooked Ham, rucola and sun-dried tomatoes. Once again, the blue cheese flavour overpowers the rest of the ingredients.

Finally, for those who are used to the traditionally tomato based pizzas, there is the Ursula ($19), which comes with mascaropne, spinach, smoked salmon and capers. I found that this pizza is really generous with its slightly smoked salmon- in fact, probably too generous and so be prepared for a strong salt finish.

Dessert was something light. The Olive E Vanilla ($7) had a light chocolate cake (no butter mind you) with a light vanilla ice cream which had a saffron after taste. After all that heavy tasting, this was probably a good finish. However, if you would like something a little heavier, go for the Apple Pie which is really flavourful with a nice sweet and sour mix.

In summary, I found that the flavours of the new menu are very strong - partly because of the generous use of either salt or the grogonzola cheese. To lighten things up, maybe add a salad in somewhere and it will be better balanced.