(SPOT.ph) They say no party is ever complete without pizza. After all, with its chewy crust and very customizable set of toppings, pizza is considered to be the most shareable food out there. But have you ever wondered how this pie came to be? Here’s everything you need—er, knead—to know about pizza and the pizza scene in Manila.
A Slice of History and the Origin of Pizza
Historians trace pizza’s origins to the humble flatbreads eaten by the ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, but the modern birthplace of pizza is Naples, Italy.
This former Greek settlement was known for its working poor population and they needed food that wasn’t too expensive and could be eaten quickly. Enter the invention of pizza, flatbreads which were topped with simple ingredients such as tomatoes, cheese, garlic, and even anchovies. This street stall favorite proved enough to be a hit that it led to the opening of the first pizza restaurant in 1738, the Antica Pizzeria Port’Alba.
Pizza eventually made its way to America in the 1940s, thanks to the immigration of Italians to cities like New York, Chicago, and Boston. More toppings were added and pizza eventually turned into a fast food treat with its introduction to the suburbs.
Pizza also made its way to Philippine shores, partly in thanks to our American colonizers. Popular local pizza chain Greenwich opened in 1971, followed by American chains Shakey's and Pizza Hut in 1975 and 1984, respectively.
Types of Pizza: Different Pies for Different Folks
Nowadays, there are almost as many types of pizzas as there are combinations of toppings. We’re all familiar with the classics like Neapolitan, New York-style, and Chicago Deep Dish, but there are also endless variations around the world—including the Mexican pizza, topped with Mexican ingredients such as jalapeno, chorizo, and avocado; and the Argentinian fugazza, which you can think of as a combination of a focaccia bread and pizza. We don’t have time to enumerate all the different kinds of pizzas, so here are the most common ones you can find in Manila!
Neapolitan-Style
A Neapolitan-style pizza is probably the first kind of pizza you’ll think of. Characterized by its thin crust, this kind of pie is usually topped with simple ingredients like tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, and basil.
Pan pizza
As you can guess from its name, a pan pizza is usually made in a cast-iron skillet or cake pan, resulting in a thick crust that’s usually fluffy. The crust can sometimes be stuffed with unique ingredients like cheese or sausage.
New York-Style
A New York slice is typically hand-tossed, topped with a light layer of tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese–not unlike the Neopolitian pizza where it originated from. What makes a New York slice unique though is its chewy crust and large slice, which can be eaten folded.
Chicago Deep Dish
Chicago’s take on the pizza is characterized by its extremely thick crust, which develops thanks to its cooking technique (being baked in a pan as opposed to a pizza sheet). The crust can rise up to three inches and is topped with layers of cheese and a chunky tomato sauce as well as meat.
Detroit-Style
What makes Detroit-style pizza different from the rest of its American peers is how ingredients are topped in reverse–meaning cheese, pepperoni, and other such toppings come first before the sauce. This results in a rectangular, cheesy, thick, and caramelized crust.
Calzone
Usually dubbed as pizza’s cousin, a calzone is actually made up of similar ingredients. You have your crust, your cheese, your tomato sauce, and the only real difference is that a calzone is folded–almost like a pizza present.
The Usual Pizza Ingredients and Toppings: What Goes on a Pie?
One of the best things about pizza is that it’s extremely customizable. Only like veggies? You can get an all veggie pizza. Eat like a carnivore? You can get an all meat pizza. Almost anything can be a pizza topping but we’ve listed down the most common ones you can get right here in Manila.
Meat
When you think of pizza, pepperoni is probably the topping that will come to mind. Almost every pizza place has their own version of a pepperoni pizza. Other meaty toppings include things like Italian sausage, crispy bacon, and ham.
Cheese
The best pizzas definitely come with a signature cheese pull. The most common cheese is of course mozzarella, thanks to its easy-to-melt texture, but grated parmesan, cheddar, and burrata are also very popular. There’s also blue cheese can be polarizing for its sharpness and pungency, but can serve as a nice contrast to richer toppings.
Sauce
Tomato is a popular sauce of choice on their pizza, thanks to its mild flavor. But you'll also find pizza places experimenting with pesto sauces, which give their pies a more herby, earthy flavor; and white sauce, which is a lot creamier than its tomato counterpart.
Other toppings
Mushrooms—canned or fresh, the latter generally being more flavorful—are also popular to have on pizza, as are veggies like bell peppers, onions, and olives. And then you've got your more controversial toppings—including anchovies, scallops, and shrimp. And let's not forget the debate of whether or not pineapple belongs on pizza. It’s a debate that’s been going on since pizza was invented.
Pizza-Making: How Is Pizza Made, Anyway?
True pizza connoisseurs believe that the only true way to make a pizza is with a specialty brick oven. These types of oven cook pizzas at extremely high temperatures, resulting in pies that have a crispy, soft crust and bubbly cheese. These pizzas also come with a distinctly smoky flavor.
Of course, you can also go with the classic way of making a pizza by simply sticking it into a conventional oven. It’s the easiest way to bake a pizza, as you have control over the temperature and timer.
Other distinct ways of making a pizza include deep frying, which results in a puffy, crispy crust; and grilling, which gives your pie that brick oven taste right in the comfort of your backyard.
Popular Pizza Places in Metro Manila
Luckily, Manila is a melting pot when it comes to pizzas. You can get anything from American-style pies to pizzas with Filipino-inspired toppings right here in the Metro. Here are the spots where you can get the kind of pizza your stomach desires:
For fast-food pizza:
Yellow Cab
This restaurant chain has been around since 2001 and has long been a favorite for parties and other kinds of get-togethers. They mainly specialize in New York-style pizza but they’ve also been known to offer thin crust and their signature Dear Darla, a roll-up pizza that comes with fresh arugula and alfalfa sprouts.
Angel’s Pizza
You’ve probably been living under a rock if you haven’t heard of the famous Spinach Dip Pizza. This unique pie made waves on social media a few years back, thanks in part to its creamy texture and somewhat unique ingredients (mayonnaise? Angel’s Pizza somehow made it work).
Magoo’s Pizza
You can’t talk about pizza in Manila without one of the OGs—Magoo’s Pizza. Contrary to popular belief, this brand isn’t actually homegrown but came from Hawaii. That didn’t stop these square pies from being part of our childhoods though. Their pizzas are pretty no frills, coming with classic toppings like pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and green peppers.
For Italian-style pies
Gino’s
Gino’s has long been a favorite for many thanks to their charred, light crust topped with simple ingredients. There’s the classic Margherita, made with a Pinoy spin thanks to the addition of kesong puti, and the extremely flavorful BOMB Pizza, which takes its name from its toppings: Balsamic onions, mushrooms, and blue cheese.
Wildflour Italian
Recognized for being one of the Top 50 places to get pizza in the Asia-Pacific region, you can be sure that you’re only getting top-notch pies at Wildflour Italian. Cheese lovers will definitely fall in love with the Cacio e Pepe pizza with its pecorino, mozzarella, and parmigiano-reggiano toppings. There’s also the classic Prosciutto pie, which comes with a combination of salty prosciutto, creamy mozzarella cheese, and earthy arugula.
Francesco’s
With its kitchen being headed by Italian chef Francesco Rizzo, you know you’re getting only authentic pizzas at Francesco’s. Chef Francesco is a big fan of their classic Pizza Margherita, made with tomatoes and buffalo mozzarella, but if you’re looking for more of a flavorful bite, you can’t go wrong with their Tartufata Pizza, which landed on our list of Top 10 Cheese Pizzas in Manila.
Elbert’s Pizzeria
Elbert’s Pizzeria prides itself on its crust, which is made with Caputo 00 Pizzeria Flour and baked in an Italian-made oven for that perfect crisp and chew. If you’re someone who prefers a classic Italian slice, their Margherita, topped with tomato pulp, mozzarella, parmesan, extra-virgin olive oil, and basil, is worth a bite. If you’re someone who loves cheese though, make sure to check out their Pizza Quattro Formaggi, which is topped with four kinds of cheese: Mozzarella fior di latte, gorgonzola, fontina, and parmesan.
a mano
Named one of the pizza restaurants to watch in the Asia-Pacific region by Italian online publication 50 Best Pizz, a mano has been praised for its use of classic Italian techniques as well as fresh ingredients. They do classic flavors like Margherita and Sicilian well, but if you’re looking for a less-conventional pie, check out their pasta-inspired Carbonara pizza, a rich pie topped with pecorino romano, guanciale, egg yolk, and black pepper.
For an American slice
Nolita
If you’re looking for a taste of New York pizza right here in Manila, there’s Nolita. Helmed by New York native Chef Cuit Kaufman, this pizza spot serves up classic Pepperoni slices as well as more indulgent and unique flavors like Pesto Grilled Shrimp, Chicken Parmesan, and Wild Mushroom Walnut–all on top of a crisp and chewy crust.
American Pie
For a slice of Detroit meanwhile, there’s American Pie. These pizzas come loaded with toppings resting on a perfectly cooked crispy crust. For meat lovers, there’s the Jackson Five, which comes with pepperoni, salami, seasoned beef, ham, and prosciutto, and there’s the Downtown Five-Cheese, which comes with mozzarella, parmesan, aged cheddar, mild cheddar, and mascarpone, for the cheese lovers.
Tripod’s Pizza
Another place to get a slice of Detroit is Tripod’s Pizza. This Quezon City spot serves up their pies with an incredibly thick, crisp, and chewy crust, which you can also have extra toasted for that extra char flavor. They have classics such as the Double Cheese and Pepperoni as well as a Pinoy-inspired flavor in the form of Detroit-style Longganisa, which comes with crumbled longganisa, mozzarella, and pickled onions.
For more one-of-a-kind pies
Crosta
Crosta Pizzeria veers away from tradition yet delivers star pizzas of different styles—probably why this spot landed a place on the list of the best pizzas in Asia-Pacific. These pies come with cheeky names and equally cheeky toppings, such as the Retiree, their version of a classic Hawaiian pizza topped with mozzarella, fennel sausage, bacon bits, and of course, pineapples, and the Everyday We’re Trufflin’, which comes with a truffle cream base, pecorino romano, mozzarella, taleggio, and fontina. Aside from their classic round pies, they also offer vegan options as well as Detroit-style pizzas.
Pizzulu
After establishing itself as a delivery-only spot during the pandemic, Pizzulu is now serving its trademark, brick-oven pizzas right in Bonifacio Global City. You can’t go wrong with their basics, such as the Cheesy Pepperoni and earthy Spinach & Bacon pizza, but their Black Truffle Mushroom Pizza is a must for anyone who loves their umami flavors.
Pizza Plant
You’ve heard of plant-based burgers and fried chicken, but what about plant-based pizza? Enter Pizza Plant. This pizzeria serves up vegan pies that come with plant-based versions of all your favorite toppings. There’s the Potatorini, which replaces pepperoni with seasoned potatoes, the Filipino Sisig Pizza, made with mushroom sisig, and the spicy Chorizo Jalapeno, which comes with soy-based sausages. They even have vegan spicy honey that you can drizzle over your pies.
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