Am a self confessed pizza and pasta lover and can easily survive on eating those for the rest of my life. I've tried Italian and Pinoy pizzas but never one from New York and so I was curious when I heard that a new pizza place just recently opened in A. Venue -- New York Pizza Palace (NYPP).
Inside New York Pizza Palace.
The feel of NY
The exterior is nothing unusual: all glass walls and doors, with an obscure lighted sign and alfresco tables. But once inside, I felt I was transported to a place that I've only dreamed about -- New York City, USA. I saw familiar street signs and NY icons (Times Square, Mulberry St., Coney Island, Grand Central, and Fifth Avenue, among others) on the walls of the interior but the main attraction was the LED ticker board splashed across the ceiling, showing actual New York Stock Market, sports scores and news that New Yorkers follow. Numerous TV monitors showed live footages, real-time happenings at Times Square and Fifth Avenue, being updated every 30 seconds. The "Empire State of Mind" video of Alicia Keys and Jay-Z plays at an hourly interval and every so often, the screens will show old movies that had the New York theme such as The Godfather series.
NY icons such as baseball player Babe Ruth, Yankee stadium and original yellow subway chairs, among others.
The LED board showing NY stock exchange results, sports scores and news.
Screens with real time NY scenes.
The ordering counter reveals more NY attributes -- the menu board looks like the ticketing panels of the Grand Central train station; colorful NY graffiti decorates the surface below the counter; and there were several manhole covers lining the pavement, mimicking the streets of New York.
Graffiti artworks and more NY reminders decorate the counter.
Surprise detail -- NY manhole replica.
The dream of NY
The tour stared with a story by NYPP chief operating officer Eric Orland, who introduced himself as a New Yorker by birth but lived in California. He has been on the hunt for great tasting pizzas but nothing can satisfy his cravings like New York pizzas. So he collaborated with Chef O'Connor to develop authentic NY recipes which he wanted to offer initially to the market in China until a Filipino-American friends suggested he try the market in the Philippines. The opening of New York Pizza Palace was the materialization of a dream that took 7 years to fulfill and this first branch in A. Venue, Makati Avenue, is just the beginning.
Their main offerings are pasta and pizza but they have a lot more for the discriminating palate of the working people of Makati City. Everything if made fresh (cooked as they are ordered as much as possible) and served hot. You can even view the pizza being made through a glass show window at the side counter and according to Eric, their pizzas are made with four different flavors each to ensure the quality as they are served.
Peek at the pizza show window to see how your pizza is being made fresh.
The taste of NY
For starters, their NYPP Sicilian salad was served -- a perfect combination of romaine lettuce, croutons, marinated steamed chicken, mango, grapes, diced tomatoes and cashew nuts tossed with their signature Sicilian dressing. The salad was delightfully refreshing and tasty, with the dressing made from the finest and freshest ingredients and did not come out of a bottle.
NYPP Sicilian salad
Next were their best seller pastas: Fettucine Alfredo Chicken, Penne with Grilled Chicken and Pesto and Seafood and Garlic Linguine. The alfredo white cream sauce was surprisingly light, not oily nor overly creamy but flavorful enough to offset the mildly salted chicken bits; penne pesto has fresh, earthy taste brought about by the roasted vegetables and mild garlic flavor; while the seafood pasta has strong garlic flavor and good mix of shrimps and squid rings.
Fettucine Alfredo Chicken
Penne with Grilled Chicken and Pesto
Seafood and Garlic Linguine
An interesting appetizer called Suppli, their signature rice ball stuffed with parmesan and cheddar cheese, fried to golden perfection and served with marinara sauce, is heavy enough as a main dish. Crusty outside and soft inside, the cheese and tomato sauce blend beautifully inside the mouth. Yum!
Suppli, originally an Italian appetizer
The Chicken Wings (NYPP's version of buffalo wings) are fantastic! The skin is crunchy like lechon skin and their very own sweet-chili winger sauce seals the deal.
NYPP Chicken Wings
Pizza is their main offering and so NYPP makes sure that every pizza is made right and every slice is served fresh. Eric told us that, "What makes good quality pizza is the crispness of the product. You can hear the crisp when they cut it." NYPP has 7 Classic Pizza flavors: New York Style Cheese, Pepperoni, Triple Meat Lover, Fire Grilled Vegetable, Wild Mushroom, Sweet Sausage and Hawaiian. The cheese pizza was mildly salty which is great because one gets to enjoy the chewy goodness of the cheeses without choking on salty flavor; the meat pizza, a triple delight pizza with ham, pepperoni and Italian sausage, was not greasy at all and the freshness of the tomato sauce can be tasted.
PIZZA!!! (clockwise from the top) Mini Meatballs, Triple Meat Lover, New York Style Cheese and Spicy Shrimp
As if the 7 classics are not enough, NYPP also developed their Signature Pizzas namely NYPP Vodka Pie, Spinach & Artichoke, Mini Meatballs, White Pie, Prince Street Clam, Eggplant Ricotta and NYPP Spicy Shrimp. My early favorites are: the spinach & artichoke, with mozzarella, romano, provolone cheese, breadcrumbs and basil leaves -- satisfying but light despite the thick spinach & artichoke mixture and cheese; the vodka pie, which actually has no alcohol but rather a mix of sauces including creamy tomato sauce and basil leaves; the eggplant ricotta, which has a rich cheese flavor from ricotta, mozzarella and romano cheese was made unique red bell pepper and breaded eggplant; and the white pie which has smoky herb flavor from the onions, bacon and thyme leaves toppings.
More pizza! (clockwise from the top) Spinach & Artichoke, White Pie, Vodka Pie and Eggplant Ricotta
NYPP may look and sound expensive but their prices are competitive in the pizza/pasta market. For those who can't have lunch outside their offices or for those who want to enjoy their favorite pizza, pasta, chicken, salad, appetizers and delicious desserts at home, NYPP delivers to your doorstep. Dial 720-5977 for delivery and feast like New Yorker.
Vroom! Vroom! Have your pizza delivered now.
Visit New York Pizza Palace for an authentic New York dining experience. NYPP is located at A. Venue, Makati Avenue, Makati City and is open from 9am - 4am daily. Please visit http://www.newyorkpizzapalace.com/ for more information.
Me and NYPP's 18" pizza
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