A newly-opened joint at Hauz Khas Village boasts of pizzas from across the globe. Shrabasti Mallik discovers their baking techniques
It’s a worldwide view — quite literally! The thought crosses the mind as we stand at the entrance of this new joint. From currency notes collected from across the globe to souvenirs and memorabilia from different countries, a good look at interiors discloses the treasure that the owners of this place have collected over the years during their travels.
World Pizza Journey is another addition to the Hauz Khas Village. As the name suggests the joint boasts of pizzas from across the globe. The interiors are tastefully done to reflect the theme of the restaurant. While one tablecloth traces the journey of Western music through pictures of record covers of Abba, Elvis Presley and Rim Reeves another table has imprints of coins from different countries.
Amidst the umpteen number of pizza places in the city, what sets the three week old World Pizza Journey (WPJ) apart is their choice of base sauce, their concept of minimal topping and their different baking techniques. The owners Ankit Tayal and Abhishek Mathur realised that pizza is the only food which has adapted to flavours and the taste of every region of the world. “We have been to all parts of the world we found pizza everywhere. But pizza in different countries and states has a signature flavour and style. We wanted to bring those distinct tastes to India,” says Abhishek.
“China doesn’t have anything special to add to the ingredients of the pizza but they do have strong and wonderful flavours. For the Indian pizza we use spices, paneer and makhni gravy,” says Ankit. The base is the most essential part of the preparation process and that is why every pizza at WPJ has a different base sauce.
While the Mediterranean kibbeh pizza, named the Egyptian Pharaoh, is made with kibbeh (cracked wheat, mixed with minced onions and finely-ground lean beef) and cheese, has hummus as the base, the Malaysian satay pizza, made with roasted chicken, onion cubes on crushed peanuts with a topping option of black olives, has peanut butter as its base.
We are offered the Malaysian thin crust pizza. Here, the base is smeared with barbeque sauce. It is baked over firewood in an Italian designed setup. Abhishek explains, “If you bake a thin crust pizza, there are chances that it might break but we bake it over firewood in an Italian designed setup. That way the pizza bakes perfectly and remains moist.”
One can also try the original Italy’s quattro formaggi, meaning four cheese — brie, blue cheese, goat cheese and mozzarella, the Turkish lahme bi ajeen, the New Yorker original pepperoni, the South African peri peri and Britain’s the queen’s breakfast (prepared with baked bean sauce, chicken sausage, cheese topped with fried eggs and black olives).
photo Sanjeev Kumar