During my summer 2019 trip to Ho Chi Minh City I was invited for lunch to 365º Neapolitan Pizza in Thao Dien. The good went beyond my expectations. The owner is Vietnamese and this eatery is part of a wave if Italian restaurant started by Vitnamese in Ho Chi Minh City. This is actually a positive development. While you may not expect the authenticity of Italian-run restaurants like Into the Kitchens (or Romeo and Juliet on the very high end), some of these restaurants is actually pretty good and shows how the restaurant scene has developed and become more international, with many locals becoming passionate about foreign cuisines and learning the skills.
The visit
We were seated in an air-conditioned room that we had all for ourselves
After we placed our order the dishes started to come very quickly. The service was very attentive throughout the meal. The first dish was an appetizer, a delicious tuna carpaccio.
Another appetizer was a dish of deep fried calamari.
Then we had three types of pasta. An excellent porcini risotto. Porcini is the most popular mushroom in Italian cuisine.
A pasta with a massive lamb chop.
Finally we shared two pizzas. One was a margarita with basil leaves that is their signature.
The second pizza had a generous topping of sausage and artichoke. The pizzas were good, baked in the oven with a nice crispy crust.
Finally we were offered a scoop of ice cream.
The check
No check because I was treated by my two hosts (not related to the restaurants)! I think the prices are reasonable and they also are present on delivery platforms. I enjoyed the great company I had during the meal and the yummy Italian food that was served in a friendly atmosphere.
Final note: when I was in Saigon I noticed they were also operating a food truck nearby on Xuan Thuy street.
Where in Ho Chi Minh City: 50 Ngo Quang Huy Thao Dien.
When you ask where to eat a good pizza in Ningbo, especially in the Southern part of the city, La Pizzeria Echo comes up often as a recommendation. There are two young Chinese gentlemen at the helm of the store. One of them studied engineering in Italy, another one understudied an Italian chef for a few years, before joining forces to open this pizza parlor.
The visit(s)
The pizzeria recently re-located to Taikang Middle Road, opposite to the Academician Park.
The pizza is indeed quite good. It is thin pizza with crispy borders. One issue is that they tend to burn, like in the example below of their namesake Echo pizza:
They also have other dishes, like Italian sandwiches (panini):
For an extra fee, each pizza can be made in a “calzone” (a type of rolled pizza):
Finally a “fried appetizers” basket:
The check(s)
The Echo pizza (with a rich toppings) was 92 RMB or 13.66 USD. The calzone was 10 RMB more. Simpler pizzas are a bit cheaper. Most sandwiches are less than 9 USD.
Overall it is a honest offering and when not burnt the pizza is good.
Where in Ningbo: Middle Taikang Road, opposite of Academician Park.
I still remember when in one of my first visits to the original location of Pizza 4P’s in Ho Chi Minh City I had a brief chat with the founder Yosuke Masuko. It was back in 2011 if my memory is correct (but I see sources that say that the first venue opened in 2012). Pizza 4P’s (Pizza for peace) was an instant hit. It is and it has always been one of the few restaurants in Ho Chi Minh City where a reservation is necessary. I remember that in our quick conversation Masuko was showcasing his mozzarella cheese that they were producing locally and even selling to other restaurants. They continue to make their own cheeses, not only mozzarella, but also burrata, Camembert and many others. I also remember how they enlarged their first venue taking over the adjacent coffee shops. But was only around 2015-2016 that the expansion took off and they started to open new locations in Ho Chi Minh City, and then in Hanoi and Da Nang. According to a profile published on the Japan Times, they have plan to go international and open outlets in Thailand, Japan and USA.
This is the type of entrepreneurial stories that I like: someone animated by passion delivering a superior product and customer experience, after many trials and errors. Masuko and his wife showed the tenacity and consistency of real samurai. And it is probably not a coincidence that actually Masuko’s wife family had bona fide samurai in her lineage and their symbol is now part of the logo of Pizza 4P’s.
The visit
I have dined at Pizza 4P’s so many times throughout the years, usually in their flagship location on Le Than Ton street or in the one in District 7. In my latest visit, I had a dinner with friends in their District 7 location and I tried for the first time their branch near Ben Thanh Market on a lunch by myself.
Since my last visit, the menu has kept expanding and now it features a number of collaborations. For example they have a number of new dishes created in collaboration with chef Takuto Nakamura (shrimp ricotta ravioli, mushroom and chicken miso sauce spaghetti, squid and orange whey fettuccine). They now have some desserts featuring Marou chocolate and they have Onibus coffee from Tokyo. One thing that I noticed is that there are some minor differences in the menu according to the location. For example the menu in District 7 contained some additional pasta items, while the menu in Ben Thanh had a larger selection of spirits.
During the first visit I ordered an anchovy pizza with burrata, another pizza with ham and Camembert and a pasta dish (spaghetti bolognese with Parmesan cheese). We also had some ricotta cheese wrapped in ham (reminiscent of the Vietnamese wraps). During my solo lunch I took advantage of the possibility to have a pizza with two toppings and I went for salami-chorizo and 3 cheeses (mozzarella, Parmesan, Camembert) and also had a caprese salad (tomato and mozzarella cheese).
All the food was fantastic as always. Pizza of course is their forte. The pizza is soft, with a slightly crispy crust and you can taste the freshness of the tomato and mozzarella sauce. Even if the toppings can be “heavy”, I would describe this pizza as light; never had problems digesting it and going about my day after a lunch at Pizza 4P’s. I am less enthusiastic about their pasta; it is not really Italian original pasta, I guess it is more appealing for the international public, but they do have some interesting dishes. Is this Italian pizza? I would say that the pizza actually is pretty consistent with the Italian tradition; where they add their originality is of course in the selection of toppings (from salmon sashimi to ginger pork or calamari seaweed, they certainly have a number of options that you will not find in an Italian pizza place).
Some recommendations based on my experience:
Use the option to have two toppings to try more varieties.
Try to have a pizza with burrata, especially if you have never had burrata (the one with anchovy is probably the cheapest option, otherwise go all in with their massive margherita pizza with burrata and Parma ham).
Try their cheeses. There are some interesting sampler platters listed among the appetizers.
Among the desserts, try the tiramisu (by no accident, since tiramisu is based on mascarpone, another cheese).
Seating in District 7
Spaghetti Bolognese
Burrata Anchovy Tomato
Camembert & Ham Mushroom Sauce
Ricotta cheese wrapped in Parma ham
Half salami/chorizo half 3 cheeses
Caprese
Ricotta cheese wrapped in Parma ham
Ben Thanh Branch
The front of the branch in Ben Thanh
Metal resusable straw
The check
The dinner for 3 cost 829,000 VND (about 36 USD, that’s 13 USD per person) and included drinks and an appetizer. My solo lunch cost 334,000 VND (about 14,50 USD). This prices are a good illustration of the value for money offered by Pizza 4P’s: quick service, nice ambiance and, what is more important, unique and delicious food very reasonably priced. Desserts could add another 4 or 5 USD per person to the bill. The only pizza that would cost you much more is the famed Burrata Parma Ham Margherita that costs around 20 USD, but it is totally worth since it comes literally covered in Parma ham (actually I would recommend it). So these are the reasons that keep luring me back to Pizza 4P’s.
Where in Ho Chi Minh City:
Please check their website for un up to date list of locations and for online reservation.
The dinner for 3 cost 829,000 VND (about 36 USD, that’s 13 USD per person) and included drinks and an appetizer. My solo lunch cost 334,000 VND (about 14,50 USD). This prices are a good illustration of the value for money offered by Pizza 4P’s: quick service, nice ambiance and, what is more important, unique and delicious food very reasonably priced. Desserts could add another 4 or 5 USD per person to the bill. The only pizza that would cost you much more is the famed Burrata Parma Ham Margherita that costs around 20 USD, but it is totally worth since it comes literally covered in Parma ham (actually I would recommend it). So these are the reasons that keep luring me back to Pizza 4P’s.