There’s an abundance of pizzerias serving up a slice in Hong Kong. There are spots where you can get a fab fancy 12-inch or a greasy deep dish. But we don’t have a tonne of eateries which provide the real Neapolitan-style experience with speed and authenticity. Napoli’s Pizza & Caffé, which has just opened in a busy basement space in TST, though, is set to bring the pie-lovers in for sit-down meals in its comfy wood-lined space or snappy takeaways on-the-go.
Napoli’s is a popular chain in Japan but it’s fairly unknown in Hong Kong. On our visit, we order the eight-inch capricciosa ($55), which is topped with tuna, corn, mozzarella and basil leaves, as well as the eight-inch prosciutto rucola ($78), which comes with ample amounts of both dry-cured ham and rocket. The dough in both pizzas stands out immediately with its chewy naan bread texture. The secret to the dough’s success is an intense 500-degree oven that can cook a pie in 90 seconds flat – sealing in the flavour of the toppings while rapidly creating piping hot pizza crusts. Both pizzas are full of flavour and come as part of a set, with tender, juicy chicken wings, crunchy onion rings and fizzy drinks topping out the meal.
Napoli’s is cheap and tasty, bringing together an authentic taste of Italy with the speed and efficiency of Japan. It brings a tremendously traditional slice to TST, great whenever you’re short on time. Janice Jann