A coveted culinary hotspot in Italy, Alice Pizza has opened its first Asia outpost in Hong Kong.
Things can get a little controversial when it comes to pizza, not just how it’s made (ever discussed deep dish with someone from Chicago?) but also the ingredients that should be found on top of a pie (yes, the ever-inflammatory pineapple topic). Whether you like your crust stuffed or wafer thin, or if you think the only toppings should be the classics, you might want to go and test your resolve at Hong Kong’s newest pie joint, Alice Pizza, which has opened in Wan Chai.
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The first Asian outpost of the coveted Roman pan pizza specialist, Alice Pizza, which has opened on Queen’s Road East, is best known for its deliciously thin, light and crispy pizza, baked in large, rectangular tins, sliced to order and sold by weight – a traditional Italian concept that allows mixing, matching and sharing.
When the first Alice Pizza shop opened in Via delle Grazie at the edge of Vatican City in central Rome 34 years ago, founder Domenico Giovannini vowed to bring the culture and tradition of Roman pan pizza to the world. Named among the Top Pizzerias in Italy 2023 by ratings platform Gambero Rosso, Alice Pizza prepares its pies with ingredients imported from Italy while its pizzaioli (pizza makers) are graduates of the Alice Pizza Academy, so you know you’re in for a treat no matter how you like your pizza.
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The Roman pizza ‘by the cut’ concept – freshly baked pizza, cut into pieces and weighed to order, in a legacy of its street-food origins – sees pizzas cooked in an Italian-made multi-chambered electric oven identical to those found in Alice Pizza shops across the world. Pizzas are made with the brewer’s yeast typically found in a Roman pan pizza, with dough rising over 24 hours before being baked at 280-300 degrees Celcius, with a standard slice weighing in between 100g-160g depending on the ingredients on top.
Another vital ingredient is the tomato sauce used to coat the dough is the second essential ingredient. Seasoned with extra-virgin olive oil, oregano and salt, this zesty sauce is the foundation for toppings bursting with fresh, seasonal ingredients from Italy or the local markets.
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The pizza menu runs the gamut from classic flavours to vegetarian and vegan choices and innovative creations. The Traditional range is the best-seller in Italy, led by Margherita, a Naples classic invented in 1889 and named after the then-Italian queen; Italiana, which embraces tomato, stracciatella (the inner part of burrata cheese), basil and extra virgin olive oil; and Carbonara, which uses pasteurised egg, mozzarella, Pecorino Romano cheese, guanciale (Italian pork cheek) and black pepper.
Signature selections include Mortadella, which features mortadella (Italian luncheon meat), stracciatella and pistachio; Truffle with mozzarella, mixed mushroom, truffle sauce and plenty of Parmigiano Reggiano PDO cheese; Parma, headlined by 17-month-aged Parma ham, mozzarella, Italian yellow cherry tomato and rocket; and the veritable country garden of Rustica, with broccoli, mushroom and potato topped by Parmigiano Reggiano.
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The most iconic topping of all is Nutella Pizza, a sweet sensation easily spotted at the front of the counter since the brand’s earliest days. The Italian hazelnut and chocolate paste was created in Piedmont in 1946, and it is simply spread on the top of the pizza dough for pure joy.
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