Homemade cheeses & Japanese-influenced toppings elevate firewood oven-baked pizzas at popular eatery
August 10th, 2016
Founded in Ho Chi Minh City by Japanese national Yosuke Masuko, pizza restaurant Pizza 4P’s has enjoyed a cult-like following since its opening in 2011. Artfully blending Japanese technical precision and attention to detail with traditional Neapolitan pizza recipes and technique, Pizza 4P’s has become mega-popular with both its consummate renditions of classic Italian pizzas – and flavourful new versions created with the unexpected application of Japanese culinary ingredients as toppings – insatiably devoured by daily crowds of both locals and visitors. Expanding on the success of the first restaurant, a second pizzeria has opened in HCMC, and the Hanoi offshoot launched in November 2015. Located in a repurposed printing factory within Hanoi’s vibrant Old Quarter district, the voluminous space features two levels of dining – with a pair of custom-built pizza kilns and open preparation counter the centre of attention.
Design Located on a small side street, the industrial origins of the space are retained in the unadorned facade, exposed red brick and concrete internal walls, steel-trussed roof, and minimalist decor. Well-spaced tables at both the street level space and mezzanine level suffuse the restaurant with a relaxed, sociable vibe – while seats at the black marble counter facing the pizza kilns offer an interactive dining experience.
Cuisine Taking an authentic farm-to-table approach, Pizza 4P’s features artisan cheeses made at their company-owned workshop in Da Lat on the Central Highlands – made fresh daily with milk from local partner dairy farms. Other fresh ingredients such as vegetables are sourced direct from small producers in the Da Lat region, while the quintessential pizza ingredients like canned tomatoes and parma ham are imported directly from Italy. Prepared by an enthusiastic local team, the pizzas are cooked briefly in the wood-fired ovens at very high temperatures – in accordance with the classic Neapolitan technique. In addition to the pizza selections, Pizza 4P’s also serves a menu of Japanese-Italian fusion dishes including pasta, salads, and the homemade artisan cheeses like burrata and mozzarella served as appetizers – or sold direct for takeaway.
Serving pizza all day between 11am and 11pm, Pizza 4Ps is inevitably busy at peak times, and table bookings are strongly recommended.
Update 2017: the second branch of Pizza 4Ps in Hanoi has opened at Trang Tien
Pizza 4P’s design
Pizza 4P’s wood-fired pizza
Pizza 4P’s Italian-Japanese cuisine
(food images courtesy Pizza 4P’s)
