Pizza is known as that archetypal Italian dish, but it
should not be forgotten that New York had a huge influx of Italian migrants
who brought “pizza” with them. The first pizzeria in the United States was
actually opened in 1905 by Gennaro Lombardi, at Lombardi’s in Little Italy,
Manhattan. The pizzas cooked and served in New York date back to those early
days, and now have their own identity. This then brought on an idle thought
- would the New York Pizzas as served up in Pattaya be genuine as well? We
would find out.
The New York Pizza House restaurant is certainly easy to
find. It is on Third Road next to one of Pattaya’s landmarks - the Boxing
Roo and opposite the mouth of Soi Leng Kee. It is in a single shophouse with
around four tables inside and air-conditioned and another couple outside for
the al fresco fans.
If the name sounds familiar, the New York Pizza House was
located in Naklua for 12 months, but relocated to Third Road Pattaya three
months ago.
My question regarding the genuineness of these pizzas was
almost answered immediately we went inside, where a customer turned to me
saying (and I quote verbatim), “I’m a New Yorker. Thank God for this place.
Best pizzas you’ll get in Asia. And best Buffalo Wings outside America, and
I was in the US Navy as a cook for 20 years.” With that good a rap, I did
ensure that he really was a customer, and not the proprietor!
The real owner, Chokchai, a very pleasant young Thai man
has a familial connection with New York, where his brother-in-law had a
pizzeria in upstate New York.
The pizzas come in three sizes - small 9" (6 slices),
medium 12" (8 slices) and large 16" (12 slices). The differences go beyond
that as well. The basic pizza (cheese) for the small size is B. 160. Then if
you add a single topping it goes up to B. 185, two toppings B. 210, three
toppings B. 235, four toppings B. 260. Now the toppings are also your
decision, with 11 meat and 11 vegetable to choose from. It really does mean
that you end up with ‘designer’ pizzas!
However, there is actually very much more than just
pizzas on offer. There are the Buffalo wings (which originally came from the
Anchor Bar in downtown Buffalo) and you have a choice of sauces (hot,
medium, mild and BBQ) and 6, 12, 24 or 36 wings.
There are pasta dishes (spaghetti B. 139-159) with
various sauces and salads from B. 59-159 for a chicken Caesar salad. Hot
sandwiches too and Ponzones. And yes, there’s beers (B. 45-60), OJ and softs
(B. 25-30). There is even a small Thai menu with som tum from B. 89 and
chicken or tuna with rice from B. 89.
The Dining Out Team was made up of three adults and we
tried three different pizzas and three different thickness of pizza crusts.
Our choices included a white broccoli, a pepperoni and mushroom and a
carnivore pizza deluxe with four meat toppings. Quite honestly, they were
superb. Not greasy, plenty of flavor and plenty of topping. My favorite was
the pepperoni and mushroom, whilst Madame went for the carnivore pizza
deluxe, but we enjoyed them all, and we preferred the thin crust.
With inexpensive delivery to Naklua, Pattaya, Jomtien and
the East, this makes a pizza evening very easy, and the New York pizzas will
be acceptable to everyone. The final taste test was our seven year old
daughter who was in raptures over the white broccoli pizza we brought home,
and this is a girl who would not eat broccoli before.
We really did enjoy the New York Pizza House, and the
flavors did come through very well. The value is there, and this pizzeria
definitely gets our approval. Do try, you will not be disappointed.
New York Pizza House, 340/16 Third Road (next to the
Boxing Roo Bar and opposite Soi Leng Kee), open seven days 3 p.m. until
midnight, plenty of roadside parking, telephone 080 787 3330, 080 787 2220
for deliveries in Naklua, Jomtien, East Pattaya and Pattaya itself (B. 30).
