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).
