/ Reviews / Italian
Piling on the Pizza
by Tom Lee
on Friday, April 23, 2010 12:00 AM
An Italian favorite, the tiny Bella Napoli has been a popular choice in Shanghai since its inception. Seeing the success, Owner Guido Esposito decided it was time to make the next step. "The original Bella Napoli always had something missing," he explains, "and that was the pizza. Napoli is famous for pizza."
Importing almost two thousand kilograms of brick from Naples, a traditional oven was assembled piece by piece, slowly taking shape, until it was ready for its first doughy creation. "There are some good places," Guido conceded, "but I want to up the quality, I want to make the best pizza."
It's a huge challenge for anyone to take on. Each year, more establishments join the fray, trying to outdo one another in producing the most authentic gelato, pasta, tiramisu and especially pizza. Roaming between the RMB70 to RMB90 posts, the Bella Napoli version has certainly benefited from the specially commissioned furnace. Despite running primarily on gas instead of wood, it produces a tasty Margherita (RMB70), with a nice, fresh crust and fluffy base, topped with well-balanced portions of tomato and cheese.
Most of the ingredients that go into the food, from flour and water, to mozzarella and salami, are selected from cities around Italy. A huge factor in the pizza taste, it also means that starter platters are brimming with a delicious mix of spicy salami, Prosciutto di San Daniele, buffalo mozzarella and other assorted cold cuts and cheeses.
Many of the good old classics that have proved crowd pleasers at the first location are redrafted here. The Filetto alla Casalingo (RMB150) is a juicy beef tenderloin cooked in balsamic vinegar, tending more towards medium than rare, accompanied by a piquant, fresh arugula salad. Paccheri alla Vesuviana (RMB70) remains a mild, non-threatening lava bubble rather than a violent volcanic eruption.
There is a definite sense of continuity at the new Bella Napoli, the prior concept merely growing into a new phase. The same red and white table cloths are draped across tables, and the dishes continue to be presented with simple, homely touches. Playing on a larger stage, Guido wants to bring in more theatricality, creating a flambé station to accompany the pizza counter already in place. This is one down-home Italian that's moving on up.
The Bottom Line: Keeping the same old favorites on the menu, Bella Napoli steps it up a notch to introduce its new Italian pizza experience.
