RESTAURANT REVIEW
TEXT
SUSAN WONG
The lingering
aromas of
glowing wood
embers in a
pizza oven
brought back
memories of
my first pizza
experience.
LEFT
Mediterraneo wins
Most Popular Italian
restaurant at Taste
Awards 2015
Making your own pizza is one of
the ultimate cooking experiences.
Why? You’ve made the dough from
scratch – kneading, stretching,
tearing, reworking and repairing your hands have been in it. You’ve
made the sauce with patience,
shredded the mozzarella balls
without shaving off your fingertips
and stood guard resolutely in front
of the oven. It’s misshapen and
a little burnt on the edges, but it
doesn’t matter, because when you
finally dig in, you can smell and taste
the passion that went into it.
When I was in kindergarten, my
father joined me on one of my first
school trips. The mission? Learn how
to make pizzas at the neighbourhood
Pizza Pizza – a popular Canadian
franchise. At 4-years-old, I was
almost a year younger than most
of my classmates, and a lot smaller
in size – I could barely see over the
cold stainless steel counter. The
other kids worked at the countertops
with ease. I looked on in frustration
as my classmates sped through
the kneading of the dough, tossing
the balls of flour into the air (some
landing on the floor) and pressing
them out flat to make two 5-inch
pizzas - one for their parent and the
other for themselves.
I remember looking up at my
father feeling absolutely defeated.
“You can do this. Think outside of the
box,” he whispered in my ear. That’s
when I noticed two red milk crates
sitting underneath the workstation. I
flipped them over, stacked them on
each other, and my father found a
vacant large wooden cutting board
and placed it on top of my new
temporary workstation. He kneaded
the dough as I dusted the cutting
board with flour and sped through all
the toppings. As I watched intently
through the glass oven door - the
sight of shreds of mozzarella melting
and bubbling into the sauce, and
the smell of caramelized pepperoni
filling the kitchen – I thought to
myself that this was an unforgettable
experience.
“Welcome!” Annie of Mediterraneo
Gigiri warmly greeted me. The
lingering aromas of glowing wood
embers in a pizza oven brought
back memories of my first pizza
experience.
As I sat in candlelight in the garden
of this charming converted villa,
waiting for my companion to arrive,
I watched as other guests received
their food. There were Chef Matteo’s
specials and the expected Italian
dishes: antipasti, pasta and risotto.
But what received the most attention
were the pizzas including the special
meter-long ones – wood-fired and
thin crusted.
Ordering pizza was the obvious
choice. But first, we started with
Mozzarelline Fritte which were
crispy, golden brown, bread-crumbed
balls of homemade mozzarella. The
melting centers of the bite-sized
balls stretched into pliable, delicious
and fun strands; which were
perfectly complemented by a classic
spicy Napoletana Sauce.
There was the Vegetariana Pizza
topped with tomatoes, homemade
mozzarella, asparagus, zucchini,
aubergines, roast bell peppers,
cherry tomatoes and onions. Dusted
with a fresh crack of black pepper
tableside, the topping-laden pizza
was packed with flavour thanks to
the well-balanced fresh toppings
and a crispy thin crust. The simple
Parma Ham pizza arrived completely
covered by the thinly sliced cured
meat - the saltiness of the topping
softened by the tangy homemade
tomato sauce. A Biscuit Basket with
Vanilla and Raspberry Bavarian
Mousse paired with Vanilla Ice Cream
and fresh berries cleansed the
palate perfectly after such a savoury
experience.
What sets Mediterraneo Gigiri’s
pizza apart from the others is the
experience. When you get to taste
something that conjures up reclusive
childhood memories and stirs up
passion, that’s a sign of a great meal
in my books.
25.