New Fancy Schmancy Wood Fire Oven Pizza Place Opening In Jomtien!

[Jingthing]

Sure, you can cook a bad pizza from good ingredients, but can you cook a good pizza from bad ingredients?

Obviously, generally not, short of the chef being a magician.

The question reminds me of an American reality tv show where they would make chefs grab ingredients from garbage dumpsters (!) under time limit and then cook up what they could from the ingredients and I think I recall serving it up to unsuspecting eaters for judging. Or something like that. Sometimes they made decent stuff and sometimes, well ... garbage.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Jingthing

[stailmanki]

Sure, you can cook a bad pizza from good ingredients, but can you cook a good pizza from bad ingredients?

Obviously, generally not, short of the chef being a magician.

The question reminds me of an American reality tv show where they would make chefs grab ingredients from garbage dumpsters (!) under time limit and then cook up what they could from the ingredients and I think I recall serving it up to unsuspecting eaters for judging. Or something like that. Sometimes they made decent stuff and sometimes, well ... garbage.

Yuk , in the Phillipines they have an industry cooking up all the left overs from the fast food chain's trash bins ( Pag Pag) it's the only food some people can afford.

Back to pizza; I hope the new place does not spoil the pizza by making it too fancy-shmancy , it's close to where I live & I will judge them on the simple sauce cheese limited topping type that I like.

[Jingthing]

I'm sure they'll have a basic choice.

[marinediscoking]

I am not a pizza expert but the three best cities I have had pizza in were:

Napels

New york

Chicago

They are all completly different in how they go about making pizza's. Having said that I have never had a pie outside one of those cities to be autentic when they claim to have chicago style in Miami.

In Naples a pie cooks in about 1.5 minutes..45 seconds on each side before tuning it. Yes some people think that they are a little burnt but this is true with all wood buring ovens because of the high tempurates the wood coals produce. Many people think they are dry also. The Hopf house brew house on beach rd. claims to be an "neopolitan style" pizza. There mananger is autualy from Napels and it is very good.

New York pizza is greasy most Euro's point out. If one points a slice pointing down oil will drip off, excellint pizza none the less. NY pizza house is not NY city style but it is the best "american style pizza" I have tried in Thailand.

No where in Thailand have i seen a Chicago stuffed pizza.

Pizza is very subjective to people, from reading various threads on tv, people seem to prefer the style they are familar with.

[Jingthing]

To do a real Chicago pizza as you would find in Chicago, they would have to charge 1000 baht here due to the volume of cheese. How many could they sell? I agree have never had a great Chicago style outside of Chicago even at chains from Chicago! For New York style and Italian wood fired styles, I have had great pizzas outside of New York and Italy (yes I have experience eating pizzas in Italy but not specifically Naples).

I only ate at Hopf once and had a calzone. It was very good. I don't like the touristy atmosphere but I reckon their pizzas are good too.

Edited January 3, 2012 by Jingthing

[tropo]

There is no such thing as a 'bad' pizza. Just 'good' and 'great' pizzas.

So you're suggesting you can't tell a good pizza from a bad one?

I reckon there are only bad pizzas and average ones here. I certainly don't think a wood fired oven will make any difference.

[Jingthing]

There is no such thing as a 'bad' pizza. Just 'good' and 'great' pizzas.

So you're suggesting you can't tell a good pizza from a bad one?

I reckon there are only bad pizzas and average ones here. I certainly don't think a wood fired oven will make any difference.

OMG, yes Virginia, there are bad pizzas.

[seasia]

Really? Cool. For American style pizza, Deli-zza on Soi 8 Jomtien is quite excellent.

Hello

Have you been to either of Pizza Italy on soi Excite or La Grotta soi 33 naklua?

If so how does Deli-zza compare?

I`ve never tried Deli-zza, might give it a go.

Thanks.

[Jingthing]

Really? Cool. For American style pizza, Deli-zza on Soi 8 Jomtien is quite excellent.

Hello

Have you been to either of Pizza Italy on soi Excite or La Grotta soi 33 naklua?

If so how does Deli-zza compare?

I`ve never tried Deli-zza, might give it a go.

Thanks.

No I haven't. In my opinion, Deli-zza is an interpretation of a New York style pizza so I reckon you would find it different than Italian style pizzas.

[Darrel]

The new place seems to have been finished for several days now, but not much sign of it opening.

I would have expected them to get on with it, to get the full benefit of high season. The hordes will be gone in a month or two.

[Jingthing]

The new place seems to have been finished for several days now, but not much sign of it opening.

I would have expected them to get on with it, to get the full benefit of high season. The hordes will be gone in a month or two.

I agree. Its doubtful they planned to miss high season. Perhaps some legal snags, staffing issues, whatever.

[Darrel]

They already missed out completely on Xmas/New Year. The places next door like Linda's were charging many hundreds for their special menus and they seemed to be full.

[SurfRider]

.

If you're referring to a place next to Linda's -- named something like "Katta-2" -- They're open tonight (Wednesday) - quite an extensive and varied menu -- pizza from 180 to 280+ -- a lot of pasta -- fairly busy.

.

Edited January 4, 2012 by SurfRider

[Darrel]

The new place in the subject (and the one I was referring to) is a few doors down from Linda's, very near the Hanuman statue. Anything less than a minute's walk is next-door to me.

There was some scaffolding up earlier this evening; fiddling around with the canopy, I think.

[Jingthing]

No, not talking about Kotta 2. As noted in the OP, the new yet to be opened restaurant is called LA BOCCA Italian restaurant and wood fire oven pizzeria. I looked at the Kotta 2 menu. Not my style. Maybe good but I find the menu way too generic international tourist. Also of course tourist prices.

[ericg1953]

La Bocca is now open...I have driven by the last 2 nights and the tables were 75% full...A field report with some pricing would be great

[Darrel]

La Bocca is now open...I have driven by the last 2 nights and the tables were 75% full.

I'm sure that when I walked past yesterday evening on my way to Soi 5 there were just a couple of girls (staff?) on the terrace eating Thai takeaway in styrofoam packs.

Maybe I'm hallucinating.

[Jingthing]

It's open.

Pizzas about 200 (marinara no cheese) to 300. For the most part mid 200s.

Very sophisticated modern Italian menu.

Pastas, main courses, desserts.

Fish and seafood dishes.

Fried calamari.

Lasagna, three kinds about 200 to 240 baht.

Deal breaker for some: service charge 10 percent added to bill

Tax included in bill.

Edited January 10, 2012 by Jingthing

[MZurf]

La Bocca is now open...I have driven by the last 2 nights and the tables were 75% full.

I'm sure that when I walked past yesterday evening on my way to Soi 5 there were just a couple of girls (staff?) on the terrace eating Thai takeaway in styrofoam packs.

Maybe I'm hallucinating.

Hunger could do that to you. Hunger, and/or subsisting on food that costs less than 20 Baht per meal. Take my advice; pay more!!

[ericg1953]

La Bocca is now open...I have driven by the last 2 nights and the tables were 75% full.

I'm sure that when I walked past yesterday evening on my way to Soi 5 there were just a couple of girls (staff?) on the terrace eating Thai takeaway in styrofoam packs.

Maybe I'm hallucinating.

Hunger could do that to you. Hunger, and/or subsisting on food that costs less than 20 Baht per meal. Take my advice; pay more!!

Haha..It was about 8:30pm when I passed by the last 2 nites..if the food is good the pricing seems fair

[dk40]

I had enjoyed my meal at La Bocca until the bill came and I'm sorry guys but 160 baht for a plate of Chips is a rip off, I'll never go back

Edited January 25, 2012 by dk40

[Darrel]

Were they good chips?

[Jingthing]

Chips at an Italian restaurant? Why?

Anyway, after repeated visits, it gets my thumbs up! Also good value.

The pizzas are Italian style so if you must have American style every time, don't eat there.

(Sticking to pizzas, pastas, etc. Haven't tried their meat courses or chip orders and never will.)

Edited January 25, 2012 by Jingthing

[pauljones]

Nice place.

I have tried the pizza and the rest of the menu looks awesome.

Potential to be crowned the #1 Italian restaurant in Pattaya I say.

[Darrel]

Chips at an Italian restaurant? Why?

Why not?

I dont care what nationality the place is as long as whatever food it produces tastes good. If they want to put chips on the menu that's fine by me.

[Jingthing]

Chips at an Italian restaurant? Why?

Why not?

I dont care what nationality the place is as long as whatever food it produces tastes good. If they want to put chips on the menu that's fine by me.

The point is that it is extremely silly to base your overall judgment of an ITALIAN restaurant on their chips or the price of their chips. Would you say a BRITISH restaurant is useless because their PIZZA was overpriced?

[sunshinegirl]

I had enjoyed my meal at La Bocca until the bill came and I'm sorry guys but 160 baht for a plate of Chips is a rip off, I'll never go back

You should have looked at the prices on the menu.before ordering them.......... I enjoyed my meal. Nice menu not to badly priced

[Jingthing]

Yes, the prices are not cheap but also not overly expensive. Because there is good quality offered, that's why I call it a good value. Also there is a 10 percent service charge added but tax is included.

[jehricaholic]

Yes, the prices are not cheap but also not overly expensive. Because there is good quality offered, that's why I call it a good value. Also there is a 10 percent service charge added but tax is included.

wb from 'vacation' JT

[Darrel]

The point is that it is extremely silly to base your overall judgment of an ITALIAN restaurant on their chips or the price of their chips. Would you say a BRITISH restaurant is useless because their PIZZA was overpriced?

Not useless, but maybe I would call it expensive. It all depends on whether I want to order the pizza there or not.

I've been to places where I have eaten fairly well, for a fair price, but to which I wouldnt return because they overcharge on some ancillary item like water.

I also regularly go to several places that I know charge an absolute fortune for some things that I dont like and never order, because they sell the things I like at the right price.

There's no law that says you cant eat chips with Italian food, or with Indian food or any other food.