Like hamburger and fries, pizza has become a favorite food among Filipinos. Through the years, Filipinos’ taste buds have become so accustomed to pizza’s standard flavors, like Hawaiian, ham and cheese, and pepperoni. Sadly, with those flavors in the menu of most pizza restaurants, having one for lunch or dinner has become a ho-hum, ordinary experience.
That was before Steveston Pizza came to the Philippines in 2013. The artisanal pizzeria came from Vancouver, Canada. There guests enjoy the crafted pizzas bursting with quality and flavor.
“Steveston Pizza does not create ordinary pizzas. Our pizzas are not made but are crafted. Our ingredients are chosen in such a way that together they produce a harmony of flavors and it is almost a re-imagining of what a pizza may taste like,” says Richard Go, owner of Steveston Pizza Philippines.
Indeed, Steveston Pizza has elevated the humble and ordinary pizza into a work of art, so says, Go.
Guests know the difference between an ordinary pizza and a Steveston pizza with just one look and a quick bite.
“The pizza crust is light, fluffy and chewy, not thin, crunchy or crispy; it is neither thick, starchy nor gummy. All our ingredients are fresh and of the utmost quality. For example, our pineapples are always fresh and never canned,” he says.
Steveston Pizza has become a destination in itself. There are unique and delicious pizza flavors, currently more than 30. Guests experience the flavors of the world under one roof.
Among the best-sellers are the Princess Pizza, which has tiger prawns, crab meat, cheese, shrimp, essence of pernod and tomato salsa, and the C2 pizza, which features prosciutto ham, brie, semi-dried roma tomatoes and a dollop of roasted garlic mousse. There is also the C0 pizza, which has smoked in-house salmon, fresh spinach, golden baked potatoes, and a sour cream dressing.
Indeed, a mere glance at the ingredients is enough to let people know that these pizzas are no joke.
Other delicious offerings include: Elements: water, fire, earth, wind; Colors: black, blue, green, pink, orange; Journeys: Canadian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, Hawaiian, Mediterranean, French, Italian; and All-time Favorite: the Caveman.
“Our guests love the Caveman because of its generous all-meat toppings and the Japanese for its unique flavor profile. The blue pizza featuring Stilton blue cheese mousse is also notable. Even if you are not a blue cheese fan, you will love our blue pizza,” Go stresses.
Steveston Pizza Philippines is the first international franchisee of the original Steveston Pizza in Vancouver, Canada. Located in the picturesque fishing village of Steveston, the pizza house is considered by locals and tourists as one of the main attractions in the area.
Go, who frequents Vancouver, says he fell in love with the pizzas the first time he tasted them. Steveston Pizza in Canada owner Nader Hatami is a celebrated chef who created the original recipes awarded as the Best Pizza by the Richmond Review from 2008 to 2015. Various international publications hail Hatami’s pizzas as “pure poetry,” with “ingredients that sing freshness,” and that his “pizzas are not made but crafted.”
Steveston Pizza is known for creating the most expensive pizza in the world that is commercially available. The pizza, which costs $450, features lobster thermidor and black Alaskan cod with a side of Russian Osetra caviar and must be ordered a day ahead.
Not one to rest on his laurels, Hatami has recently introduced the Seenay pizza that costs $850 and consists of a medley of tiger prawns, lobster ratatouille, smoked steelhead, Russian Osetra caviar and is snowed with Italian white truffles.
Go stresses that these creations emphasize Steveston Pizza’s willingness to innovate and push the boundaries of what a pizza can be. He assures his clients, though, that Steveston Pizza is quite affordable despite the quality and exotic nature of its ingredients and amount of effort it takes to create. All pizzas come in 12 slices and prices range from P350 to P1,899.
For a decadent slice of the C2 pizza that features prosciutto, you only have to pay P120. The classic cheese pizza, which is elegant in its simplicity, is less than P30 per slice.
Guests can also be assured of the quality of the pizzas since Hatami constantly makes the trip from Vancouver to Manila to ensure that his rigorous standards are being maintained.
Go says they are mulling expansion plans and are open for franchising in other ASEAN countries.
For now, he is inviting food lovers to try Steveston Pizza at U.P. Town Center, the Corinthian Gardens Clubhouse, and Circuit Lane in Makati.
“The best pizza of Canada is here in town,” he says.
