BJ Pizza Wars II: Eatalia v Pyro Pizza

Welcome, welcome to another round of the gut-busting, cheese-guzzling spectacle known as BEIJING PIZZA WARS. This week, your host (me!) takes you back to basics. Back to just the cheese, the sauce, the delicate sprinkle of McCormick's Powdered Herb Mix: the humble yet noble Margherita. Or alternatively, as we've seen on Beijing menus, the Margarita [sic], the Margeareta [sic], the Margoria [sic], et cetera. I'm still not sure about that last one.

Today, I'll be taking you on a 'Wu-side story: instead of the Sharks and the Jets, we have Eatalia and Pyro Pizza. One is still a fledgling, the other has been servicing twentysomethings since forever ago (aka 2007). There'll be no love affair here, just a knock-down, drag-out, fresh-outta-the-oven showdown between two western warriors. Ole!

In the Red Corner: Margherita, Eatalia (RMB 23, big slice)

Style: Jauntily crackin' Neapolitan. Admittedly, it's not 100% autentico: I saw neither basil nor olive oil. Then again, given the results when we Googled up on 'Neapolitan' (that, dear Reader, I do not believe ever sunned itself on the sweet shores of Naples,) we'll take it.

Crust: Super-thin and ultra-crunchable, with a rustic hint of char on the edges and bottom. A judicious level of saltiness, except where the crust has bubbled a little, where it tastes like delicious trapped air. Also probably good for people who are afraid of carbohydrates.

Cheese & sauce: Jackson Pollock meets mozzarella. Sauce tastes like it was actually made from tomatoes, with a slightly acidic hint of sweetness. Essentially, Tomato Undoctored, with the cheese just a support act. The dairy-fiend in me wants to whinge for more of the white stuff, but as it is, everything harmonizes well.

Toppings: A hint of dried oregano. Points off, as technically margherita pizza should involve basil. Points on, however, for understanding restraint.

Satisfaction: A++. Three of these 'big slices' shared by two hits the spot, and provides satisfaction without the heaviness that typically accompanies the post-pizza period. Excellence sans food coma. And at this price point, even an added cab fare out to Wudaokou is not unjustifiable. A damn good show.

Morning after: Highly inadvisable. You will be miserable, if somewhat fuller. Limp crust and a soggy middle, petrified by the unforgiving refrigerating machine.

Next up ...

In the Blue Corner: Margarita, Pyro Pizza (RMB 62, medium)

Style: "Frat boy" pizza. This is the sort of pizza that they serve in American movies about college (and precocious high-schoolers) with beer in those red plastic cups. American readers, holla at me: Are those red cups really so ubiquitous? And am I bad person, for having seen all three American Pie movies and none of the Rocky flicks? Don't answer that last one.

Crust: A smidgen on the hard side, with what could have been a crunch reduced to a crush. The dough was stubborn in giving way. However, the base stayed nice and dry throughout the eating experience.

Cheese & sauce: The best part. Lots of cheese, melted flat and a hearty dose of the red stuff. Sauce was definitely savory, juiced up with some herbiness. A little like spaghetti sauce, which I am definitely not opposed to. There was so much sauce that the nicely browned cheese could almost move about independently above a flood of ragu, sailing atop the red sea.

Toppings: Basil, oregano, and it must be said, oil. Tons and tons of the stuff, in a slightly alarming shade of traffic-cone orange. The basil was almost indiscernible, but the herbs were a nice touch. They did the job.

Satisfaction: A medium looks to be the right size for two "lighter" ladies, but you'd need to up it to a large to feed the aforementioned frat boys. I made it through two full slices before giving up and resorting to scraping the sauce-smothered cheese off, and eating that. Yes, Pyro, I was that girl doing that thing to her pizza. Sorry about that. What did get in my mouth, however, was pretty good.

Morning after: Large amounts of oil appears to aid the preservation process. The flavors are somehow stronger once I get past the chill of the coldbox. The crust is a little blah, but this is cold pizza, people.

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Entirely different pies, matched mostly on the dubious merit of being on the other side of Tiananmen. An American friend suggested that if you're American, you might prefer Pyro. The sauce is good, the cheese particularly raft-like (really, it's remarkable) and they have lots and lots of beer. On the other hand, Eatalia is all natural light and class, and what it doesn't have in beer, it makes up in mindblowing ravioli. And if you're knocking back the Neapolitan, you might as well pour a nice red. It's only fair.

Verdict? It'll be a controversial one, but my vote goes to Eatalia.

Watch this space next Monday for more cheese-alicious Pizza Wars goodness!

Photos: Susan Sheng