Holding the fort against pizza fundamentalism: Pa Pa Pizza review

For many people in Yangon, 2012 will be remembered as the year of the Great Ham and Pineapple Pizza War.

Played out on internet forums, it was the ugliest of rows, with the open-minded, pro-pineapple protectors of gustatory enlightenment facing off against the dark, regressive forces of anti-pineapple food fundamentalism, who would limit pizza toppings to wooly mammoth meat and other old-school ingredients favored by civilizations long in decline.

Throughout this protracted war of words, Pa Pa Pizza — whose original outlet is located in block C of Pearl Condominium on Kaba Aye Pagoda Road — courageously stood firm in its resolve to continue offering a wide range of choices to consumers in Yangon, and the Hawaii pizza has remained on the menu to this day.

As I like to say, “I don’t agree with your toppings of choice, but I will defend to the death your right to eat them,” and during a lunchtime visit to Pa Pa’s location on Nawaday Street, no one in our party of four expressed the least interest in having pineapple on their pie.

We were more interested in the Sicilian pizza that, according to the menu, could be ordered by the slice, but our attempt to do so was flummoxed by the fact that no slices were actually available for purchase.

Instead, we ordered four pies: chicken (K8000), vegetarian (K7000), three cheese (K7500) and pepperoni (K9500).

It’s safe to say that Pa Pa’s is pretty much the best place to go in Yangon for reasonably priced pizza. Chicken isn’t my favorite topping, as it’s usually a bit too dry — and this one was no exception — but the vegetarian and three cheese pies were beyond reproach. Even better was the pepperoni pizza, with thick chunks of tasty meat the likes of which are rarely seen on pizzas even in the West.

The new venue could use some small improvements. The restaurant as actually located down a narrow laneway, and first-time visitors might have difficulty spotting the small, low-lying sign amid the visual clamor of Nawaday Street.

The interior decor is a bit spare, despite the artwork on the walls, and some low-volume music would also nice.

The drink selection is quite limited, consisting of not much more than canned soft drinks, bottled beer and the dreaded Berri Estates boxed wine. Gelato Sole is available, but we were too stuffed with pizza to consider dessert. (Note: four pizzas is way too much for four people.)

The service wasn’t too bad by local standards but still had its quirks. Upon entering we were greeted by four waiters, who all dashed back to the kitchen as soon as the first person in our group ordered a pizza. It would have been nice for at least one of them to stick around for a few seconds to see if anyone else in our party wanted to order something.

Pa Pa Pizza
9B/F1 Nawaday Street, Dagon township, Yangon.
Tel 09-42112-4373, 01-376-907

Food: 8
Drink: 6
Atmosphere: 7
Service: 7
X Factor: 8
Value for Money: 8
Score Box: 8/10