Houhai's Haven: Neapolitan Pizza with a Touch of Gulou

With the Launch Party behind us and another few days before voting begins in the 2015 Pizza Cup, we continue our Pizza Profile series, introducing some of Beijing's best pizzas. Today we talk to Luca, the pizzaiolo at Haven, our favorite Houhai newcomer.

How long have you plied the trade? 
I started cooking 10 years ago in the kitchen at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. After that I cooked in the US and Italian embassies before working in restaurants in Naples for two years. I’ve been at Haven since it opened two months ago.

What’s your pizza style/philosophy?
I don’t really have a pizza philosophy. I tried my first margherita pizza in Naples and made quite a few while I was working there. Margheritas are a good way to test a restaurant’s pizzas. There’s no fancy ingredients on a margherita. The dough and the sauce have to be perfect.
 

In a market crowded with over 100 different pizza shops, what do you do to stand out?
It takes three days to make really tasty pizza dough. Also, the type of tomatoes you use (from Italy) have a big impact on the flavor of your sauce. I don’t think many of Beijing’s 100+ pizza shops are thinking about these details. Also, we’re a bar. So you can get decent drinks while you eat.

Neapolitan, New York style, Sicilian, Chicago style, Roman, Californian.. What’s your style?
Gulou style.

Thick vs Thin: What’s your take?
Both. Why choose?

What’s the secret to your sauce?
Saucery.

What kind(s) of cheese do you use and why?
Italian mozzarella. And ricotta on our Quattro Stagioni. 

Tell us about your standard pizza.
Name: Margherita.
Thick or thin crust: Thinish.
Type of sauce: Our own sauce made from Italian tomatoes and basil we grow ourselves.
Types of cheese: Mozzarella.
What other things make it special? Love.

Tell us about your most creative pizza.
Name: Quattro Stagioni (pictured at top).
Thick or thin crust: Thickish.
Type of sauce: Same sauce as on the Margherita.
Types of cheese: Mozzarella and ricotta.

What other things make it special?
One quarter of the pizza is covered with salami, one quarter with olives, one quarter with marinated eggplant and one quarter with ricotta. It’s a great pizza for people who don’t believe in choosing.

Are you offering any specials during the voting period of the pizza cup?
You can get two pizzas for the price of one, every night during the voting period. Vote for Haven!

Check out our Pizza Profiles series to educate your taste buds before voting begins in the 2015 Pizza Cup this weekend, October 25.

Photos: Haven