Pizza Profiles: Square's the Thing for Houhai's Hutong Pizza

In the run-up to the Beijinger's 2015 Pizza Cup, we are profiling some of the best pies in Beijing so that you, our faithful readers, can try as many as possible before we ask you to make your choice for the best. Today we tell you about the pizzas on offer at Hutong Pizza, one of the restaurants selling their wares at our two-day pizza festival Oct 17-18 at Galaxy Soho. Wang Kunsong, the restaurant's owner, tells us about what makes Hutong Pizza's pies special:

How long have you plied the trade?
I ate a lot before this job, but my first time getting involved in making pizzas was when we started our restaurant. We started in 2003, right after SARS. That was a difficult time for people living in China, but it was also a surprisingly easy time to start a restaurant in Beijing. The crisis caused the economy to slow down, so the government encouraged business to develop, and government agencies sped up all the approval processes. It was also a good time for Houhai, where our restaurant is located. People were afraid of the air in enclosed spaces during SARS, so people didn't want to go to clubs in Sanlitun as much. Houhai had a lot of open space and trees and water, so a lot of people started coming here.

What's your style/pizza philosophy?
We're hutong style. Two people were involved in developing our pizza: our first chef, who was from Canada, made the prototypes. Later we had a second chef from England who improved on the recipes. Neither of them are from Italy, New York, or Chicago, so their pizzas didn't follow a traditional style. Instead, our pizzas are "hutong style" -- in recent years, a lot of people from other countries have come to Beijing and the hutongs are an area where they gather and take in a lot of different cultures.

We use fresh, seasonally-sourced local vegetables and other ingredients. But all of our pizzas are pretty standard. By standard, I mean pizzas can be like cars -- plenty of car companies say we have this new technology or that, but the actual production is standardized, and has been tested and perfected over time. That process of standardization takes a lot of wisdom from many people to come up with, and that will sufficiently support the tastes and likings of all kinds of customers.

As far as my philosophy is concerned, I like to keep in mind that eating is eating, and it's a very basic idea. The atmosphere, decoration, and service are added value, but the most important value that a restaurant can offer is the taste of its food. So we focus on the taste.

In a market crowded with over 100 different pizza shops, what do you do to stand out?
We try not to view ourselves as a business, and to remember that what's important is the way we live. I provide housing for my staff, I care about how they live, because if they are well, then they'll work well and be happier.

Thick vs Thin: What's your take?
Thin crust, mainly because that is easier to make with the oven we use.

What's the secret to your sauce?
We use fresh tomatoes, and sometimes other ingredients like pesto, depending on the pizza.

What kind(s) of cheese do you use and why?
Mozzarella and cheddar mostly, with feta and some other kinds on certain pizzas.

Tell us about your standard pizza.
Name: Cheese and tomato                       
Thick or thin crust? Thin
Type of sauce? Regular fresh tomato sauce
Type(s) of cheese? Mozzarella and cheddar cheese
What makes it special? This is a very simple, classic style pizza. Kids who are picky eaters will love it -- cheese and kids don't lie, man.
How many sizes does it come in? We sell square pizzas. Our small is 30x30cm (RMB 78), and our large is 30x50 (RMB 119).

Tell us about your most unique pizza.
Name: Mediterranean                       
Thick or thin crust? Thin
Type of sauce? Tomato sauce with pesto
Type(s) of cheese? Mozzarella and feta
What other things make it special? It's also topped with roasted aubergine, courgette, pepperoni, and olives.
How many sizes does it come in? Small 30x30 (RMB 92), large 30x50 (RMB 138).

Come sample slices from Hutong Pizza and 16 other pizza makers at our two-day pizza festival Oct 17-18 at Galaxy Soho.

Images courtesy of Hutong Pizza