Canotto by The Pizza Show Brings Delectable Italian to Guomao
Pizza in Beijing! There's a lot of choices to be had in the Chinese capital. And now, there’s one more option added to the list that also serves up other great Italian fare to boot: Canotto.
Brought to you by the minds behind The Pizza Show, who have been bringing Neapolitan style sourdough pies with adventrous toppings on the sophisticated grounds of Parkview Green, Canotto is a simultaneous new project.
It’s been a couple of busy, joyful weeks with plenty of friends and fans on the fifth floor of the exclusive China World Mall. Read this interview with Brand Manager Liu, Pizzaiolo Kui and Master Baker Bian to get the scoop on the team’s new brain child.
Hi, team! Congratulations on the launch of Canotto. Speaking of which, we’re pretty curious about the name of your restaurant…
Master Baker Bian: Welcome to Canotto! Sure, let me explain to you how we chose the name for this new venue. So, a Canotto is an inflatable lifeboat. With this name, we want to allude to this Neapolitan style pizza dough that is very airy and bouncy; light and delicious. That’s exactly the kind of dough you can look forward to enjoying with us here, so we thought it was only right to name the restaurant after it.
Canotto may only have a few tables, but they sure have been packed on your grand opening. What is your concept here and why does it work so well?
Pizzaiolo Kui: So here’s the thing with pizza — we love quality and simplicity at their best. You know, when you have one of those monstrous pies laden with every kind of topping under the sun, all at once… we usually stay clear from those. A good, authentic pizza needs very little to stand out. A solid base that is naturally leavened, a few prime quality ingredients, that’s all. We’ve been serving Beijing well at The Pizza Show and we’ll continue to do so, but we were looking for a more traditional and minimalistic approach. We also really wanted to bring natural flavours to our table. And, that’s how Canotto came to be.
For instance, your outstanding, natural Italian wines. No sulfates, right?
Brand Manager Liu: Exactly, no sulfates. It’s been quite the experience for some of our customers, if I do say so myself. After all, doing away with sulfates means enjoying fresher flavours that cleanse the palate between enjoying bites of our menu. And, our natural wines pair perfectly with our naturally leavened sourdough.
I actually had the hardest time choosing what to order from that yummy menu. Those truffle fries are an absolute must, as were the breadsticks with freshly cut, paper-thin prosciutto. But, if you had to choose one item of each menu category —antipasti, pizza, pasta, dessert — what would your choice be and why?
Pizzaiolo Kui: It’s very hard to choose, right? Depends on the occasion, really, but you can’t go wrong with our anchovies and a glass of orange wine. Another surefire bet is our Bolognese parma fresh pasta with an Aperol. Lately, I’ve had a craving only for fresh pasta.
You’ve told us that the team is still figuring out future creations for the menu and refining details for a few of your favourite items. Tell us what’s in store for Canotto.
Brand Manager Liu: We would like to continue exploring the flavours that our customers enjoy and further develop pizza combinations and fresh pasta sauces.
We also understand that no reservations are needed, since the space is small. But, if our readers wanted to stay updated about Canotto and The Pizza Show, as well as your weekly sourdough bread offerings, how should they get in touch with you?
Master Baker Bian: As for sourdough bread, we run a WeChat group where I announce the weekly flavours and take pre-orders once a week. Our Sourdough x The Pizza Show WeChat group works by invite only due to its size; it’s busy there! Have a friend invite you, or let us add you in by adding the WeChat ID: 15727383943. If you have a craving for an interesting sourdough filling, let me know and let’s have a go at it! Our phone number is available on Dianping: 15811061503.
Canotto By The Pizza Show 卡诺托•披萨秀
Shop NL5013, 5/F, North District, China World Mall Bldg 17, Yrd 1, Jianguomenwai Street, Chaoyang District
建国门外大街1号院17号楼国贸商城北区五层NL5013铺位
READ: A Look at Some of the Best Pizza Deals in Beijing
Images courtesy of Canotto
