In the heart of Missouri street, you will find a rustic pizza joint dyed in earthy tones of browns and reds— from the wooden ceilings and walls, to the bricks that line the counter. A cozy red couch greets you at the entrance, and the place is filled with wooden tables and chairs, perfect for date night or a round with family and friends. Its name? Pizza Grigliata Manila.
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Pizza Grigliata Manila is the first pizza restaurant in the Philippines to introduce the grill-and-torch method in preparing their pizza— hence the name Grigliata, which is Italian for “grilled”.
Other restaurants use a conventional brick oven, but Pizza Grigliata uses a Brevelle Grill instead. It has a height adjustment option and can go up to 420 degrees of heat to melt cheese. The result is pizza that tastes like it was slow cooked in the oven Pugon-style— even though it just takes 5 minutes to cook!
From Bazaar to Restaurant
Pizza Grigliata Manila was first established in 2017 by husband and wife team Isabel and Edward Co with Chef Emman Galvez. Traveling Eats, which proudly hangs above their name, pays tribute to their humble beginnings— when they first started out as Pizza Yolo, a mobile stand with collapsible tables stationed in the Rockwell Grove bazaar.
Pizza Grigliata’s success could be attributed to two factors: their winning Quattro Formaggi pizza with Truffle Oil entry, which garnered a near-perfect score of 99.8 in the 2017 Ultimate Taste Test Pro Edition (UTT), and what Chef Emman calls a “unicorn branding” strategy. Pizza Grigliata did well in just a year of operations because they did the unconventional: finding clients first before opening a restaurant, relying heavily on word of mouth to generate buzz among foodies and using bazaars to get their brand across.
Pizza Grigliata aims to stand out against commercialized pizza that’s more dough than flavor. They focused on pizza because it’s universal, the same way cheese is found to be addictive. Put those two together, and you have a venture with a very strong potential to succeed—given the right combination of ingredients and flavors.
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Pizzas and So Much More!
Pizza Grigliata prides itself on the fact that it doesn’t just serve classics; rather, it comes up with new world concepts, which include East Meets West fusion flavors and unique combinations.
Pizzas may be what they’re known for, but their extensive menu includes a variety of salads, pastas and even chicken, which are made with locally-sourced ingredients to support sustainable farming and ensure fresh ingredients.
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Their pizzas start with a Roman flatbread-inspired dough, which accommodates more flavor than bread. Different ingredients can even go in the dough, such as squid ink or beets. Next are the toppings. These include a mix of Italian ingredients, cheeses, meats and a wildcard of unique ingredients. Once put together, the pizza is then torched on top to integrate a light char and some smokiness that add depth.
The result of this ingenious concept is a pizza that’s just right— not like the kind that leaves you feeling bloated. It really is “Pizza Made Sexy”, which has now become part of their tagline.
Must-try Dishes
These Top 5 Pizzas are tried and tested favorites that you definitely need to order!
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1. Quattro Formaggi Pizza with Truffle Oil (PHP320)- VEGETARIAN
This near-perfect winning entry (which I think deserves a 100 score) is as cheesy as it gets! It’s made with a two-cheese sauce plus a mix of Mozzarella, Gorgonzola and Parmesan cheeses. A light drizzle of truffle oil is added in to give the pizza an earthy flavor. The top is then torched to make it gooey and addicting!
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2. Prosciutto Arugula Pizza (PHP400)
If you’re looking for some meat to fill you up, this will do the trick. It features a squid ink dough topped with the quintessential tomato sauce and cheese tandem, plus thinly sliced salty bits of prosciutto and crisp peppery arugula leaves. Although dramatic in appearance, the flavors of the squid ink are subtle—it adds a slight briny taste but does not overpower the dish at all.
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3. Tequila Lime Chicken Pizza (PHP300)
This “Naked Pizza” doesn’t come with any sauce or cheese. It just has aromatic garlic oil and flavorful toppings of spiced chicken, pickled onions, green chili for a mild heat, plus some cilantro. This is one of their many fusion options, which takes inspiration from Mexican flavors.
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4. Margherita (PHP280)- VEGETARIAN
Margherita is an Italian classic featuring layers of pesto and tomato sauce, cheese, basil and slices of tomato. It’s a refreshing pizza with a touch of earthy herb flavors that blend well with the tartness of the tomatoes.
5. Kani Mango Pizza (PHP400)
This pizza takes inspiration from the East this time. The Hong Kong-style Hoisin Sauce gives a dramatic look to the pizza and adds sour-salty flavors. Cheese makes its appearance to add a bit of creaminess, along with Japanese salad essentials: kani, mango, leeks and Japanese mayo. The overall flavor profile is diverse and complex—a truly unique experience.
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Secret Sauce
Pizza Grigliata serves a special Honey Chili Sauce that works well with all pizzas—a multi-purpose sauce that you can only find here. It has a sticky consistency, much like honey, and tastes sweet and buttery, with chili to add some heat. This “butterball candy for grown-ups” brings out the flavors of your pizza and enhances the whole dining experience.
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Future Plans
What’s in store for Pizza Grigliata?
A new and improved menu, according to Chef Emman. He and his partners plan on adding more pizza combinations to their roster, along with other fusion dishes. The possibilities are endless with pizza, and they plan to maximize that.
Other than focus on Pizza Grigliata, they also plan on creating more bazaar startups, which cater to the Rockwell and Bonifacio Global City (BGC) market. If successful, these concepts will be opened as new restaurants.
Now all you can do is wait for what the creative minds behind Pizza Grigliata will surprise you with. And it will certainly be amazing.
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Pizza Grigliata Manila is located at 2/F 8 Missouri Street, San Juan City. For catering or bulk orders, you can contact them at (+63)917-549-7310 or via email at pizzagrigliata.manila@gmail.com.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pizzagrigliata.manila/
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