Gallery of Finds: January 2011

As a major cheese lover, naturally, I enjoy pizzas with loads of cheese! It can be pizza with 'authentic' and imported cheeses. Or it can simply be the processed type that you find in local groceries here in Manila. For me, cheese is cheese. As to which one I prefer, it really depends on the day and my mood. ;-)

For the real deal when it comes to cheeses, we often go to hotel buffets for those. Or for pizzas with loads of mozarella, we either head to Yellow Cab or Brooklyn Pizza. But when I'm craving for processed cheese (you better believe it! ;-), we often head to our trusted Lot'sAPizza stall. Their pizzas remind me of the ones that I used to eat as snacks in our cafeteria when I studied in La Salle. I was only in that school until Grade 4 but nonetheless, I still had a lot of fond memories there. And it's these type of pizzas that bring back those many memories with my childhood friends, which, thanks to Facebook, I still keep in touch with up now! ;-) If you grew up in the Philippines, I think you know which type of pizza I'm talking about. They're the pizzas with thin and super soft crusts -- almost like bread, actually. It comes with processed ham to go with the processed cheese and sweet tomato sauce. ;-) Yes, it goes against everything that a pizza should be right? ;-) More than anything, it's catered to the Filipino palate that hates anything bland and subtle when it comes to flavors. For most of you, you might even feel a bit grossed out if you're not used to this type of cuisine. I'm not always fond of these flavors. I still opt for subtle flavors. But for my guilty pleasure, these type of pizzas are my go-to ones for comfort food. I just loooove them! ;-)

Well, for years, we've been going to Lot'sAPizza for these type of pizzas. We've been finding though that each time we order, the cheese keeps getting sparser and sparser! Even if we pay to add extra cheese, it's still not as cheesy as it used to be.

So you can imagine how excited my husband and I got when we came across this great find at Cash & Carry. Not only is the location convenient to us since it's in Makati, but the pizza is SOOOO much better than Lot'sAPizza's! Have a look at the family size Ham and Cheese Pizza that we ordered below. ;-)

It's from a stall called Patricia's Pizza on the ground floor of Cash & Carry. You'll find it outside the grocery store -- on the opposite side of National Bookstore. You'll find it on your way to the washroom.

That's how we found the stall, actually. On our way to the washroom, we got curious because there was a whole line up on this stall. And poor thing, there was only one guy acting as cashier and cook! Or should I say 'pizza heater'? ;-) The pizzas were all ready in their boxes and just had to be heated up. But don't be turned off by that. It seems that the turnover is quick. I'm sure the pizzas were freshly baked.

Anyway, would you believe that we got that whole thing for only 110 pesos??!?? And it's soooo good! The cheese oozes and when you grab a slice you can see strings of cheese resisting. ;-) The crust is a little thick yet soft and chewy. The sauce, on the other hand, just has the right hint of sweetness. Not overpowering at all. Best of all, they don't scrimp on the toppings. There's enough ham and the cheese is just all over! ;-) It was a family size pizza but believe it or not, Jojo and I finished it between the two of us. I had 3 slices and Jojo had the rest. (Sorry for 'outing' you hon!) ;-) We practically inhaled the whole thing in the car on our way to my in-laws. The whole thing was gone just right before we got to Pasay. ;-)

Why not give it a try and if you grew up in the Philippines, be transported to your childhood like I was? ;-) Who would have guessed how, many years later, the distinct smell and taste of school cafeteria food can give us comfort and a smile on our faces? ;-)

Curious yet? ;-) Check out the pizza box below to locate the nearest Patricia's Pizza outlet. ;-)