New York Pizza Palace: A Plane-Free Trip to New York

Entrance of New York Pizza Palace (NYPP)

"Yattah! I love New York!" I get reminded of Hiro Nakamura shouting this famous line whenever I hear New York and wish that someday I'll be able to tour that part of the world. I was able to go there before but unfortunately, I wasn't able to go anywhere except for the Statue of Liberty so it has always been my frustration to be able to go back.

NY Iconic Wall

The Late Show with David Letterman also has a spot at the NY iconic wall. I love it!

Walking in New York Pizza Palace (NYPP) made me feel that I was in New York without having to take a plane. The place is amazingly lit just like the lights on the streets of New York. There are 17 TV screens showing parts of New York namely, Time Square, Fifth Ave. and Midtown, plus some LED boards showing the New York Stock Market, News and scores of different sports.

NYPP Server in a NY Yankees Uniform behind the jersey is the name DiMaggio #5.

All around the area there are graffiti, the sewage cover of New York, the street names and side walk of New York. The style of the menu is copied from the New York Subway Station. There's even a replica of the benches seen in New York Subway Stations. For an additional feel of New York, the screens play "Empire State of Mind" every hour and every 30-mins a compilation of different iconic New York films are being shown.

Graffiti

The street names of New York

A replica of New York's subway station bench

The impressive interior design and concept of New York in a box does not stop there. All the products are freshly prepared as you order except for pizza since pizza takes a long time to make. To guarantee the freshness of the product, there's no kitchen. Everything is prepared in front of the customers. Even though the food is prepared as you order, the food will be delivered to your table within a surprisingly fast 60 seconds after payment from the counter! It is truly amazing!

Pizza made in front of the customers

NYPP food choices (They will make it fresh for you)

The recipe of NYPP was developed by Chef O'Connor from the US who knows the authentic New York pizza taste. Eric Orland, Chairman of NYPP, was born in New York but lived in California. He always craved for New York pizza while living in California so he knew what proper NY pizza should taste like. Eric tried each and every recipe that Chef O'Connor made to ensure the perfect New York taste. Since NYPP is going to be here in Metro Manila, Eric also hired Chef Carlo Miguel to make sure that the New York taste will be suitable to the Filipino taste buds. Eric showed and explained to us the difference of an authentic New York pizza, "What makes a good quality pizza is the crispness of the product. You can hear the crisp when they cut it."

Four flavors pizza: Spicy Shrimp, Cheese, Triple Meat Lover, Mini Meatballs (All their pizzas are 18")

Eric also said that their group is planning to open 6 more branches this year and 60 - 65 stores in 5 years! They're not open to franchising but they are open for investors because they want to maintain managerial control to ensure the quality of their product.

Eric Orland, Chairman of NYPP, touring us around NYPP

My favorite pizzas from everything that I've tasted there are their Spinach & Artichoke (made with spinach and artichoke with mozzarella, romano, provolone cheese, breadcrumbs and basil leaves) and their White Pie (made with ricotta, mozzarella, romano cheeses with onions, bacon and thyme).

Four flavors pizza: Vodka Pie, Eggplant&Ricotta, Spinach&Artichoke, White Pie

Another favorite of mine is their appetizer called suppli. According to Eric, he first encountered this in Italy and thought it would be a great addition to the menu which I think he is correct! Suppli are deep fried rice balls with parmesan and cheddar cheese. It's part of the appetizer but I warn you that it's filling so better share it with your friends.

My favorite Suppli (They use Japanese rice which is deliciously perfect!)

Other must tries are their Sicilian Salad (whose dressing are made from scratch) and Chicken Wings (it's crispy and full of sauce).

Other food choices besides pizza

NYPP is open from 9am - 4am daily. It is located at A. Venue, Makati Avenue near J.P Rizal St. For delivery, contact 720-5977. For more information visit http://www.newyorkpizzapalace.com/.