At first, Peperoni gave me an impression that it’s either a brand from the US or from somewhere in Italy. It was only during my visit to their first Philippine branch, in Uptown Mall Bonifacio Global City, that I found out the brand came from not so far away land, Singapore.

Peperoni was established in 2004 by Singapore’s Les Amis Group. The first humble branch was located in Greenwood Singapore, far from the tourist spots but close to the locals. The idea is to serve customers their best wood-fired pizza in a casual, vibrant and friendly all-day Italian dining ambiance. In Singapore, Peperoni is not one of the mainstream pizza chains, but they’ve gained loyal followers who visit them often, whether in big or small groups.

 Here in Manila, we are welcoming to every arrival of newcomers in the food industry. Familiar or unfamiliar with the brand, what matters to us is the food. Should meet our taste and quality expectations and worth the price.

During my first visit to Peperoni, O (my forever date) and good friend Cristel joined me for a pizza feast. It was Cristel’s first time to join me “Food Scout”, so I had to warn her to prepare her fit belly. Hehe.

Owner Andrew Chan also dined with us and shared with us his fascination with Peperoni’s pizza, even before bringing the brand to the Philippines. Back when he was still studying in Singapore, he was already one of those loyal customers of Peperoni. What a surprise to him when his dad wanted to bring the Singaporean brand to the Philippines. Who else will manage Peperoni but him.

Andrew of Peperoni took us to the hot kitchen and showed us how they create their signature thin crust wood-fired pizza. The secret lies in its dough, which took them years to perfect. Together with their homemade tomato sauce, special cheese mix and fresh toppings, Peperoni believes every pizza lover wouldn’t resist a slice. Kudos to the kitchen staff who can stay the whole day enduring the heat coming out from the oven. I only stayed for a short time and my forehead was already perspiring. :))

We started with the thinly coated deep-fried Calamari Fritti, paired with lemon mayo and arrabbiata sauce.

Carrying the name “Peperoni“, it’s a sure must-try their Diavola Pizza or Pepperoni Pizza. We did have high expectations, expecting the classic pepperoni to amaze us. So I used my clean hand to get a slice of Diavola Pizza and didn’t add any condiments for my first bite. Wow! The thin crust makes the simple pepperoni and cheese stand out. It has a distinct flavorful taste, a positive reaction we all agreed on after tasting our first Diavola Pizza.

Pizza Price
9″ Medium – Php 395
12″ Large – Php 565
21″ XXL – Php 1250

Bacon is a star in my feed, I’m guessing in yours too. We Filipinos have a weakness for bacon that we double tap anything bacon-related online. Bacon Miele is a special flavor created just for the Filipino palette, a blend of both sweet and salty. Topped with bacon, honey, fresh oregano and gouda cheese, you’re probably eyeing on this flavor the next time you take a trip to Peperoni.

You may choose to combine 2 flavors in one Large or XXL pie. Here’s a tip. If you come in groups and want more varieties in a pie, opt for either a Large or an XXL pizza size. For our Large pizza, first I chose was Prosciutto Crudo simply because I saw the word prosciutto! In my language, prosciutto is my kind of bacon! On the other hand, I chose Pancetta because it sounded breakfast to me, with cured bacon, sliced tomatoes and soft egg on top. I recommend both flavors!

Essential to every Italian joint is also a bowl of pasta. Cristel chose Pasta Alle Vongole, spaghetti noodles with venus clams in white wine sauce.

I was in the mood for something more bold and hmm different, so I had this Pasta Al Nerro di Seppia in our order list. Composed with squid rings, garlic and tomatoes in squid ink, I expected the squid ink flavor to be more striking than this.

Smooth and creamy Panna Cotta with real vanilla grains and strawberries added to the highlight of our Peperoni experience. I love its simplicity, the real strength of this unfortunately “uninstagrammable” plate.

I assumed a more moist chocolate Tortino Al Cioccolato. Although the rich chocolate combined with cold vanilla ice cream compensated for that. Between the 2 desserts I tried, I’d recommend ending the dinner with Panna Cotta.

The atmosphere, decorated with plants and lovely words, totally magnets anyone who passes by. Couples, families or friends won’t be intimidated by the bright and cheerful ambiance. O, Cristel and I felt at home in Peperoni. We lost track of time and didn’t notice we were comfortably chitchatting over great pizza for more than 4 hours. Haha!

Recommended Dishes: All pizza flavors, most especially the Diavola (pepperoni) and Pancetta!

What do you think of Peperoni?

Share with me your thoughts! 🙂

Cheers,

Food	8/10
Ambiance	9/10
Service	8/10
Cost	8/10
Overall	8.25/10