Zorawar Kalra launches gourmet pizza kitchen

OG pepperoni

Pizza in the car, on fake wheels, in DIY boxes and with the most desi of toppings - diners craving for a slice while locked up at home has meant that city brands have upped their game in two years. The newest kid on the block is restaurateur Zorawar Kalra's cloud kitchen, Slyce. The founder and MD of Massive Restaurants Pvt Ltd reveals that he's spent two years perfecting the dough, getting the science behind delivering pizzas right, and playing with flavours. "It's very easy to serve fresh out-of-the-oven pizza in a restaurant, but for delivery, a lot more thought has to go in as it has to travel well. I always thought that a gourmet pizza experience at home was missing here," he reasons, egging us to explore the new launch that includes hand-made sausages, a three-cheese blend, and a fun medley of toppings, ranging from mac and cheese, Hass avocado slices and bacon and eggs, to gold varq.

Caramelised onion and chevre

In a market flooded with quirky, and sometimes, bizarre packaging, the black pizza party-themed boxes caught our eye. Quite a few heads turn as we carry the 10-inch pizzas to our office desk, thanks to the heady aroma of truffle. Each pizza (available in seven, 10 and 12 inches) is accompanied by an array of complimentary sides, including pepperoncini, hot red paprika, toum sauce, jalapeño mayo, oregano and chilli flakes. "The condiments allow you to make every bite your own," Kalra explains.

Gold-leafed lobster white top

Glistening inside a box that reminds us of Diwali hampers is the gold-leafed lobster white top pizza (Rs 1,995) that is drizzled with truffle oil. The melt-in-the-mouth butter-poached lobster and prawns bianco on a crispy, charry thin crust brings back delicious memories of seafood pizza by the sea in Kochi and Pondicherry. It's an expensive offering in our quest for seafood pizzas in town; we'd prefer if they lose the gold and serve just the lobster.

Truffle tart with the condiments

For those who are eternally in search of the perfect pizza side, Slyce's fluffy cheese garlic bread (Rs 225) does a fair job; we couldn't get enough of dunking it in the soothing toum sauce. The flavourful chicken karage (Rs 535) pizza comes on a bed of San Marzano tomato sauce, mozzarella, basil and paprika. The Japanese fried chicken nuggets are addictive, but keep rolling out of the slices to our dismay. The caramelised onion and chevre (Rs 545) is a sweet-crunchy combination that we would have enjoyed more had the toppings been less stingy. We make up for it with generous bites of the cheesy black truffle-dotted truffle tart (R1,495), which although light and garlic-y, is dry towards the edges. What wins us over in a big way, however, is the OG pepperoni (Rs 545) that boasts of juicy bites of American pepperoni that is delicious, but not overwhelming.

Chicken karage

In a city saturated with pizza options, Slyce manages to deliver biscuit-thin crusts that hold their own long after being delivered. The combinations are eclectic, the condiments are fun, but more liberal servings of the interesting toppings on each slice will go a long way in elevating them to the upper crust.

At: Andheri, BKC and Powai
Time: 11.30 am to 2 am
Log on to: Swiggy or Zomato
Call: 8433942803

Also topping the gourmet game

>> Woodside Inn, Colaba, Bandra and Andheri.
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>> Hundo, Khar, Andheri and Churchgate.
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>> Mag St Toppings, Mumbai and Alibaug.
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