Meet the pizza toppers

Often at the receiving end of the similarly treated vegetarian biryani ldquoitrsquos not a biryani but a tehri or at best a pulaordquo the veggie pizza has also received a somewhat stepchildlike existence Deemed to lack the panache and culinary creativity of their meaty counterparts most are wedged between the boring lsquogarden loverrsquo and lsquoveggie delightrsquo iterationsPesto potato pizzaThankfully The Art of Pizza TAP has nothing to do with facilitating a paradigm shift in the realm of vegetarian pizza Offering up 16 different options of vegetarian and Jain pizzas this new deliveryonly pizza chain operating out of Juhu Powai Parel and Fort Andheri West and Borivali prefers to trudge the experimental pathPlant protein BBQ pizzaTake for instance the cauliflower and feta pizza Rs 315549 for ML size that we first try What might seem like an utterly bonkers idea on paper works well with the subtle cauliflower flavour acting as a foil to the robust salty feta cheese The blackandwhite pizza box tells us that the thincrust pizza base is made using the highprotein Italian 00 flour and that the cheeses used are all natural and processedfreeDark chocolate cakesicle right Jain stuffed Mumbai masala sourdough balls PicsShadab KhanEnrobed in an herbaceous pesto sauce the disks of potato in the pesto potato pizza Rs 315549 for ML size have a delicious smokiness to them While our exotic eggplant pizza Rs 315549 for ML size spares us that unappealingly mushy brinjal texture we had dreaded Instead what we get are firm tangy cubes of the vegetable all generously slathered with molten mozzarella cheeseCofounded by animal lover Yadika Sharma mdash who also founded and currently runs pet bakery The Spoilt Brat Barkery that was started eight years ago mdash the reasons for going allvegetarian with the menu at TAP are pretty straightforward ldquoOur menu aims to bring compassion and creativity togetherrdquo says Sharma ldquoWersquove partnered with some of the leading plantprotein companies to pioneer three mock meat pizzas that gratify our meatloving customersrdquoAnd so on cue we bite into the surprisingly lsquomeatyrsquo and scrumptious plant protein BBQ pizza R345595 for ML size With its shredded chickenlike textured mock meat never once making us miss our animal protein The sweet BBQ sauce and sauteacuteed onions add on layers of taste and texture We also try the mock meat in its minced form in the plant protein pesto pizza Rs 345595 for ML size which again tricks our palate into believing we are tucking into a flavourful lamb pesto minceBut sadly the tasteless Jain stuffed Mumbai masala sourdough balls Rs 195 for five fail to create any taste bud magic Stinting on their promise of a mozzacheddar cheese and spicy masalaoozing core this quintet of hollow doughy excess is best avoided The same fate befalls the insipid basil watermelon cooler Rs 95 that has an artificial melon flavour and no perceptible basil hintOur other drink of a wellmade lemongrass lemonade Rs 95 fares much better with a strong floralcitrusy burst of flavour coming through We end our TAP innings by devouring a generouslyendowed slab of gooey chocolate cake dipped in molten chocolate that creates a crunchy shell Dubbed the dark chocolate cakesicle R199 this icecream stick doppelganger dessert is not just creative but delectable to the last crumb and criminally encoreworthyAt Juhu Powai Parel Fort Andheri West and BorivaliTIME 11 am to midnightCall 9833532328Log on to Swiggy or officialtheartofpizza on Instagram