April 5, 2008
Cuisine: Italian

Park Hyatt Saigon
2 Lam Son Square, District 1, HCMC

Website: www.saigon.park.hyatt.com
Phone: 84 8 824 1234

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White bread with creamy eggplant and olive oil (complimentary)

Pescatorre Pizza ($10)

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Since afternoon tea at the Park Hyatt ended up being underwhelming, The Astronomer and I headed to a nearby eatery we knew would hit the spot—Opera.

We ate here a few months back and had a fabulous experience, but regretted not sampling any of the innovative pizzas. On this visit, we ate only pizza to make up for lost time.

We were served a warm loaf of white bread with a creamy eggplant and olive oil dip to start. Toasty on the outside and springy on the inside, the bread here is seriously addictive, especially with the accompanying sauce.

The Pescatorre pie, which was prepared in the wood-fired oven, was generously topped with fresh scallops, octopus, shrimp, squid, mozzarella and a drizzling of olive oil. The tomatoes and herbs played second fiddle to the oozy cheese and fruits of the sea. The thick crust was nice and chewy around the edges, but soggy towards the center. To add a little oomph to the crust, I dipped it in the eggplant sauce.

Unlike in America, in Vietnam people rarely take leftovers to go due to the smaller portions. The Astronomer and I took home our very first doggie bag at Opera because the eight slices of pizza were too much for the both of us. The pizza tasted just as good, if not better, the next day after chilling overnight in the fridge. Some things are just universally delicious…