mikey's original new york pizza

"round discs of goodness

of cheese, crust, sauce and rainbows 

new yorkers rejoice"

all of my favorite foodie cities in the united states - chicago, nyc and san francisco - have their own renditions of pizza that they can call their own. chicago's pride comes in the form of a deep dish pie (& has not been replicated successfully elsewhere so far) while san francisco's pizza highlights the use of seasonal farm-to-table toppings upon thin crust. 

what about nyc?

well, their pizza is so well known that it is simply called by its namesake - new york-style pizza. 

have i tried it while i was there?
i've had my share of pizzas while i was in the states, this was one that i have NOT tried during my few visits to the big apple...

*scribbles into food bucket list*

"to try a new york style pizza in NYC"

so it was pretty weird but exciting when i had my first slice of new york-style pizza at mikey's original new york pizza that opened in telawi, bangsar a few months ago. the head pizza chef behind this initiative is chef andrew bellucci who is intensely passionate about the pie!

it was an unplanned visit - in fact, i haven't heard about it until { ds } and i headed to my favorite french bistro, yeast for a brunch when we saw this across the street. in the mood for pizza, our decision was straightforward after quickly scanning the menu, we seated ourselves in a classic diner-themed joint with a lot of nyc love.

enveloped by the exposed red brick walls, which were adorned by framed playbills and paraphernalia of the city that never sleeps, the decor was made complete by the chess floor tiles which were accentuated by the dark furniture including the high counter dining table that lined one of  the walls. 

the semi-open kitchen that was separated by the glass display of the many big round discs of pizzas, occasionally became the stage for the kitchen staff - he tossed the pie dough up high as it is spun into the right thickness before being slathered with sauce and finally garnished with familiar toppings of cheese and meat. nine different pizza pies make up the menu with a selection of waffle fries named after parts of new york city along side the popular boneless buffalo chicken wings and hot heroes (sandwiches). 

[#protip] order and payment is made at the counter and they offer several upgrades with the purchase of pizza slices/hot heroes. you will be given a number in the form of a street sign of famed streets of the city to receive your order at the table.

mine? it was astor pl. and it got me curious so here's what a quick internet search revealed: astor place is in lower manhattan that stretches two blocks where the alamo, the cube and the astor place theater are located. [#randomfacts]

pizzas :: classic new york pizza | this is the pizza that made new york famous. or is it the other way around? either way, our classic pie is the perfect blend of mozzarella cheese melted over our fresh tomato sauce, with a little bit of olive oil and finished at the end with a generous portion of grated grana padano cheese. fuggedaboutit! (rm8.88 per slice / rm59.88 for 18" pie)

a new york-style pizza virgin, my first had to be done the right way.

what better way than to start with the most famed - the classic new york pizza? it had all the essences that make a pizza - the pie crust, tomato sauce and abundance of cheese. the description pretty much says it all. it was also my first introduction to grana padano cheese and it donned similar sharp flavors as its counterpart, the parmigiano reggiano.

the details: fold-able and maleable thin crust - the way it should be with some chewiness. good sharpness from the grana padano and the basic tomato sauce which i wished had some herbs to elevate its flavors to compliment the sprinkle of julienned fresh basil leaves. one thing i was hoping for was more of a pulling of the melted mozzarella cheese as i took bites for that satisfying cheesiness. overall, it had the foundation of a good pizza, which thankfully wasn't too greasy but there was definitely room for improvement.

waffle fries :: staten island | our seasoned waffle fries served with mikey's four signature sauces : blue cheese, rich brown gravy, smoked chili mayo and traditional heinz ketchup (rm 10.88)

*step right up and pick your upgrade!*

- well, i did and picked what is behind door of upgrade #1: the waffle fries and a soft drink (it just gotta be coke) to make it all a complete pizza experience for an additional rm12. 

i love waffle fries - like a lot. as long as it is done right. 

this one was almost there. seasoned generously, the fries were slightly lacking in the crispy exterior department but was soft and fluffy inside - perfectly cooked through criss cross potato slices. if only the execution of the exterior matched the interior..

the fun part was picking out which sauce was the flavor of the minute ;) to rank them based on preference would churn out the list to be: hearty and savory thickened gravy, the suprisingly well-balanced but mildly pungent blue cheese sauce, the tangy heinz ketchup (classic pairing) and finally the chili mayo which jolted me with its spicy kick that overpowered the potatoes.

boneless buffalo chicken wings | breaded, boneless wings are deep-fried and then coated with mikey's signature buffalo sauce and served with our house-made blue cheese dipping sauce, celery and carrots (rm 12.88)

the authentic buffalo wing, which originated from a place called buffalo in new york are not breaded. [#source] and get this, boneless wings are kinda not wings - they are chicken breast [#source] it's wing madness, i tell you!

but i digress. { ds } opted for upgrade #2 that bought her to a drink and a basket of boneless wings for an extra rm13. breaded with panko breadcrumbs to seal in the moisture of the chicken when deep fried, they were then doused in the slightly spicy and tangy (the hot sauce vinegar-y kind - think tabasco) buffalo sauce. one of the tastier buffalo sauces i've had here in malaysia. 

the bite-sized chicken pieces were - well, some were hits and some were misses - one of the two pieces that i've tried were slightly overdone and borderline dry. it was greasy which became very filling after more than a few pieces. however, it was compensated by the blue cheese dipping sauce.

perhaps it is best that i explain myself - i am usually not a fan of blue cheese...anything, for that matter. probably because of the sharpness and pungent-ness of the cheese itself but somehow mikey's managed to get it just right.

the dipping sauce had bits of blue cheese running through it, which was delicious with the celery and carrot sticks and most certainly worked as the perfect pairing to the tangy buffalo sauce with its creamy, saltiness that ends with a subtle hint of bitterness. it even surprised me that i loved this blue cheese dipping sauce....

....i think it might be the start of something new ;)

mikey's original new york pizza offers a lot of heart in its food offerings. a tasty attempt from chef andrew bellucci in bringing a piece of american favorite to the local food scene but some tweaking to get it perfect, although it already won half the battle with the use of quality ingredients; that also explains the slightly hefty price tag. so, it's worth giving it a shot while you are in the neighborhood and perhaps fold a slice to taste a piece of that new york charming culture here at mikey's.

mikey's original new york pizza | location

17 jln telawi 2
bangsar
59100 kuala lumpur

disclaimer this is written based on personal experience and opinion. experiences and taste buds may vary for others.

p.s. still working on my skills as a haiku-ist