I was told by an Italian that most of the pizzas sold in Penang are not authentic. I couldn’t agree more as most pizzas have been localized to suit the local taste bud. Nevertheless, there is a shop run by 2 Italians from Rome at Lebuh Carnavon serving authentic Roman Pizza. The shop is known as OTTO Pizza Romana.
The tagline of the shop is “In Pizza We Crust”. The pizzas are freshly-made daily and the crust is made of imported sourdough flour from Italy. Even the tomato puree is imported from Italy as well.
This operation hour of this shop is from 6pm – 12am daily while during Friday and Saturday the operation hour will be extended to 1am.
There are 7 types of pizza topping available:
- Margherita
- Mushroom
- Tossa Chilli
- Diavola (Pepperoni Beef)
- Patate (Rosemary Potato)
- Turkey Ham
- Mix Vegetables
OTTO Pizza Romana serves Roman-style pizzas which are sliced into squares instead of triangles. What makes OTTO Pizza different is the crust which is made of sourdough flour. We all know that sourdough is the healthier choice due to its longer fermentation (up to 48 -72 hours to ferment the pizza dough). The outcome of this is a hint of sourish and chewy pizza crust, and not to mention, healthy for the guts as well.
The signature pizza topping here is the Patate. The Pizza is topped with slices of potato and packed with Mozzarella cheese and ended with a touch of Szecuan pepper and fresh rosemary herbs. This richness of the cheese and potato is balanced-off by the hot Szechuan pepper.
Another highlight here is the Cheese Rice Ball (Suppli) – RM3 per piece. This is the favorite Roman snack and the rice is also imported from Italy. The rice balls are made of risotto and stuffed with Mozzarella Cheese and deep fried until golden brown.
The rice ball is crunchy on the outside and gooey on the inside.
OTTO Pizza is targeting “Grab and Go” concept, or in other words “express pizza shop” where customers can walk-in and choose pizza of their choice for either a quick dine-in at the shop or takeaway. Delivery option is also available and currently they are collaborating with Deliver Eat. For those looking for a quick bite late at night after a few rounds, this should be the place to get your quick fix. Moreover, OTTO Pizza Romana is currently having 50% off for all their items at 11pm – 12am daily.
Overall, this is a great place to hang out for some quick pizza fix and is also ideal for late night owls. The food here is fast, fresh and healthy.
Editor’s Review (5 Stars Rank):
| Taste |  |
| Price (more stars, more reasonable) |  |
| Food Presentation | |
| Service | |
| Overall | |
Quick Facts:
| Family Friendly |  |
| Parking |  |
| Pork Free | |
| Alcohol | |
| Credit Card | |
| Reservation | |
| Private Room (Private Area) | |
| WIFI Available | |
Operation hours: 6:00pm – 12:00am (Daily, extend to 1am for Fri and Sat)
Contact: 011-1858 1278
Address: 8b, Lebuh Carnarvon, George Town, 10200 George Town, Pulau Pinang
GPS: 5.4177484,100.3339153