Foodie hotbed Sai Ying Pun has gained another hip eatery in modern pizzeria Homeslice. Though the hackneyed name doesn’t score any points with us, it’s a match made in heaven for this vibey pizzeria that oozes effortless cool. The walls and corkboards are bedecked from floor to ceiling in alternative band posters that span decades – and when we say bedecked, we mean it; it’s a tapestry of graphics, and we spied some punk favourites such as Fugazi and Misfits, as well as contemporary indie rockers the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Neon strip lights, bright red hues, exposed cinder blocks and casual enamel tableware rule the roost.
Katsu sando
The starters served at Homeslice are an interesting hotchpotch – from popcorn shrimp ($105) with lime and chilli mayo and padron peppers ($85) to burrata ($135) and panzanella salad ($75), the overarching theme simply seems to be “whatever tastes good”. We opted for a few signatures that stood out from the crowd, like the katsu sando ($95), made with thick-cut mortadella for an Italian twist and served with pickled cabbage and a sharp sriracha mayo, all sandwiched between soft white bread slices. The uniqueness of the sando struck a welcome chord with us, and the flavours gelled.
The Spanish salad ($65), a colourful bowl of shredded red cabbage, kale, farro, buckwheat and generous petals of Parmesan, could have benefited from a heavier hand with the dressing, as we felt ours was slightly dry. We did, however, love the variety of ingredients and the firm, crunchy textures that added layers of interest.
Fried squid
Ninja bombas
The highlight of the starters was, without a doubt, the whimsically presented fried squid ($135), with its blackened tentacles reaching high up into the sky, looking a bit like a gnarled Buddha’s hand. Crisp on the skin and tender on the inside, a drizzle of lemon and a dab of aromatic tonka bean mayo did well to elevate the slightly sweet and briny meat. The ninja bombas ($95) came in at a close second – it’s hard to not love a richly flavoured calorie bomb like this one. Fluffy potatoes are mixed with spicy ‘nduja and smoky scamorza, lightly breaded and fried and served on piped pillows of classic aioli.
Meatloaf and spicy sausage pizzas
The unique pizza menu definitely piqued our interest, and making our selections proved to be a task, accompanied by long debates. We opted for a mix between the classics and more modern options and ended up with the reliable margherita ($125) to establish a baseline for our pizza judging, the spicy sausage ($175),because we were enticed by the use of fermented chilli sauce and crème fraîche as part of the base, the baby leek ($160) for something vegetarian and the meatloaf ($165) for something truly outlandish.
And how did the weirder pies stack up? Despite their outlandishness, surprisingly well. The meatloaf pizza is just how it sounds – with a tomato base, pork crumbles, dollops of vividly green mushy peas and dabs of melted scamorza, this proved to be an oddly successful amalgamation of one of our favourite comfort foods. And though the appearance left something to be desired – the overwhelming amount of rosemary strewn across the top gave off the look of a freshly mowed lawn with wantonly scattered grass debris – the baby leek pizza had a robust and earthy taste that we found quite appealing.
And the classic margherita? Well executed and a dependable choice, with a nicely blistered crust for a slightly bitter and charred flavour. The spicy sausage pizza, on the other hand, was playful, with the crumbled beef forming a meaty base and the sharp chilli sauce and light crème fraîche tangoing across our tongues.
Doughnuts
We wrapped up with a host of sweet delights, and though the Nutella and chocolate milkshake, appropriately named Nut Case ($80), wasn’t part of the dessert menu, it should’ve been – its lush creaminess and thick, gooey texture made it a richly flavoured meal on its own. The tiramisu ($75), disappointingly, fell flat; though it looked like the real deal, the ladyfingers were much too soft and overly soaked with coffee, and the layers of the dessert became entirely too soggy and watery rather than smooth and velvety. We give it hard pass until there have been some significant improvements made on the recipe and preparation. Total disaster was avoided by the timely intervention of a duo of excellent doughnuts ($70), two hardy balls with a white chocolate and Earl Grey filling, dusted in cinnamon sugar and with a kick of anise.
Verdict
Despite our tiramisu hiccup, Homeslice is well worth a visit, especially if you’re into off-the-wall pizza toppings and/or have vegetarians in your dining party. It’s great for a bar-and-bites kind of night as well. We’ll be back to try the sweet potato pizza ($165) with its toppings of pickled radicchio, red onion, pumpkin seeds and ricotta and to taste the authenticity of the cannoli ($70).
321 Des Voeux Road West, Sai Ying Pun, 3619 4026, click here to book now
This write-up is based on a complimentary media tasting provided in exchange for an honest review and no monetary compensation. The opinions expressed here represent the author’s.
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