Italian chefs create magic at Margherita pizzeria in Dubai

Chef Franco Pepe prepares his La Margherita Sbagliata pizza, with raw and cooked tomatoes, basil, olive oil and buffalo mozzarella. Courtesy Margherita.jpg

As a chef, you know you've made it when your restaurant is part of Food & Wine magazine's "20 pizzas to eat in Italy before you die" list. Simone Padoan, who heads the iTigli pizzeria in Verona, attributes this inclusion to his quest of finding the highest quality of raw materials – from fresh seafood and flavourful herbs to the best cheeses and cream cheeses. Padoan is also often credited as the inventor of the gourmet pizza.

Chef Franco Pepe, on the other hand, is proud to represent the classic pizza. Born to a family of master bakers, Pepe is known for his devotion to dough. At his restaurant, Pepe in Grani in the town of Caiazzo, the chef creates the dough on a case-by-case basis, mixing the flour by hand and allowing time for proper levitation.

The two pizzaiolos came together on November 9, at Dubai’s Margherita restaurant on the JBR Walk. Each created three kinds of pizzas, and it was left to the guests to decide which kind suited their palates best. Do we smell a new menu, Margherita?

Pepe’s classic creations included: La Scarpetta, with Grana Padano cream, Grana Padano cheese, tomato jam and basil; Sfizio al Pomodoro, with yellow tomatoes, dry tomatoes, Grana Padano cheese and buffalo mozzarella; and La Margherita Sbagliata, with raw and cooked tomatoes, basil, olive oil and buffalo mozzarella.

Padoan’s gourmet offerings included: Terra & Mare, with red prawns, fennel, orange, burrata and pestachio cream; Tonno Alla Cedroni, with fresh tuna, aromatic herbs, Grana Padano and mozzarella; and L’orto, with smoked scamorza, blonde onions, pumpkin, puntarella asparagus and mozzarella.

So which was better? While there’s no such thing as bad pizza when it comes to Pepe and Padoan, I found the former’s Margherita worked best as comfort food – and if ever there were a day when one needed comfort food, it was November 9! – while the latter’s L’orto combined some very interesting flavours; the scamorza cheese and asparagus, in particular, were a crunchy-creamy delight.

Margherita, which also has a branch on Sheikh Zayed Road, is known for its delectable dishes (the Norcini pizza with mushrooms and truffles is well worth its Dh100 tag) and lively ambience (if you draw the right number out of a jar at the end of your meal, you eat free). And flying Pepe and Padoan to the UAE is just one more instance of the pizzeria’s fun side.

To make a reservation, call 600 577 778.