Best thing I ate this week: Pizza Maru's Mango Ocean pizza

Best thing I ate this week: Pizza Maru's Mango Ocean pizza
Mango Ocean premium pizza
PHOTO: AsiaOne

'Best thing I ate' is a series where we share the best things we have eaten around Singapore. Read more here.

What: Mango Ocean premium pizza ($19.80 for regular 9 inch pizza, $23.80 for large 12 inch pizza)

Where: Pizza Maru, Northpoint City (South Wing) #B1-192/193

If you're getting tired of regular pizzas, we think that Pizza Maru's Korean spin on the traditional Italian dish may excite your taste buds.

The pizza chain has recently opened its first outlet in Singapore - an 80-seater restaurant in the revamped Northpoint City - and we're liking its offerings.

This eatery is serving healthier pizzas made with green tea "well-being" dough and black rice dough. The first features organic green tea, chlorella, and a variety of natural grains while the latter is said to be packed with fibre and antioxidants. According to a spokesperson for the brand, the restaurant is in the process of obtaining halal certification.

The Real BBQ Chicago pizzaPhoto: AsiaOne

We had a taste of Pizza Maru's signature dishes at a media tasting and here's our verdict:

Mango Ocean is a seafood pizza done just right. The pizza's green tea dough is chewy and has a delightful sweet potato filling. Topped with mango chunks, shrimps and scallops, spicy buldak (fiery chicken), mozarella cheese and pilaf sauce, we found the sweet-spicy-savoury flavours a pleasant surprise.

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Fans of a thicker crust should try the Real BBQ Chicago pizza topped with chicken leg bits, potatoes cubes, roasted onions, tomato and mushrooms. This pizza is a treat for cheese lovers with its generous servings of mozzarella cheese, string cheese and cream cheese mousse. We're not so sure about the sprinkling of almond flakes and icing sugar though.

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We also enjoyed Pizza Maru's rendition of another Korean staple - the bibimbap. The Spam Tower we had is especially Instagram-worthy with its layers of rice, fried kimchi, chicken spam, onion, cabbage, mushroom, egg, topped with potato crisp, parmesan cheese and a dash of Sriracha sauce.

Spam Tower and PoppiliciousPhoto: AsiaOne

And if you're hankering for something sweet after all those savoury mains, the eatery's bingsu (shaved ice) will hit the spot. We liked the interplay of flavours and textures of Poppilicious - a bingsu made with sea salt caramel ice cream and crunchy popcorn drizzled with caramel syrup.

Fried chicken: Honey Butter Coat, Supa Hot Dak GangjeongPhotos: AsiaOne

With its generous servings, we think that the dishes at Pizza Maru are great for sharing. If your family or friends are not big fans of pizza, the eatery's extensive menu includes other offerings such as fried chicken and pasta as well. Interestingly, we were told that in Korea, the fried chicken and pasta offerings belong to separate brands but in Singapore, they are housed under the Pizza Maru name.

Psst, AsiaOne readers get to enjoy a 20 per cent discount from now till Dec 31 by liking Pizza Maru Singapore's Facebook page.

minlee@sph.com.sg

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