The most dedicated townies are reluctant to drive beyond Honolulu, and Kapolei might as well be Mars in their eyes. One told me he’d never been west of Aala Park.
The message was heard loud and clear by the DB Restaurant Group, owners of Mad Bene, who have long been bombarded by requests to bring their New York-style pizzas to town, even more so now that gas prices have hit new highs.
They’ve obliged with the opening of Pizza Dadi at Ward Centre, filling the spot that was recently home to Goma Tei. The layout of the restaurant hasn’t changed, so you’ll still find a combination of tables along with plenty of counter seating that once maximized space for ramen bowls.
The walls of the space have been papered over with a collage of magazine pages and covers, giving it an amusing — if jarring — dorm-room-meets-serial-killer-den vibe. It’s a unique choice among local restaurants that typically pursue spare optics so all eyes are focused on the food.
But that’s really not a problem here, where each 10-inch pizza is a glistening beauty that demands attention and rouses appetites upon arrival.
The menu is short and sweet and DB founding partner Jin-Hyuk Hong said it’s not likely to expand as DB is at work creating a new restaurant concept slated to open within Ward Village this fall.
The menu is divided into categories of “pizza,” “not pizza” and dessert, and the most difficult part of ordering is the stress of having to decide at the host stand without the luxury of studying the menu in depth.
If there are a lot of people waiting behind you, it feels rude to pore over all 19 extra pizza toppings to decide what you might want to add to their eight pizza selections. For the most part, the flavors are complete without having to add any extras, and if compatibility of ingredients is a concern, it’s easiest to start with the basic cheese pizza ($17).
Otherwise, to start there is a tasty antipasti salad ($16) that sets the tone for the meal to come with its focus on a variety of quality ingredients such as meaty Italian green olives and maitake mushrooms, plus salami, mortadella, mozzarella, basil and pepperoncini, with a light Italian dressing that doesn’t mask their rich flavors.
If you don’t mind white anchovies, there’s also a Caesar salad ($15) sprinkled with garlic croutons and ricotta.
Another starter is an order of Buffalo wings ($13 and $23 respectively for six or 12 pieces).
But most unique to this restaurant are the Dadi fries ($14), waffle fries that are a crispier equivalent to a baked potato loaded with sour cream, Ezzo pepperoni bits, garlic confit, mozzarella and green onions.
As for the pizzas, they are complete as is, starting with the perfect Margherita ($18) with its combination of mozzarella, aromatic basil and Jersey tomato sauce with a light and tangy sweet-sour flavor comparable to prized San Marzano tomatoes.
The house’s classic NYC pizza ($20) combines Ezzo pepperoni and basil, while the carbonara ($20) is a cheese lover’s dream layered with sharp Pecorino Sardo that’s stronger flavored than the Romano version, with thick slices of smoked pancetta and finished with a spreadable poached egg.
If I’d had more time to study the menu, I might have gone for the Mad Garlic pizza ($19) promising garlic six ways.
The hot honey pizza ($20) is one that’s been highly recommended by staff and others, but for me it was disappointing because the Calabrian chile honey didn’t give me the sense of sweetness I was craving from past memories of honey pizzas. This one was more savory, and with its generous helping of soppressata and ‘Nduja (pork sausage), turned out to be a meat lover’s dream. The sweetest note came from caramelized onion. I added olives and mushrooms ($2 each), but as mentioned earlier, they didn’t add much to the overall enjoyment.
Dessert offerings are tiramisu ($12) with a base of Amaro-soaked ladyfingers, and Pop Culture Popsicles ($5) in flavors such as Oreo Cookie Monster and a dairy-free Hibiscus Passion Punch.
Pizza Dadi
Ward Centre,
1200 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu
Call: 808-744-2221
Hours: 11:30 A.M.-8 P.M. Tuesdays-Sundays
Prices: About $50-$60 for two, BYOB
Food: ****
Service: ***
Ambiance: ***
Value: ****
Nadine Kam’s restaurant visits are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).
