Pizzerias are popping up throughout Jakarta like there’s no tomorrow. A lot of the new joints that we have seen (and tried) in recent years are heavily inspired by American pizzerias, and they usually serve New York-style pies by the slice.
But it wouldn’t be like the Indonesian capital if we didn’t welcome new culinary trends. And we’re seeing that playing out right now with the rise of the Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.
Aptly named as such, the pizza is baked in the pan that gives it the signature high edge and deep crust, which provides a larger (and deeper) space for more toppings such as cheese and chunky tomato sauce. At first glance, the deep-dish pizza resembles more of an exposed meat pie rather than flatbread. Other than the usual deep-dish pizza, Chicago-style pizza also includes the stuffed pizza — with toppings stuffed in between two layers of crust — which looks pretty much the same until it’s cut into slices.
The deep-dish pizza trend is still in its relative infancy in Jakarta, with only a handful pizzerias worthy of mention in this article since the pie appeared around the capital around mid-2020 (according to our research). In no particular order, these are the best joints for Chicago-style deep-dish pizza in Jakarta:
Gaël
Gaël, which only opened in early November 2021, says that their handcrafted pies are baked with firewood, which promises to bring out enhanced flavors from each ingredient and a distinctive smokey taste of the crust. There are numerous videos of people lifting up a slice of their deep-dish pizza while it’s still hot on their Instagram page, featuring mouth-watering cheese pulls. A 6.5 inch deep-dish pizza will set you back at IDR158,000, while the 8.5 inch option costs IDR250,000.
Other than the signature deep-dish pizza, Gaël also serves New York and Italian-style pizza, as well as a variety of pasta dishes, ribeye steak, and chicken wings, among others. Before you can dine-in at Gaël, make sure you place a reservation.
Jl. Cikajang No. 60, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.
Opening hours: 11am-9pm, Tue-Sat.
RSVP for dine in via Chope or order via Whatsapp at +62 878-8559-5923.
Giulia’s Chicago Pizzeria
Only opened since March of last year, Giulia’s Chicago Pizzeria has become one of the most talked-about pizzerias in town for being one of the first to serve deep-dish pizza.
Giulia, which offers homemade Chicago-style pizza, has four deep-dish pizza variants that you can choose from: Classic Tomato and Cheese, B.O.M (bell pepper, onion, and mushroom), Popeye’s with chopped spinach and garlic, and Giulia’s Signature with homemade Italian chicken sausage. Prices for whole pie deep-dish pizzas range from IDR175,000 to IDR199,000, and you can also buy them by the slice.
The pizzeria also offers Chicago-style thin-crust pizza, which has thin and crunchy crust and is cut into squares. Prices for the thin-crust pizza range from IDR79,000 to IDR105,000 per pie.
Jl. Bangka VIIIC No.20, Mampang Prapatan, South Jakarta.
Opening hours: 11.30am-7.30pm, Tue-Sat.
Order via this link or Whatsapp to +62 815 1917 1850.
Papa Ron’s
Did you know that Papa Ron’s, one of Indonesia’s most well-known pizza chains, also offers deep-dish pizza? Priced at around IDR150,000 per pie, their Chicago Deep Dish Pizza promises a large amount of cheese and extra toppings. According to their menu that’s available online, the pizza is available in two variants: Meat Eater and Double Pepperoni, with a choice of tomato sauce, red chili sauce, or sambel ijo (green chili).
There are two Papa Ron’s outlets in Jakarta: Pondok Pinang Center, South Jakarta and Mahaka Square Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta.
Whatsapp: +62 858-1700-1876 (Pondok Pinang), +62 858-9011-7304 (Kelapa Gading).
USD1=IDR14,357. This list may be updated from time to time.
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