If durians can be on pizzas, why can’t butter chicken? Butter chicken pizzas have been around in Singapore for a while, so we are pitting four eateries’ fusion creations in the Battle of Butter Chicken Pizza. The four eateries are Pezzo, Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza, Santi’s and Pizzamaru.
An ideal butter chicken should be rich, tangy and filled with warmth from spices like cumin, cinnamon, and of course chillies. The chicken pieces should also have some spice and smokiness, while being tender and juicy.
The pizzas will be considered via three categories: butter chicken flavour, pizza quality, and price. Authenticity was a previous category, but when one speaks about butter chicken pizzas and none of them are from Indian restaurants, one has to throw authenticity out the window.
Pezzo
Found in kiosks around Singapore, Pezzo is a place where you can get a slice for your craving, without committing to an entire pie. Pezzo’s Delhi Style Butter Chicken Pizza (S$5.80 per slice), however, did not meet either my butter chicken or my pizza craving.
The chicken topping was accompanied by onions and toasted jalapenos, with the garnishes doing most of the heavy lifting as the chicken was extremely bland and chewy. The pizza itself had an unpleasant sourness to the cheese. With it being the most expensive slice in the line-up, it may be best to try their standard flavours.
Santi’s
Santi’s is an Italian, al fresco restaurant in Telok Ayer, whose menu usually dabbles in Italian cuisine, but they also explore some fusion dishes like Miso butter roasted cabbage or, of course, Butter Chicken Pizza (S$28++ or $5.6++ per slice).
The pizza base was Neopolitan-style and was by far the best of the bunch with the slight char and chewiness of the crust. However, the chicken lacked the complexity of spices and tasted more like a turmeric-forward curry. The cashew and pickled onion toppings were a nice touch. I would say come for the spritzes and other pizza flavours.
Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza
Canadian 2 for 1 Pizza is a comfort pizza joint to many Singaporeans, with several localised variants like Singapura Special and even Tandoori Chicken Tikka.
Butter Chicken Pizza goes for S$24.60 for a regular size (S$4.10 per slice) and has mushrooms accompanying the chicken.
The dish was more fragrant than flavourful, however some bites did have a nice grill-flavour to the chicken pieces. While I may not personally buy this pizza again, it does make me curious to try their upcoming Deepavali special Chettinad Chicken pizza.
Pizzamaru
South Korean pizza chain Pizzamaru, known for its multi-grain, green tea-infused crust, introduced a limited edition Butter Chicken menu till Nov 9, with chicken tenders, cheese sticks, and pizza.
The pizza goes at S$21.90++ for a regular pizza (S$3.65 per slice), making it the cheapest pizza out of the four.
The flavour surprised me with the almost immediate zing of tomato paste, but also the heat on the tip of my tongue. With it being more saucy, it also felt more like what I would imagine a butter chicken pizza would taste like, with dripping gravy enveloping the cheese and crust.
Who tops it?
I would say Pizzamaru is the victor of this battle, by a long shot. But if you are planning to go down this venture of poking both the Indians and Italians together, I would suggest just ordering your favourite butter chicken, or paneer butter masala for vegetarians, and then ordering your favourite pizza, and eating both of them together.
