From Meaty and Heavy to Feather Light: Spectrum of Pizza Options on Offer at Topwin's Pizza Factory

Eating at Pizza Factory is a little like strolling through the Topwin Center in which it's housed – both are slick, stylish, on the pricy side, and a little soulless, but ultimately convenient and satisfying enough.

Located on the mall's fourth floor – and not to be confused with the now seemingly defunct CBD pizzeria of the same name which had more distinctive features, in our opinion, when we visited during its soft opening in late 2015 – this new Topwin Napoli restaurant boasts the same efficiency and vibe of the upper midrange chains that many of us laowai used to frequent back home. This was especially apparent during a recent visit when we not only glanced at the somewhat standard yet lively enough decor, but also when our vegetable salad (RMB 35) arrived within minutes after our order, an impressive feat that left us wondering about its freshness all the same.

Still, those crunchy greens were tasty and when our pizza arrived – in a more standard 10 or fifteen minutes later – we were immediately struck because it smelled good. We'd ordered the RMB 85 pollo dolce, which is topped with honey chicken, ricotta, cherry tomatoes, pancetta, a minalist layer of tomato sauce, mozzarella, along with a finish of rosemary, basil and lemon. It also had a soft, chewy yet leaflet thin crust without a trace of crispness, which will likely satisfy Napoli fans while leaving those partial to American pizzas wanting. Above all, this pie was an exercise in subtly, thanks to its spare coating of mozzarella, chicken slices, and spare sprinklings of feta cheese punctuated by the juicy chunks of cherry tomatoes.

The fairly light yet poultry coated pollo dolce also seemed to stand out as a bridge between Pizza Factory's staggering 18 other pie varieties, which included everything from the far meatier diavola (featuring spiced beef, salami, and an assortment of peppers; also RMB 85) and quattro stagioni (RMB 95 and topped with beef, salami, chicken and more) and less protein rife options like the veggie (RMB 78 and covered with broccoli, red and yellow pepper, sundried tomatoes, mushrooms, and more) and the milano specialita (made with pancetta, arugala, mozzarella, parmesan, and a fried egg; RMB 85).  

That means there'll likely be a pie for any variety of customer that comes through Pizza Factory's doors. Aside from that eclectic range of pizzas, the restaurant's dessert menu is equally intriguing because it features sweet treats provided by To My Dearest, a classy sugar fix if ever there was. Hopefully the restaurant will continue to collaborate with other distinctive businesses in that regard, especially a designer that can liven up its ambiance. That, and the wide array of pizzas on its menu, would help it better realize its potential.

In short: Pizza Factory is satisfying but by no means life-changing. Let's just say this Topwin restaurant will give newly crowned Pizza Cup champs Bottega nothing to worry about, even though Pizza Factory stands as a sturdy and satisfying addition to Beijing's pizza scene.

Pizza Factory (Sanlitun)
Daily 10.30am-9.30pm. 2-12B Topwin Center, Sanlitun Nanlu, Chaoyang District (5780 9042)
朝阳区三里屯通盈中心2楼2-12B

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Photos: Kyle Mullin