Back for More: Bottega, Sanlitun

I first reviewed Bottega back in March, just a couple of months after it had opened, and enjoyed it well enough, but after hearing that the menu had vastly expanded since then, I found I was long overdue for another visit.

Manager Daniele Salvo, one of the restaurant's eponymous fratelli Salvo, is both welcoming and knowledgeable - get him started talking about the provenance of their ingredients and you'll be lucky to find time to even eat your pizza. Did you know that there is a type of cherry tomato called Pomodorini del Piennolo, grown on the slopes of Mount Vesuvius in Naples, that have Denominazione di Origine Protetta (protected designation of origin) status? Neither did we, but we found ourselves listening, rapt, as Daniele described his nonna bottling the sweet tomatoes in the traditional fashion. Said tomatoes make an appearance on the Bufalina pizza (RMB 118), alongside milky buffalo mozzarella and Lorenzo No. 5 olive oil.

Bottega specializes in Neopolitan-style pizza, the ultimate fast food. We say that not because it's cheap or trashy as you might conceive of fast food, but rather because it cooks in an instant in the super-heated oven and must be eaten just as quickly to enjoy the coalition of barely-there toppings and just-melted cheese.

For a different take on pizza, try one of their new dishes, the Tronchetto (RMB 129), a rolled pizza filled with mozzarella and topped with arugula, Prosicutto de Parma, and parmesan. It may sound simple, but this is one dish that is far greater than the sum of its parts. Really, is there anything that isn't delicious when stuffed with melted cheese.

Other newly added dishes include fritto di mare (RMB 48), an Italian cheese board (RMB 88), and a couple of pizzas, topped with tuna (RMB 88) or eggplant and Italian sausage (RMB 98), respectively. 

We'll admit that the prices at Bottega seem a little high, but remember that you're paying for quality, and mostly imported, ingredients. If you're still looking for a deal however, you might want to pop by on Mondays, when calzone pizzas (stuffed with either Italian ham or salami) and Stella Artois draft, are both half price.

You've probably already been to Bottega, and you've probably already formed your own opinion, but we see it's well worth another look.

More stories by this author here.

Email: robynnetindall@thebeijinger.com
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Photos: Robynne Tindall