Sureno's New Chef Focuses on Quality and Simplicity for Their Pizzas

With voting in the Sweet 16 now under way in our 2015 Pizza Cup (click here to cast your opinion), we continue our Pizza Profile series introducing some of Beijing's best pies.

Today we look at the authentic Italian creations on offer at Sureno in The Opposite House. Roberto Cimmino, the restaurant's newly-appointed chef de cuisine, gives us a quick look:

How long have you plied the trade?
Since I was 14 years old, that makes it almost 15 years now!

What's your style/pizza philosophy?
Tasty, light and simple!

In a market crowded with over 100 different pizza shops, what do you do to stand out?
Obviously being the best at what I do, ensuring the menu is filled with quality items, it is important that as a chef you don’t fill your menu with thousands of average items, instead you can only have eight best things on the menu. Guests really appreciate the effort you’ve put when you’ve done something extraordinary and gone the extra mile. 

What would you say your style is (Neapolitan, New York Style, Sicilian, Chicago style, Roman, Californian ...?)
I am a third Roman and a third Neapolitan so I would say a little bit of both.

Thick vs Thin: What's your take?
Thin AND thick with curvy yummy edges, I must say very good dough is crucial. 

What's the secret to your sauce?
Just a few ingredients, excellent juicy tomatoes from my father’s hometown and extra virgin olive oil along with imported sea salt flakes, they’re the real deal!

What kind(s) of cheese do you use and why?
Cow milk mozzarella and certified DOC and DOCG buffalo mozzarella imported from my father’s hometown which is one of the few Caseificio (mozzarella production centers) who continuously win numerous awards.

Tell us about your standard pizza:
Name? DOC Mozzarella di Bufala.
Thick or thin crust? Thin with lightly curvy edges.
Type of sauce? Simple tomato, oregano, extra virgin olive oil, sea salt flakes and fresh basil.
Type(s) of cheese? DOC Mozzarella di Bufala, certified origin from Ministry of Trade and protected as Italian Food Heritage by the Italian government.
What other things make it special? The simplicity and the freshness of the buffalo mozzarella, which we do not cook to preserve the flavour.
How many sizes? One size, around 12-inches for RMB 138 (plus 15 percent service charge).

Tell us about your most unique pizza:
Name? Rustica.
Thick or thin crust? Thin with lightly curvy edges.
Type of sauce? Simple tomato, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and sea salt flakes.
Type(s) of cheese? Fresh cow milk mozzarella and DOP certified Taleggio cheese.
Additional toppings? Roasted broccolini florets , Sicilian spicy sausages.
What other things make it special? the intense flavor of the Taleggio, the sweetness of the broccolini florets, and the spiciness of the sausage.
How many sizes? One size, around 12-inches for RMB 118 (plus 15 percent service charge).

Photos courtesy of The Opposite House