Published on 12:00 AM, June 11, 2015

HANGOUT

Sbarro Bangladesh doesn't disappoint

Pioneered by the Sbarro family of Naples, Italy, the food chain Sbarro was founded in Brooklyn, New York in 1956. After journeying through and earning acclaim in 44 countries across the world, Sbarro has finally arrived in Dhaka to cater to our refined palate.

Located at Gulshan-2, Sbarro's only branch in Dhaka has a textbook pizzeria décor. The interior is well-lit and has accommodation for a large number of people. It even has a children's recreational area with a standard pool of plastic balls. All in all, Sbarro provides a congenial environment for friends and families alike.

The obvious star on Sbarro's menu is its pizza. From the classic Cheese pizza to the delectable Sausage and Pepperoni stuffed crust pizza, you can choose from 16 different pizzas from three different categories – namely New York Style Crust, Gourmet Sicilian Crust and Stuffed Crust. But despite slices being from what seemed to be 14-inch pizzas, prices are comparatively higher than other pizzerias – the VAT-inclusive price ranges from BDT 250 to 460 per slice.

I started off with a slice of Sicilian Sausage and Pepperoni pizza, and it is exactly what the name suggests – pieces of sausage and pepperoni slathered in mozzarella on top of a bed of bread. For my second helping, I opted for the Signature Stuffed Crust Beef Pepperoni pizza, which was unlike any other stuffed crust pizza I've had. It had the toppings – pepperoni, cheese etc. – sandwiched between two layers of dough. I didn't find the concept too appealing at first. But that changed when I actually tried it. It was both more filling and more delicious than my first slice. (I'm literally craving another slice while writing this review.) I recommend this pizza to first-timers at Sbarro, and all pizza-lovers who haven't tried it yet.

Something that I found to be noticeably different about Sbarro is their pay-per-slice strategy. This provides customers with the freedom of not having multiple slices of the same pizza. But I should note that having to pay first for every slice during a meal felt slightly cumbersome to me.

Besides pizzas, Sbarro serves other items as well. Noteworthy ones include their lasagna, and various strombolis in different combinations of pepperoni, sausage, chicken and broccoli. The Chicken Caesar salad is something that the health-conscious can opt for. If you have a sweet tooth, their menu consists of a number of desserts such as cheesecakes, chocolate cakes etc., and two specialty desserts that Sbarro calls Caramel Pastel and Dark Seduction. They also serve coffee. All of these contribute to a well-rounded dining experience at Sbarro.

I was personally very excited about Sbarro's addition to the list of gourmet pizza places in Dhaka and I must say, Sbarro has delivered in accordance with my high expectations in a superb manner.

Ahnaf Akeef has an app on his Samsung smartphone that warns him when Humans are nearby, giving him just enough time to put on his fleshsuit.