Would you be surprised if I told you that the most popular pizzeria in Ha Noi and HCM City, franchises excluded, is one created not by an Italian but a Japanese team? Come check it out with The Nomad Quynh and see for yourself.

Pizza is perhaps one of the most universally-loved dishes. The Italians often pride themselves on making the best one or having some of the best pizza chefs on earth. While some people might agree with that, in Viet Nam’s biggest cities like HCM City and Ha Noi, where there are no shortage of Italian pizzerias around, the most popular destination for pizza lovers, locals and foreigners alike, is actually a Japanese fusion style pizzeria named Pizza 4P’s, which stands for “Platform of Personal Pizza for Peace”.

It was a beautiful Wednesday evening, and I had a date with a foreigner friend who told me “I’ve had too much of Vietnamese food. Let’s go out for pizza”. We headed out to 4P’s - a place we’ve been to numerous times and never been disappointed with the food. Its beautifully designed venues and convenient locations add to its advantages as well.

As we sat in front of the wood-fired ovens, I looked around and couldn’t help admiring them for being completely full even on a weekday, as with all their other branches, nearly 10 in total, in all the biggest cities of Viet Nam - HCM City, Ha Noi and Da Nang. They are perhaps one of the very few restaurants here where you have to make a reservation several days in advance in order to guarantee a seat. So what’s their secrets? Quality products maintained with consistency, professionalism and great attention to details - things the Japanese are widely known for.

Let’s talk about the food. 4P’s products are fresh, delicious, consistent and creative. They produce their own cheese, about 8 kinds everyday, from fresh milk in Đơn Dương - a small town one hour drive from Đà Lạt in central Viet Nam.

Their burrata salad with parma ham and mixed tropical fruits (VNĐ120,000+ for a small one and VNĐ220,000+ for a big one) is one of my favourites. The delicious combination of juicy sweetness from the fruits, the slight saltiness of the ham, the richness of the cheese and a touch of creaminess from their house-made fennel sauce makes for a very refreshing dish and a perfect starter in the hot and humid tropical weather of Viet Nam.

Their signature dish and must-try, as the name suggests, is certainly pizza. Among their bestsellers is the 5-cheese (VNĐ280,000+) made from parmesan, mozzarella, camembert, blue and taleggio cheese, all house-made. Cheese goes very well with something sweet, thus honey is also served on the side. This is without doubt the best cheese pizza I’ve had in Viet Nam. If you love cheese like me, this is one you cannot miss.

Otherwise, if you prefer less cheese on the base, try the burrata parma ham pizza made with fresh burrata cheese, parma ham, cherry tomatoes and arugula (VNĐ290,000+). All the vegetables come from their contracted farm also in Đơn Dương, with the concept “farm to table” to ensure their freshness.