NONNO, a new trendy pizza cafe in Dubai, has come up with what it claims is the world’s thinnest pizza. With a crust that’s less than two millimetres thick, it might actually be the thinnest pizza ever made, but it’s also designed to be healthy, full of taste and ultra chic.
The pizzas contain no yeast, sugar, salt, additives or preservatives, while the crust is made with just two ingredients: flour and water. Some of the pizzas are less than 400 calories, but that doesn’t mean NONNO has sacrificed taste. The company behind the NONNO brand, Profound Investments, spent more than a year designing the pizza. Talal Thabet, the chief executive of Profound Investments, says the pizza is so thin, it can’t hold a lot of cheese or toppings. He says that actually enhances the flavour of the pizza’s fresh ingredients, proving true the adage “less is more”.
It might be skinny, but that doesn’t mean this pizza is boring. The Cosmopolitan, for example, is topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella and Romano cheese, marinated aubergine, smoked pepperoni and green chillies. Additional toppings include slow-roasted garlic sauce, shredded sun-dried tomatoes, pesto sauce, pomegranate, balsamic vinegar and Kalamata olive tapenade.
While most of NONNO’s pizzas cost between Dh29 and Dh60, it also offers a few luxurious pizzas, for those who want to indulge in style. You can get the Diva with strips of baked Wagyu beef for Dh295 or go all out with the Fashionista: for Dh395, this pizza comes topped with Russian beluga caviar.
NONNO uses high-quality, locally produced ingredients to boost their flavour profile. They also make fresh tomato sauce for each pizza ordered. “Fresh means fresh vegetables and herbs blended and poured directly onto the pizza base. This provides for a unique and fresh taste,” Thabet says. The cafe offers salads, desserts (served in jars) and innovative coffee drinks as well. Their most popular drink is the Ball Gown Martini. It’s vanilla ice cream blended with almond syrup and a double ristretto (a short shot of espresso), topped with a cinnamon sprinkle.
“We wanted to launch NONNO in Dubai, as this is a vibrant brand that needs an equally vibrant city to match,” says Thabet. “And I can’t think of a better city to do it in than Dubai.” NONNO’s target consumers are women and that concept has been well-received. To date, 82 per cent of NONNO’s callers have been women.
“It’s a fashionable brand that understands women,” Thabet adds. “It’s a fashion boutique look with the simplicity of a small cafe.”
• NONNO is located in Dubai’s Bay Avenue Mall in Executive Towers. Visit www.nonnopizza.com
* Stacie Overton Johnson
sjohnson@thenational.ae