A newly-opened pizza parlour in Dombivli, with an incorrectly spelt name of Pinocchio's creator, has miles to go. The Guide recovered from a nasty aftertaste to recount the tale

A newly-opened pizza parlour in Dombivli, with an incorrectly spelt name of Pinocchio's creator, has miles to go. The Guide recovered from a nasty aftertaste to recount the tale

When Gippetto's Pizza opened in Dombivli, we expected a welcome change from the typical branded pizza that the suburb had gotten used to. In hindsight, the name should have given a clue on what to expect: Mister Geppetto is the fictional woodcarver who is regarded as the father of Pinocchio, the comic character whose nose becomes longer whenever he tells a lie.

Chicken Konkan Magic Pizza

We dropped by on a festive weekend, a fortnight after they opened. The walls were yet to be painted and the extra-loud Bollywood music in the background didn't make for a warm welcome. A giant menu occupied an entire corner; just in case one missed the pamphlet-style menus on each table. Cutlery was skipped for paper plates, plastic glasses and tin foil containers.

Being a self-service eatery, we ordered, paid upfront and waited to be served. Most of the items we wanted were unavailable, so we were left with no choice but to opt for whatever could be served. The attendants manning the counter were polite but took extra long to give us an extra paper plate we asked for. To kill time, we were forced to make sense from the scratch art carved on the wooden tables, probably the handiwork of students who hang around at the eatery.

The food arrived 20 minutes later. The Paneer Chat Patta (Rs 115) claimed to include tandoori paneer, fresh onions, green chillies and fresh coriander but was absolutely tasteless and needed more cheese. The sparse toppings came across as more of an afterthought. We went overboard, having to douse chilli flakes and oregano for a remotely palatable experience.

The Chicken Konkan Magic (Rs 155) was supposed to include chicken cubes cooked in "rich, traditional coastal masala". Our pizza had a few pieces of tasteless, fleshy chicken dumped on top of a pizza base, which was similar to the vegetarian offing. We didn't have the guts to attempt the remaining entr ufffdes on the menu despite some inviting names including the Cheese Gaga made from "a proportionate mix of four types of premium cheeses". The Penne baked in Tomato Sauce with Cheese (Rs 80) was liquid in consistency and was insipid, like the rest. We tasted a spoonful and gave up. The Corn Chilli Cheese Toast (Rs 60) wasn't fresh and needed more cheese. The Hot Chocolate (Rs 30), as our companion remarked, tasted more like a watered-down version of Bournvita.

Ironically, the only saving grace was the Chocolate Brownie (Rs 45), which was more of a chocolate cake than a brownie. It was fresh, tasted delicious and was the saving grace.

Later, when we called to fix a photo shoot, the owners swung into action almost immediately after granting us permission. Curious and frantic to learn if our review would be positive, they went a step further and demanded that we share our review over mail. What ensued was a long lecture on "journalistic integrity" with a threat that they had well-placed "friends in the media". Clearly, this kitchen whipped up one huge lie that would've baffled even poor Pinocchio.

At Sarthak Building, Ursekar Wadi, near Railway Station, Dombivli (East). Call: 3233848 / 9321263848
Gippetto's Pizza didn't know we were there.u00a0The Guideu00a0reviews anonymously and pays for meals.