Alvy’s: Your New Neighbourhood Pizza Spot in Kennedy Town

NYC beer and pizza in Alvy’s, Kennedy Town

District: Kennedy Town, Hong Kong
Cuisine: Pizza
How Much: Pizzas range from $108 to $168, with appetisers priced between $54 and $108, and beers between $68 and $88
Best for: A casual date night, or chilled dinner and drinks with friends
Must order: Bak Gwei Pizza

People often say that there’s no such thing as bad pizza. Hot, cold, freshly baked, or otherwise, it’s always pretty tasty, right? That being said, it’s still rare to come across a pizza that gets me genuinely excited. With so many lacklustre options out there (even in our foodie-hub of a city, good pizza can be hard to come by), I was more than excited to try out the new kid on the block, Alvy’s.

Coming highly recommended by friends, Alvy’s did not disappoint. In fact, it exceeded my expectations by a mile. The place itself is cosy and welcoming, with friendly staff, cool booths and a red brick pizza oven, aptly named “The Big Red Bitch.” Upon arriving, you’re instantly made to feel like this local pizza joint has been around for years, and with pizza this good, I’m hoping it’s going to be!

Offering up a menu full of sourdough pizzas, with an array of toppings, from the classic to the slightly quirky, along with a tempting selection of bar snacks, locally brewed and imported beers, not to mention proudly boasting the largest selection of American whiskeys in Hong Kong, Alvy’s hits the nail on the head when it comes to dining that is comforting, yet refined.

To start, we couldn’t resist the Yu Kwen Yick Fried Chicken Wings ($88). Served with a blue cheese dip, these wings aren’t for the faint of heart. The hot sauce packs some serious heat, and I found myself guzzling my beer after each bite to soothe my burning tongue. Though that’s not a criticism. Sure, these wings get fiery, but they tasted amazing, and coupled with juicy meat that just fell off the bone, along with the tangy blue cheese dip, I would 100% recommend to any spice fiends (and order them again myself).

We also tried out two of Alvy’s Pizzas, the Bak Gwei ($128), and the a la Vodka ($108). With a sourdough base, the pizzas here are thin and crispy, yet also manage to be chewy and doughy just when you want them to be. The Bak Gwei was an interesting mix of gruyere béchamel, char siu, mozzarella, and geung yeong. The east-meets-west approach of char siu and cheese may seem a little out there, but it worked amazingly (trust me!). The char sui was chopped into small chunks, meaning you got just enough sweet, meaty goodness, to compliment the gruyere and mozzarella. The a la Vodka (with vodka sauce, bocconcini mozzarella and pecorino), was also delicious. Not to be overlooked on a menu full of more unique topping combinations, it was bursting with flavour for a relatively simple pizza.

To wash down our food, I tried the Cha Chaan Teng Gose ($68), by Young Master Ales. Sour and thirst quenching, this unusual beer was a great accompaniment to our food. Alvy’s also offers up tastings of any of the beers on the menu, so you can try before you buy and ensure you’ve made the right choice. With HK brewed beers and specially imported beers, to whiskeys and classic cocktails, the drinks menu at Alvy’s more than measures up to the food.

By keeping its menu short and to the point, Alvy’s executes everything extremely well. It doesn’t need to try too hard, or have anything too fancy, just by serving delicious sourdough pizzas, cooked to perfection, with flavoursome toppings, it will always be sure to pull a crowd. And I’ll be sure to be going back.

Alvy’s, 8 Holland Street, Kennedy Town, Hong Kong, www.facebook.com/AlvysHK