90 seconds to a fully cooked pizza

"Pizza should be nothing but fast-food", was my mantra before I moved to Dubai. But then I also grew up, started eating a little healthier and voila! I found a new love for gourmet pizza. These kinds of pizzas are usually light, flavourful and not just a serving of tomato sauce + cheese + dough.

Just because you read gourmet, don't let the fork and knife terrify you. I don't usually eat pizza with a fork and knife, but at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria it seemed like the right thing to do.

At first glance I thought this place was too good to be a pizza joint (read: fast-food), but then as you enter, the story unveils. The wall to the left takes up the menu, which isn't written in font size 10. I think it's a pretty smart move, because a hungry soul rarely wants to squint out a dish to eat. Big fonts, brief details, happier customer.

So while I waited in the queue for my US 800 Degrees pizza experience, Manish Jeswani, the Managing Director of Eaters LLC and franchise rights owner of the restaurant, was kind enough to literally walk me through the menu. He suggested I try a pizza with the Bufalina base - of cherry tomato, bufalo mozzarella, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil and fresh basil.

Jeswani also explained, "The almond-wood fire oven is set at a temperature of 800 degrees, hence the name." Also, because it is that hot, a pizza takes only 90 seconds to cook. "But, because it's that hot, only a certain variety of dough is used. Any other kind would mostly get burned."

When it's a pizza I prefer to start right in the centre and then eat outwards. So that's where my fork went in first - right in the middle of my Tartufo pizza with the Bufalina base. There's only one gourmet pizza I've liked before, and that's with arugula, bresaola and parmesan, naturally I was eager to try this one - 90 seconds et all.

The Tartufo pizza resonated of mushrooms, roasted garlic, beef chorizo and fresh arugula. The thought the edges were a little too dry, but the centre was gorgeous. That cheesey, heavenly goodness!

On the side I tried a Bresaola + Melon Burrata and the Cherry Tomatoes + Pesto Burrata. Hands down the Cherry Tomatoes + Pesto Burrata won my heart. That freshly ground pesto which is a sauce of crushed garlic, basil, and pine nuts blended with olive oil, cheese (Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Fiore Sardo respectively), complemented the Burrata which is an Italian cheese made from mozzarella and cream, wonderfully.

Menu displauy at 800 Degrees Neapolitan Pizzeria at Mall of the Emirates

This is pretty much how it works - you pass the chef making the dough, then you move on to toppings, then pass the burrata counter, next is the beverages, followed by the cashier who will lead you to your pizza. Right after that is a gelato counter, which I just might return to try.

The city needs more pizzerias as such. I might sound older, but everyone deserves to chomp on quality pizza.

Verdict: You only get fresh, light pizza

Must try: Tartufo pizza and Cherry Tomatoes + Pesto Burrata

Cost for two: Dh150

• Lifestyle
• Dubai