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| Open space: The space was airy but had the warmth and quietness of a Western eatery. VNS Photos Hoang Linh |
Viet Nam News
by Hoang Linh
People in Ha Noi have more and more opportunities to experience culinary cultures from around the world.
Pizza, a well-known Italian dish, is very popular in Ha Noi, especially with young people. Recently, 4P Pizza has been crowded because of its varied menu, many strange kinds of cheese and specific decorating and serving styles.
However, sometimes it is too crowded to reserve a table. But my love for delicious pizza does not stop me from going out on cold, rainy days. Thus, Cowboy Jack’s is a good alternative for those addicted to pizza and cheese, like me.
I chose Cowboy Jack’s on Trang Thi Street for its quietness. If you are not observant, it is easy to miss Cowboy Jack’s on the second floor of an old building because, on the ground floor, is the bustling Vuvuzela brasserie.
The table layout interested me. The floor space is divided into several chambers, some with low tables and chairs, others with high chairs, like sitting at a bar. It was airy, but had the feeling of a Western eatery that was crowded, but not noisy.
My friend and I chose a modest dining table and high chairs. But contrary to the initial comfort brought by space, we immediately felt awkward with the selection of dishes.
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| Piled high: The salad may be on a small plate, but it is stacked high with freshness. |
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| Thick: The base was crispy and soft. With one bite I could feel the smell of oregano, tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. |
The menu has a variety of dishes, such as grilled ribs, steaks, soups, salads and of course pizzas, but the portions were huge -- and we are not big eaters. So we spent more time than normal to carefully read the menu, as if looking at photos could make us crave less, knowing that we could not eat three dishes.
Finally, we chose a salad with grilled beef and sausage pizza. The waiter may have been disappointed we took so long to select just two dishes.
Cowboy Jack’s gave me unexpected surprises. The salad was small, as I expected, but it was overflowing. It was placed on a shining stainless steel tray, freely topped with frisbee lettuce, grape tomatoes, cucumbers, red cabbage, pickled onions and special sauce.
The lettuce had strong thick leaves, which were tasty and fresh. I loved it so much I ordered it on my three visits to the retaurant. The attraction of this salad is its freshness and fine sweet-and-sour sauce that made all taste buds come alive.
I was a bit sorry that there was too much olive oil. If you want to save money, order the basic green salad without beef. Apart from the beef, there is nearly no difference between the tastes of these two dishes.
After finishing the salad, we felt full, so when the pizza was served, despite being excited, we were not sure if we could finish it. This was the first time I tried stuffed pizza with a super-thick base. It was excellent.
The pizza was placed on a small tray on candles to keep it hot, crispy and the cheese continued to burn and flow. Just looking at it made me salivate. In the past, I was in love with Pizza Hut because of its crispy and delicious base, now at Cowboy Jack’s, I fell in love all over again.
The base was crispy and soft. I could smell the oregano, tomato sauce, parmesan and mozzarella. The best part was the smoked sausage. The thick and spicy sausage slices were sheer ecstasy. The hot cheese made the food more miraculous.
But we could not eat all of the six pieces and had to pack one for take-away. We stood up with full bellies and satisfied faces. I recommend Cowboy Jack’s to my friends who are pizza lovers, gluttons, cheese lovers and lovers of space. If you are one of them, you now know where to go. VNS
Address: 2nd Floor, 8 Trang Thi Street, Ha Noi
Opening time: 9am – 9.30pm
Phone: 024 3636 7755
Price: around 300,000VND/pax
Comment: Excellent decoration and space, very good pizza, fair price
OVietnam