We now fancied a change from rice and some of the indescribable meat that had graced our plates and were only too happy to stagger into this Westernised eatery aptly named Pizza Bar. It was a bright, cheery establishment with willing and happy staff waiting to serve us. They were smartly dressed in informal black-and-white-checked shirts and red headware (baseball caps for the guys and scarves for the women). A fresh salad bar graced the centre of the restaurant (15 RMB for a single portion of savoury or fruit salad), and it all looked very fresh.
We were led to a table with plush faux leather chairs under bright orange and green tiffany lights. Crisp green tablecloths draped the plain single-plinth table, and we settled down to consider the menu choices. The waitress hovered, as they do in China, and I managed to explain that we wanted our drinks first and a little more time to choose our food. The beer must have been almost a litre and had a fragrant aftertaste - an interesting beer – but we were now ready to order. We ordered a single pizza and were well chuffed with the end product. A crisp, thick, but extremely light dough was crammed with cheeses, egg, mushrooms, ham, tomatoes, onions, and peppers. It was very tasty.
Once we’d devoured the pizza, we still had a "small hole to fill," and so we set about getting the menu back. This is never an easy task, but we finally succeeded and plumped for Italian chicken rice. It is a good choice, as a substantial amount of freshly cooked food arrived on a very hot cast-iron skillet. Mixed in the rice was an ample serving of chicken with peppers, ham, onion, and a vibrantly green broccoli, all blended together with a rich, creamy sauce. The flavours were well integrated into the dish, which was well worth trying.
The internal decor of this restaurant provided plenty of interest, whilst outside we overlooked the tranquil courtyard of a neighbouring hotel, with its large statues, water fountains, and intense green lighting. Momentarily, we forgot that to the front of the eatery was the busy East Street.
We sat on a raised dais of laminated flooring (most of the restaurant was tiled in an alternating, large black-and-white design) and under an open trellised dropped ceiling with hanging fans and simple spots. Around the wall was miniature framed sporting equipment (golf, fishing, tennis, and sailing) and around the side, a host of interesting "trinkets," including bright, modern pottery figurines; artificial fruit; and a range of bottled pastas. A large plaque of a grinning chef indicated the route to the kitchen
This restaurant was heavily influenced by Western design, but the food had an Eastern taste to it. We were pleased to have entered Pizza Bar. The staff was efficient, friendly, and as helpful as the language barrier would allow. We would recommend you try it.