Review: Good News Pizza serves up a wholesome spread in a warm and cosy atmosphere

Good news! A brand new pizzeria has opened for business in Petaling Street, in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. From its range of wood-fired pizzas to its tantalising titbits made to share, Good News Pizza is perhaps the best spot to get together with your friends for a satisfying meal and overall good vibes after a long work week.

It’s entirely by chance that on the evening we are about to enter Good News Pizza for the first time, it is raining. The roads of Petaling Street — as are we — are drenched, and the thought of a warm and hearty meal awaiting us on the other side sounds divine. The atmosphere seems to understand it, too, as we ascend the staircase and become awash in the brick-red glow of Good News Pizza.

For a drizzly Friday night, the dimly lit space is tolerably busy. Light jazz pop music greets us at the top of the stairs. At the far end, we spot a single wood-fired oven that has taken root. And with the interior’s warm shades of terracotta, it’s as if the entire space is only made bright by the oven’s roaring flames — which, by this point, is bringing forth the smell of a freshly baked pizza.

Just sneaking a glance at the tables all around tells us that Good News Pizza is not your average pizzeria. These guys mean business. More specifically, they are on a quest to perfect the craft of the classic Neapolitan-style pizza. That means all the works to make it as authentic as it can be: preparing the dough by hand and cooking in a wood-burning oven; leopard-spotted crusts; and finally, achieving that ideal blend of tender, light and moist. Thus we, the LSA Editorial Team, simply must put it to the taste test. Here are our thoughts.

Gourmet and classic pizzas aplenty

We settle on four pizzas to start with, just to be able to cater to every taste bud: the Carne for a meaty flavour; the Funghi for a mouthful of mushrooms; the four-cheese classic, Quattro Formaggi; and, by special request, the vegetarian Borneo. Each pizza is perfectly split into six ample slices, and the toppings are equally distributed — an excellent first impression right off the bat.

The leopard crust is no joke. Soft yet crunchy, though even we were fooled, as the crust looks thick on the outside — but it is indeed light and airy at first bite. (The Neapolitans call this cornicione.) Each slice is also considerably big enough to fold while still keeping all of the important bits (the cheese and toppings, of course!) intact, a la pizza a portafoglio.

It’s evident that a lot of thought went into the combination of ingredients in the pizzas. Every single flavour is clearly defined, and with each bite there is a vivid burst of flavours, tempting us into yet another bite, and then another. The Funghi pizza certainly did that for me. For some, an all-mushroom pizza might spell out too much mushroom, but the artful use of cheeses helps to balance it all out. The sharp whiff of the black truffle cream already does well to get our appetites rumbling, and the mushrooms are roasted to excellence. And with an even spread of ricotta, pecorino romano and fior di latte mozzarella, the Funghi stipulates what it is that makes a mushroom pizza such an underrated choice. It’s also topped with a decent serving of arugula and eggs in the middle of the pizza, so each slice gets a little bit of the relish.

The cheeses make a grand return in the Quattro Formaggi, which is about as Neapolitan as a pizza can be. The four cheeses — ricotta, mozzarella, gorgonzola (Italian blue cheese) and smoked provola — complement each other well. The light yet creamy ricotta, together with the mild mozzarella against the more intense gorgonzola and smoky taste of provola result in a tangy clash of flavours. To top it off? A little bit of basil, arugula and wildflower honey provides for a sweet, slightly herby touch.

Moving on to the Carne, Good News Pizza is indeed generous with the meat of the matter. Smoked beef bacon, salami and mini meatballs all cooked to perfection and spread plentiful over the crispy yet chewy leopard-spotted crust — our mouths are already watering long before we take our first bite. Topped with mozzarella and pecorino romano, and savoury extra virgin olive oil to finish, the Carne is a unique take on a classic meat lover’s pizza.

To contrast, we end our pizza journey with the Borneo, a vegetarian must-try that showcases the flavours of East Malaysia in its Sarawak black peppercorn, and oil infused with the Kulim fruit. Once again topped with what we now identify as Good News Pizza’s signature Italian cheeses — ricotta, mozzarella and pecorino romano — the Borneo is a great pick if you’re not looking for something too dense or heavy. The Sarawak black peppercorn is the true star of the dish while the rest of the ingredients take a back seat, letting you savour its bold flavour, a kick that leaves a pleasant tingling zing.

Small plates, big helpings

Of course, we simply couldn’t resist ordering some snacks to share among the team, in between the pizzas burning over the wood-fired oven. After all, what’s a hearty pizza dinner without its sides? A highlight of the night is the Jalapeno, stuffed with cheese and mashed potatoes — so good that we’re tempted enough to order another serving. Perfectly crunchy from the very first bite, it’s the type of snack that can prove quite dangerous as you can’t stop reaching for one more piece, and one more and then one more; while the mashed potatoes are just melt-in-your-mouth delicious.

Good News Pizza’s Kofta Meatballs, served with marinara sauce and pecorino romano cheese, are also worth a mention. Smokey and juicy with a slightly charred tang, the meatballs are succulent, and the sauce simply heavenly. We also added the Crispy Squid Head to our entier, which is certainly crisped to perfection, while soft and chewy on the inside. Served with a side of the house aioli sauce, it’s yet another addictive snack that we keep finding ourselves drifting back to again and again. And for a cool starter dish, we helped ourselves to the Beef Salami — thinly sliced yet still packs a punch with its flavour, served with baby gherkin and pearl onions.

Good News Pizza isn’t just a whiz at its dishes. The overall vibe is something you might find as you stroll down an Italian vicolo — a hidden gem that’s full of charm, warm terracotta walls that give it a rustic feel, and a wholesome meal prepared in a traditional Neapolitan way. It almost feels like you’re kicking back in an Italian cousin’s dining room, while the smell of pizzas burning over the wood-fire oven in the kitchen. To add to the all-around relaxed atmosphere, Good News Pizza offers a wide range of craft beers that you and your friends can crack open and enjoy throughout the meal.

Learn more about Good News Pizza and its comprehensive menu on its official website HERE, or visit its official Instagram page for updates.