介绍:
Beijing is a city of many flavors. From the spicy Indian curry to Italian spaghetti and lasagna, you can find restaurants serving food from almost every country and every culture in this one city. However, the task becomes more difficult when you're looking for a place for both you and your beloved pet.
Located inside a Hutong near the Chao-yang-men subway station, American-style restaurant Pizza Buona opens its doors to both human and animal customers. I recently went down there to have a meal with a man's best friend.
The barking of dogs, the clickety-clack of paws across the floor and a low growl. Hearing these sounds could make you think that you are in a pet store or a dog park. But this is Pizza Buona, a restaurant dedicated to pets and pet lovers. This is a fairly small space with tables for two to four people. At the bar, there are dog-related ornaments like one of a bone-shaped treat or a small statue of a terrier. On the counter, there's a calendar filled with pictures of dogs.
With me is the owner of the restaurant, Amanda Chen, who is here to tell me about the inspiration for this place.
It's inconvenient for pet owners to eat out with their pets. I own a golden retriever and he's a big dog. I often have to hide him away in street corners when he eats in fear that he would scare other people. To us, pets are like our children so I wanted to create a space where pets could eat at the table with their owners like they do at home."
Even though Pizza Buona is billed as a restaurant where dogs could eat alongside their owners, cats are also welcome. To accommodate her animal customers, the owner has also created Pet Day, when she would provide free meals for the pets and they can roam around the restaurant freely. Most of the time, however, pet owners are required to bring a leash.
Amanda has provided two separate menus: one for humans and the other for animals.
"Mainly, for humans, we offer them pizza. That has been our signature dish for years. We also have pasta, salad and some snacks. Recently, we added a variety of drinks to our menu including cocktail drinks, beer, and red wine."
What about the dogs' menu?
"We use purple yams, potato, bok choi, carrot and beef to make buns for the dogs. At the same time, we will cook up different kinds of soup and dog chews and treats. These are provided free of charge. In the future, we might add mashed potatoes or even pizza to the menu."
Not only the menu, but the restaurant's space is dog-friendly as well. The spaces between the tables so that dogs, both big and small, can walk around without bumping into each other. To make the pets feel more at home, the owners are also encouraged to bring their pets' food and water dish when they come to have a meal.
Meng Chin-tian is a cat owner and a regular at the restaurant. He applauds this pet-friendly space.
"I think it's a good idea. People should be able to bring their pets outside the home, not only to parks but also to restaurants without discrimination."
And here, I have some dishes from the menu that are recommended by the restaurant's owner. We have Al Buona Salad, with pumpkin, spinach, fried cashews and smoked salmon. And there is a half Napoli and half hot pepper pizza. Last but not least, there's the mashed potato.
Since this is an American-style restaurant, there's more cheese used to make the pizza and the mashed potatoes than in an Italian or French restaurant. All the food are delicious here, especially the salad which has a bit of lemon juice squeezed into it and is mixed with garlic and olive oil.
The crust for the pizza is thin and crispy. The restaurant has been making pizzas with the same recipe since it was first established as a food delivery business in 2001. The recipe was passed down from an experienced American chef so the kinds of pizza found here are the same ones you would see on a menu in pizza restaurant in North America.
Pizza Buona itself looks like a retro American restaurant as well with movie posters on the walls and old fashioned radio, TV and clocks on shelves that are nailed into the walls. You can even see a gramophone in the corner. Besides her dog, the restaurant's owner also has affection for antiques.
Walking into the restaurant, you can feel that you are walking into a small cafe in Europe or stepping back in time to the 1960s or 70s. The rock n roll music also brings with it a sense of nostalgia.
After visiting Pizza Buona, I feel that it's more than just a restaurant for pets and pet lovers. With great food and hospitality, the restaurant is perfect for anyone who is looking to have fun or just relax after a day of hard work.
For Studio+, I'm Doris Wang.
大家还在听
