It’s clear before even entering the building that KBella Pizza is much fancier than the average pizza restaurant. From the font on the sign outside to the immaculate, clutter-free interior (usually, pizza places are a mess of boxes and condiments), KBella is a cut above.
“At KBella Pizza, we are passionate about creating the perfect pizza,” they say online. “Our journey began with a vision to bring the authentic taste of Italy to your table. We meticulously select the finest ingredients and blend traditional techniques with innovative flavors to craft pizzas that delight every palate.”
The vegan in the family ordered the Veggie Margherita Pizza (prepared vegan style): Italian Flour “00”, San Marzano tomato sauce, garlic, mushrooms, red onions, bell pepper, basil, drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
If there’s a problem with the pizza, it’s that the toppings are a little too stacked. The basic ingredients, starting with that Italian flour crust, are so good that they really could have gone a little lighter. But that’s splitting hairs, truth be told.
The biggest challenge for any vegan pizza is the cheese. Mozzarella is such a vital ingredient of a great pie, and replicating the rich flavor and the stringy element of each bite is always going to be tough. It would be disingenuous to say that KBella’s vegan pizza, with vegan mozzarella, is a total success. But it would be true to say that it’s as good as any vegan pizza we’ve had before in that regard.
Science just hasn’t created a vegan Mozzarella that melts properly yet. That said, flavor-wise it was pretty good. Not perfect, but pretty good and certainly edible. In the absence of real cheese, it was up to the other ingredients to pick up the slack, and they certainly did that. Come to think of it, perhaps that’s why they stacked the toppings so high.
The San Marzano tomato sauce was spectacular. Lush, vibrant and bursting with fresh tomato tang, it really is the sort of sauce that would bring any pizza to life, vegan or otherwise. The garlic and red onions add a ton of strong flavors, as do the bell peppers and fresh basil.
The mushrooms have been grilled with the onion and pepper, and that all brings a wonderful, caramelized quality to the generous slice.
The non-vegan pizzas at KBell look amazing too, so we’ll have to return at some point. But the restaurant should be commended for the fact that they’re catering to everyone, and simultaneously succeeding.KBella Pizzais located at 11028 Washington Blvd., Culver City 90232. Contact 310-730-6150 or visit kbellapizza.com.