Has anyone else tried Neo Kobe Pizza? Where you submerge a slice of pizza in soup? I've tried it quite often, and find it's rather damned bloody excellent. I have it about once a week.
It was actrually supposed to be Akashiyaki in the Japanese original, but the translators changed it to pizza and soup to appeal to Western audiences (who'd presumably not understand the cultural reference to Japanese dumplings in fish broth). Regardless, this strange bastardised clash of cultural foods is rather nice.
I normally make miso soup (you really do need a chunky-free, thin broth or consommé style of soup - cream of tomato simply will not do) and then I add Asda's thin and crispy vegetable pizza (3 for £3, which is quite a bargain).
Ingredients needed:
1 x pizza
1 x onion
1 x smallish piece of dried konbu (optional)
Some x savoury fermented soybean paste (Japanese miso is best, but Korean and Chinese will work - I often use Korean since it's easier to get hold of)
Method:
1) Slice the onion fine and gently fry in a small pot until golden
2) Disolve soybean paste in hot water and add to pot (I use a heaped tablespoon for a whole pot, but you should adjust this to taste - add more water later if too salty)
3) Gently simmer this with the piece of dried konbu (be sure to remove konbu later on, and throw it away)
4) Heat pizza
5) Cut pizza into 8ths
6) Submerge one slice at a time, and eat with chopsticks as and when you feel it has been submerged for long enough (try varying the times)
7) Finish off by drinking the soup
Chopsticks are essential, since it allows you to manipulate each slice more easily, for dipping, dredging, twisting and eating. It's also a good idea to get a thin and crispy pizza, since it stays crispier for longer than a deep crust one, which is too spongy. Also, having chunky topping pieces is a good idea (the Asda T&C Vegetable pizza comes with lots of onions and red/yellow peppers, plus spinach, and makes for the perfect addition), since they'll fall off into the soup and make it taste better. The warm soup will also keep the cheese soft and yummy.
The above serves two people. If the other person is a date, offer to share the same soup bowl for pizza dipping, and possibly have some candles as well. The chopsticks also allows easy feeding of each-other.
PRO TIPS:
Avoid having a moustache when eating with company.
Don't tell company you got the idea from a videogame.
If anyone else tries this, post some photos. Or mention your own variations on soup and pizza combinations.

