Page 1 of 1

Neo Kobe Pizza (anyone else actually try it?)

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:46 am
by Szczepaniak
Cross-posting from another forum, but I thought you guys might like this. I'm also curious to see if anyone else has tried it.

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.

Image
Image

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 10:37 am
by Henry Spencer
I've got to try this some time, it looks fucking nice. :P

Have you ever had it yourself, Szczepaniak? Or has anybody here?

Re: Neo Kobe Pizza (anyone else actually try it?)

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:10 pm
by Szczepaniak
Szczepaniak wrote:I've tried it quite often, and find it's rather damned bloody excellent. I have it about once a week.
:P

I always find it a bit surprising when Snatcher fans say they haven't tried Neo Kobe Pizza, seeing as how easy soup and pizza is to come by. And cheap. The above recipe only takes 20 minutes, and costs less than £2, tops. Which is like $3.50 for a full evening meal for two.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:31 pm
by Henry Spencer
Yeah, I did say I'll get around to it for sure, it does look a tasty, original dish. Pizza has always been a favourite meal of mine, and soups okay. We'll see how it turns out.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 1:32 pm
by Marc
I've often thought about trying it, but was afraid the pizza would end up soggy. But you don't find it turns out like this?

I'm waiting for the day Gordon Ramsey or Jamie Oliver start doing this. Or that Nikkei bloke, Jun something.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 2:38 pm
by Szczepaniak
I use thin and crispy pizza, which, after 20 minutes in the oven, has a really crispy, dry base and crust. I only leave it in the soup for maybe 10 seconds or so. There's no science to it, sometimes I leave it in for a while, other times not so much.

You pick it up witht he chopsticks, bite the pointed end, drop it back into the soup, then pick it up again and take another bite when you're ready, before droping it back into the soup and repeating.

A large bowl is only big enough for one slice at a time (of a pizza cut into 8 slices), of course, but that's no problem.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 3:24 pm
by Marc
Hmm, I think I'll finally give it a try. Thanks for all the tips, John.

If anyone's interested, here's Takamichi's version.
http://junkerhq.net/Snatcher/neokobepizza.html

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:38 pm
by Henry Spencer
Let me know what you think of it, Marc. :smile:

Since I'm going to be trying it out soon, myself.

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 6:44 pm
by HorseFactory
Is the other forum SelectButton per chance? :)

Posted: Mon Apr 09, 2007 9:21 pm
by Artemio
It really sounds quite nice! Specially the chopstick idea, I never tried it because I thought about a mess.. but chopsticks would make it easier. I'll try it when the opportunity arises, sounds great!

Reading Takamichi's instructions again made me crave Takoyaki... I'll go and eat some tomorrow as well.

Posted: Mon Apr 16, 2007 5:00 am
by Nitroid
Hah! This got picked up by Kotaku.

I'm definitely going to try making this later.

Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 6:20 am
by Mod2k2
I actually and accidentally tried "Neo Kobe Pasta" (basically some pasta shells submerged in soup) a few days ago but with a regular chicken soup rather than a miso soup. It tasted really nice so I'll make sure I'll experiment with the Neo Kobe Pizza method soon.

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 2:49 pm
by Arkley
I've been eating the Poor Man's Neo Kobe Pizza, that is, instead of Pizza, I use a Pizza Pop, it's still quite delicious.

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 2:52 pm
by Marc
I tried it a few weeks ago, and I think I messed up just as bad as Gillian. My pizza came out all soggy and the cheese separated from it.

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 6:21 pm
by 87th
Did you wait for it to float up, or did you just dunk and eat it?

Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 6:33 pm
by Marc
It never sank. I just put it in and it floats on top. I let it sit there for about 30 seconds before I tried it. Maybe I should try another kind of pizza.

If only I'd had the "wah-wah-waaah" sound effect ready to go, it would've completed the experience.

Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 1:30 pm
by seraphssavior
Quick question, any of you guys work for PSM? its an American gaming magazine, which featured an interesting quote on page 69 of its latest issue...seems a little credit is due, but none was given...

Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 1:35 pm
by Marc
No, not that I know of. What does it say?

Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 9:47 pm
by seraphssavior
I'm on my psp, so I can't scan anything, but they stole the recipie, word for word, from the first post, only saying that it was the recipie from Snatcher, giving no credit to szczepaniac... or even this forum...hooray for plagiarism, right? And if PSM still reads these forums, please refute my claim in your next issue...I'm sure we all look forward to it.

Posted: Thu May 31, 2007 9:53 pm
by Marc
Damn. Well, I stopped reading PSM years ago, when they showed their journalistic integrity by spoiling the Ninja in MGS2 on their E3 issue front cover. I didn't watch the trailer, or any others that year, and that was a great surprise completely ruined. Thanks again, guys.

Posted: Thu Aug 09, 2007 1:17 am
by joeypete
Man I don't like pizza do I won't do this.

Very cool too see that ppl here tho followed though on this! Nice!

When ever I find something in a VG that hints to some IRL activity (like phone #s to call or things that can be tried IRL) I always wonder if ppl take it to heart and give it a go. Cool to see that some here let their love for Snatcher carry over into a new IRL culinary treat that their flesh and blood taste buds can enjoy.

If I did not find pizza to be so fucking nasty I'd be right with you. :P

I'd ask if anyone has followed Gillian's lead and seen a porno flick (a la the Joy Division porn scene) but the answer is way to blatant for me to need to pose that question("YES!" I'm sure would be the reply- many times over. Hey Pr0n is fun! :grin: )! LOL!

L8R!

Posted: Thu Oct 04, 2007 9:09 pm
by Space Cowboy
Sounds pretty tasty..

Re: Neo Kobe Pizza (anyone else actually try it?)

Posted: Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:31 pm
by Project_Noah
Now that does sound delicious! I did a half-assed attempt a few years back. It wasn't exactly bad, but it wasn't exactly all that great either.

...and I'll definitely remember to use chop-sticks this time, rather than a fork.