There are two kinds of people who order food home on a regular basis. The first kind includes ‘the loyalists,’ veterans, who tend to stick to a certain restaurant that they enjoy the services of all until their death or the restaurant’s, whichever comes first. The second kind includes ‘the floaters,’ almost-stalwarts, who take turns, try out food from different places, and in time, turn into loyalists.
Having lived where I do for almost 4 years, I had floated around plenty of pizza places for a shade over 3 years, many of which shut down, and many that I had to formidably start to overlook once I stumbled upon Viking Pizza. I won’t get into the pizzas, for those are phenomenal, and I have said it time and again to everybody who I have recommended this place which is literally everybody from my closest friends to my worst enemies to my high school crush to my teacher and her fiancé, so here’s something else that is exceptional about this place.
I first ordered from here back in June 2018, and not a weekend has passed by since wherein I haven’t ordered from there. It all started in June though, when all I heard was that it was a new restaurant on the block with pizzas as good as ever, but in addition to that, something special about the people who run it. For 7-8 months, every time I would place an order, I would get a call from the manager inquiring as to how the pizza (or literally everything else on the menu) was, and oftentimes, a magnanimous plea to suggestions, and criticism that they took in their stride. Be it a gathering at my place, an event that I was in charge of, a New Year’s bash, or even a appetizing late night bite, Viking was always on their A-game. But it wasn’t until February this year that I visited the outlet, only a stone’s throw away from my houses, for the first time. And as I write this review, on the edge of April, I have already visited the outlet 6 times in only a matter of 30 day, and have placed multiple orders in the period too. If you’re reading this, you are likely to have tried or be on the verge of trying a pizza you’re sure to love, so I’m going to cut the chase and say, regardless of what you made of the food, go and pay the outlet a visit once. Sit on one of those homely, rustic stools, order as much as you want to — and at ease — and engage in some fun chatter with any one of the guys sitting at the desk. The experience is something else; the friendliness of the staff and owners, a mix of cultures and good humor, and their unconscious ability to turn a floater into a loyalist in the speck of a slice haves me believe that no matter where you come from, they’ll literally make you feel home.
A month ago, if somebody had told me that a restaurant will be able to convert a boutique space into a chic little pizza place that specializes not just in its range of dishes but also warm and unparalleled hospitality, making a home out of a tiny space in Mumbai, I would have had a hard time believing it. But Viking, with the prodigious personal touch that they add to your pizza, has made me suspend that fleeting disbelief. Here’s to many more years of Viking.
- A loyalist.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes