ARTS

Title: The Art of Pizza Making

Words: Tyler Mongan

Pull Quote: “What I do is an art. Each pie is unique piece of art”

It’s the simplicity of pizza that makes it so great. At least that is what chef Alejandro “Aker” Briceno wants to share with the patrons that visit V·Lounge in Honolulu.  “Most pizza is full of crap, the flavors are hidden in the toppings. My goal is to make pizza simple and good, using the best ingredients possible.”

Although most artists leave the paint making process to machines, Aker is an artist who mixes his creations by hand, “I have to feel the dough.”  Cooking is an expression of the way the cook sees the world. Aker’s works hard to share his vision of a new food culture in Hawaii that values fresh, natural, and hand-made foods.  What inspires Aker’s creations is the history of food and the ingredients. “If you really know your ingredients, you know how to use them.”  

The art of food making is a delicate and every changing process. “As the climate or the mood of the chef changes, so does the product of his work“ notes Aker. The dough, which is made fresh daily, is topped with a light sauce and fresh pulled buffalo mozzarella, then placed in the Kiawe wood fired oven, a one-of-a-kind in Hawaii.. The flavor and texture of the pizza reflects the characteristics of the wood, which burns heats the oven to a 800 degree baking temperature. In about two minutes and a lift of the peel, a light and tasty pizza is served. The process is truly a work of art.

Good food should be available for everyone. The unlikely foodies at the V Lounge hope that sharing these ultra-fresh, hand-made pies with Hawaii will inspire more of the same thinking.