In a cultural Cuisinart in a Flushing kitchen, chef Tony Sala took two worlds and made one innovative creation that has redefined the New York slice: kim-chee pizza.
“Everyone laughed at it, they…
By Cynthia Koons
Few things stranger than kim-chee have landed on pizza.
In a cultural Cuisinart in a Flushing kitchen, chef Tony Sala took two worlds and made one innovative creation that has redefined the New York slice: kim-chee pizza.
“Everyone laughed at it, they thought it was funny,” Sala, the owner of T.J.’s Pizzeria & Restaurant in Flushing, said. “And then I took it on. It worked.”
Sala has owned his pizzeria at 136-99 Roosevelt Ave. for 15 years. In that time, the neighborhood has shifted from being home to predominantly European immigrants to becoming a Korean and Chinese hub.
To adapt, Sala took a suggestion 12 years ago from the Korean doctor who delivered two of his six children.
“When he heard I had a pizzeria in Flushing, he recommended I sell kim-chee pizza,” Sala said. “I was doing all right, but it helped me do better. Everything helps these days.”
With spicy Korean pickled cabbage on top of a traditional cheese slice, Sala invented a pizza that mixes traditional Italian essence with the robust, fiery flavor of kim-chee.
Since then he has began experimenting with Chinese recipes for his pizzas. His business adviser, James Wu, said the chefs are working on a beef and broccoli recipe. But until it is perfected, Sala remained mum about the future of his ethnic pizza concoctions.
“He has an amazing palate,” Wu said.
Some of the inventions he is already selling include Louisiana chicken, taco, chicken and broccoli, eggplant parmigiana and buffalo chicken pizza recipes. Wu said Pizza Hut is now marketing a buffalo chicken pie as well.
“Who knows where they get the inspiration from,” Wu surmised. “(Sala) is the real thing as opposed to a Pizza Hut, which is a packaged chain.”
Since creating kim-chee pizza, Sala has been no stranger to media attention. Stories have appeared on CNN, in the Los Angeles Times and on Aug. 17 his restaurant will be featured on a “hot and spicy” episode of the Al Roker cooking show on the Food Network.
“I add different seasonings to it, I do different things to it,” Sala said of his family kim-chee pizza recipe. He would not divulge much more about the creation.
He is open to customer ideas and has even made some original pies on demand like his sunnyside-up egg pizza.
“It started out I made it for a woman who was pregnant,” Sala said of the pie, which is not in his rotating menu. “It looked so good, I had to make it for my guys after.”
When he had stores in Long Island, where he and his family lives, and Jackson Heights, he had an Irish pizza with mashed potatoes, bacon and cheddar cheese.
On Monday, he was testing out a “pecan pie” with nuts and syrup.
“The low-carb, people liked it, Tony didn’t,” Wu said of Sala’s attempt at being Atkins-friendly.
Sala, whose six children have all worked in his restaurant and even speak some Korean, said keeping T.J.’s in business for the last 15 years has been possible through this type of innovation.
“It’s a lot of work, you have to dedicate yourself to this business,” Sala said. “I think pizza, I eat pizza, I sleep pizza. Inventing, that’s the famous part, that’s the best part.”
Reach reporter Cynthia Koons by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or call 718-229-0300, Ext. 141.
