Food & Drinks
Aside from pizza, Ignite does a few starters like salads and soups. To kick things off, we got ourselves this bowl of Mushroom Soup (Rs. 850).
Hearty, oniony, garlicky and with lots and lots of mushroom flavour to boot, it was superb! There were a few chunks of chewy mushroom swimming about, along with croutons, and a drizzle of truffle oil – making it heaps better.
Ignite does two types of pizzas – Authentic Italian, and Sri Lankan Infusion. We customised a half-n-half pizza, by choosing a topping from each category – Quattro Formaggi (Rs. 2000) and Chicken Kochchi (Rs. 1800). The expensive topping out of the two is your price point – ours was Rs. 2000.
Crafted with the symphony of mozzarella, parmesan, ricotta, and blue cheese, the Quattro Formaggi was a milky, earthy and nutty treat. There was a generous slathering of tomato sauce which harmonised well with the four kinds of cheese in the mix, while the slices of freshly cut tomato lent a bit of tang to the overall flavour.
The crust on this pie is one of the best we’ve seen. Edged with charred spots, which boosted the flavour rather than overpowering it, the crust gave the most satisfying crunch and wasn’t doughy in any way.
If you’re looking for a pizza that packs a spicy punch, Ignite’s Chicken Kochchi Pizza should be right up your alley. Garnished with chilli flakes, the topping here was an assortment of chicken, cheese, kochchi, and tomato slices.
We enjoyed catching a whiff of smokiness from the chicken, which mingled very nicely with the tanginess of the tomato and the spicy kick drawn from the kochchi miris. A bit more chicken on the pizza would have enriched the flavour even more.
Ignite doesn’t do a lot in terms of drinks – apart from the usual soft drinks, and a couple of tea-based drinks. The Mint Tea (Rs. 300) we tried was a mug full of freshly brewed hot tea with some mint leaves thrown in. The tea was good as it can be, and there was a subtle leafy note coming through, which we enjoyed. A little less sugar would have made it even better.
Ambience & Service
The ambience at Ignite is pretty simple with a bunch of glass-topped tables surrounded by black plastic chairs.
They’ve got an open kitchen, so you can observe how pizzas are being made.
The staff seems to be enthusiastic about what they do and happily treated us to a fine meal. They asked for feedback that we may have, and was attentive. We received our food and drinks within around 15 minutes.
Conclusion
Ignite uses good quality ingredients on their pizza and knows the art of adding Lankan twists on this beloved Italian delicacy. In terms of pricing, they’re a bit expensive in comparison to some pizza parlours in Colombo-central.
Anyway, they do deliveries on their own, as well as through PickMe Food and Uber Eats which makes it a convenient option to satisfy your pizza cravings. If you live around Wattala or passing by, make sure to try them out.
*Photographs courtesy of: @raveen.re