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Pinoy Abroad

Pinoy family’s specialty pizza finds a spot at The Plaza


There’s thin crust pizza and then there’s paper thin crust.

Pizza Rollio, which brands itself as a paper thin specialty pizza, has just opened at the swank The Plaza Food Hall, where it is neighbors with Daniel Boulud, Todd English and Lady M. It is owned by a Filipino family of restaurateurs.

 
Miyuki Tajonera-Talwar (left) runs the store with her mother, Mariko Jacinto, and her son, Deki Tajonera. The FilAm photo
A long-time New York resident, Miyuki Tajonera-Talwar runs Pizza Rollio with her artist mother, Mariko Jacinto, and her son, Deki Tajonera. Mariko is the daughter of a Japanese mother and a Filipino father.

“We were running two successful places in Pasig City — at the Robinson’s Magnolia and SM Hypermart – when we decided to introduce our pizza concept to a bigger market,” shared Miyuki when I came to visit. “My family felt that this pizza concept will attract not only the Asian market but the global market as well.”

And so Miyuki and her sandwich family “decided to take the risk” and opened an eatery in New York.

“We were really determined to get a space in this location,” she recalled with excitement. “We were very fortunate to have been given the last retail space which is right across the famous Eloise Shop.”

The Eloise Shop is a toy store for girls inspired by the 1950s Eloise storybook character who lives in The Plaza Hotel and writes about her adventures. Pizza Rollio has leveraged its location by offering pizza-making classes for girls as part of the shop’s calendar of Spring Events.

When they came for a meeting, Miyuki recalled the Plaza Food Hall executives “tasted our paper thin crust pizza, and they just loved it!”

Being the only Filipino store owners at the prestigious location, Miyuki said, gives them a certain satisfaction and pride.

“As Filipinos, we feel we have to show respect to the people we work with and create an environment where each and every customer experiences something worthwhile, and in the end, they are happy and satisfied,” she said.

She continued, “All the people we interact with have said Filipinos are the most wonderful to work with and that we always have a smile on our faces.”

Every day of the last four months they’ve been in business has been a learning experience. She said her family is constantly comparing doing business in America and in the Philippines. They acknowledge there are challenges to both locations, but it is how they manage those challenges that will determine if they will stay long in the business.

They talked about their thin crust pizza with delight. Said Miyuki, “Our pizza is a delicate crisp layered with a blend of cheese, herbs and fresh toppings, and rolled up with arugula, alfalfa and sauces. It is best enjoyed in one bite.”

It was her brother Ivan Tajonera’s concoction. He remains in Manila running the family restaurants there.

Their bestsellers are memorable for their names and their taste: “Big Bang” with pancetta, pepperoni, mushrooms and caramelized onion; “Mushroom Truffle Madness” with a drizzle of truffle oil; and “Imeldific” which is topped with spicy code roe and chives.

Miyuki fancied how their thin crust pizza may be thick with possibilities for expansion. “Maybe, when the time is right,” she said. —The FilAm

Jannelle So is credited for creating, hosting and producing America’s first locally-produced daily talk show for Filipinos. ‘Kababayan L.A.’ ran for 8 ½ years under her leadership, making it the longest-running Filipino talk show outside of the Philippines. Connect with her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/JannelleSoOFFICIAL; Twitter – www.twitter.com/JannelleSo; and Instagram – www.instagram.com/sojannelle; or email her at sojannelle77@gmail.com.
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