The best pizza is hidden in Batanes

On rainy days when the wind is wild, I miss Batanes the most. I miss the rolling hills and the green that tumbles into the sea. And the pizza. I know that makes very little sense, at first. After all, how does one go to the northernmost tip of the country, famed for its natural beauty and picture-perfect spots, and return home with memories of great pizza?

On our first day on Basco island, we asked a friend who had spent the previous summer there to recommend a good place to eat. When he told us we had to try the pizza at Casa Napoli, we were puzzled, to say the least. It felt like looking for fast food while traveling. We were looking forward to local dishes, like Uvud (made with pork, flying fish and banana trunk) and Venus (dried gabi). We were also told to try the famed Coconut Crab, or Tatus, which we had been told were the tastiest crabs on the planet. For some reason, both Uvud and Venus were always unavailable whenever we would spot them on a menu, and the Coconut Crab was always too expensive. It turned out to be just as well, because it turns out that the Coconut Crab (Birgus latro) is a threatened species. According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, because of its complex life-cycle and slow growth rate, the Coconut Crab is easily over-harvested. On the other hand, Dibang is abundant in Batanes, and we got to taste plenty of the popular flying fish. After three days of eating Dibang, we gave up trying to taste other local dishes and met up with our friends at Casa Napoli. The cozy restaurant is in the town center of Basco, on a small street lined with houses. As it is everywhere in Batanes, there is no need for a gate, and the door is left wide open. It is so safe that guests can simply enter, seat themselves, and ring a bell to announce their presence. Casa Napoli is run by Xavier Mirabueno, who does everything from welcoming the guests to making the pizza and serving the food. By "making the pizza," we don't mean heating it up. The dough is always freshly made from scratch, and most of the ingredients are also fresh and homegrown. Mirabueno grows his own herbs right outside the restaurant. The disadvantage is that he only makes a certain amount of dough for the day, so if you're hungrier than he expects you may have to come back another time. With Mirabueno's pizza, it's not surprising that guests often find themselves placing extra orders. Baked on a pizza stone, the homemade dough, fresh toppings and gooey mozzarella make Casa Napoli pizza irresistible. Casa Napoli's laid-back charm is perfect for the no-frills dining that pizza requires. From its nondescript signage outside to its no-nonsense blue wooden tables and chairs, diners can simply relax and enjoy their meal. Decor is simple - a few framed photographs on the whitewashed walls, pristine blue and white checkered tablecloths, and a large brass standing clock. It's a good thing that there's no pressure to be prim and proper, because pizza this good is best eaten without utensils, and there's no time between bites to pause and wipe the food from your mouth. The menu lists less than ten kinds of pizza, with familiar flavors like Garlic and Cheese (280 pesos), Pepperoni (320 pesos), Ham and Cheese (320 pesos) and Bacon and Cheese (320 pesos). Even the special flavors seem basic enough. There's Romana (350 pesos), with anchovies, onion, mushroom and olive oil, and the Italiana (390 pesos) with ham, salami, pepperoni, bacon, tomato and garlic. The flavors don't look particularly exciting on paper, but when you taste the pizza, even the Garlic and Cheese is heavenly. It really is the dough, a recipe Mirabueno learned from an Italian he met on a ship, but he refuses to tell us the secret ingredient. Instead, the cheerful chef humors us by posing for a picture. When the lights go out because of the storm, he disappears for a while and returns with candles. He also presents us with a rather entertaining ashtray, which is shaped like a woman who appears to be exhaling smoke. We end up ordering several kinds of pizza, which are all so excellent that we make a pact to return for one last meal before leaving Batanes. On the flight back to Manila, as the rolling hills got smaller and smaller, we began to miss Batanes - the rolling hills, the picture-perfect spots, and of course, the pizza. - YA, GMA News Casa Napoli is open Monday to Saturday from 5-9 pm, on La fuente Street, Kayhuvukan, Basco, Batanes. For inquiries, call 09993892101 or 09159309872. Photos by Carol Dinglasan