Phil’s Pizza in REXKL, KL
REXKL in Kuala Lumpur is like a stylish ah ma who still dresses like a young adult in her 20s. What was once a three-storey old theatre established in 1947 now serves as a lively cultural hub of modern cafes, bookstores, and event spaces, where the youngsters hang out.
Phil’s Pizza is one of the modern eateries nestled inside this historic building. The local-run, Muslim-friendly pizza shop serves New York-style pizza in slices and as whole pies in 12 or 18 inches.
We visited Phil’s Pizza in REXKL to bring you this review.
New York-style pizzas in slices or whole pies
Phil’s Pizza is reminiscent of a 1980s American pizzeria – it looks straight out of Stranger Things. Think Surfer Boy Pizza. The establishment is an orange-glass house with clear windows that extend almost to the floor, which is also in retro-looking square tiles of orange and white.
The shop is versatile when it comes to pizza sizes. Patrons can enjoy pizzas in individual slices (from RM13), as well as in whole pies of 12 or 18 inches (from RM44) – no more pressure on solo diners who can’t finish the entire pizza alone.
For larger groups, opting for an 18-inch round of pizza is a no-brainer. Or, you can mix and match different pizza flavours together – such as Margherita, Truffle, and Hot Wings – so that everyone gets to sample a variety of flavours in one go.
Each pizza is crafted using ingredients sourced from halal suppliers to cater to a bigger community. While the shop’s specialty is pizza, you can also come here for their soda, cookies, and ice cream.
Here’s our verdict
We started by sinking our teeth into their best-selling Pepperoni Pizza (RM13), which is also a universal classic.
The melted cheese and tomato sauce intertwined with each other to form tempting swirls of light yellow and red. Their combined flavour was rich and cheesy, with a mild acidity from the tomato sauce.
The pepperoni, on the other hand, leaned towards a chewy texture – rather than being crispy – but was very well-seasoned. Even with all the decadent toppings, the pizza didn’t leave us with a greasy mouthfeel.
The staff also recommended we try their vegan-friendly Truffle Pizza (RM15) topped with cheese and mushrooms.
We were expecting a burst of musty, almost gasoline-like, taste of truffle in our mouth. The experience was, however, understated as the truffle flavour was very subtle. It was wrestled onto the ground by the cheese and mushrooms.
Whether pineapples should be served on pizzas has always been a debatable topic. We aren’t trying to trigger any anti-pineapple pizza fans, but the shop’s Pineapple Sugus Pizza (RM15) was our favourite.
The interplay of cheese, pineapple, and duck created a moreish and harmonious blend of flavours like a well-tuned seesaw. The combination was neither overpowering nor lacking. It was just right.
Texture-wise, the thin-crust pizzas didn’t have a very crispy outer edge, but that didn’t take away the enjoyment. The inside of the pizzas was delightfully soft and chewy.
New York-style pizzas by Phil’s Pizza in KL
We wouldn’t go as far as saying Phil’s Pizza serves the best pizzas in town, but the experience is much more than the food itself.
The chill and laid-back vibe of Phil’s Pizza was something we found ourselves drawn to when we were there. We are planning to lepak at the place very soon again to savour some flavourful pizzas with our friends.
Address: 13, Ground Floor, REXKL, 80, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening hours: 11am-10pm, Daily
Contact: 03-2022 3613 | Phil’s Pizza’s Instagram
For more tasty eats in KL that are also Muslim-friendly, check out this udon shop in Masjid Jamek that serves nasi lemak udon and the Yakiniku restaurant at the TRX mall for a solo yakiniku experience.
Also watch our video feature here:
Photography by: xinyeegoh & Ainna.z.
Cover image adapted from: The Smart Local Malaysia
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