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Wood-fired oven at La Trattoria N1
Exquisite food, relaxing ambiance, and attentive service. La Trattoria N1 has it all, but owner Vlad Melnik doesn’t stop there. After a long and laborious planning, La Trattoria is now the sole bona fide Italian restaurant on Saipan to acquire its very own wood-fired oven to capture that elusive, authentic Italian taste.
According to Melnik, “adding the wood-fired oven helps complete the restaurant’s concept and it just fits.” He himself will be training his staff to use the wood-fired oven by sharing the knowledge he has acquired throughout the years of traveling, reading, and owning various restaurants.
The newly acquired oven is medium sized, with the capacity to bake two pizzas at once. Unlike the gas burner oven, the wood-fired oven takes slightly longer to pre-heat due to its traditional methods, but aside from the time, the rest of the process is strikingly similar.
Melnik said the difference between the wood-fired oven and the gas burner oven is similar to cooking steak on an open wood fire rather than an electric griller. “It takes longer to bake with the wood-fired oven, but it makes all the difference in the taste and scent.”
Beginning this week, La Trattoria will begin serving their house pizzas during dinner hours cooked the way it used to be for centuries.
With the arrival of the oven, the pizza menu option is also expected to widen. “We are currently looking into adding more pizza menus, aside from what we already have now, in order to cater to all types of customers.”
New improvements like this only prove that La Trattoria N1 is not about shortcuts—it is all about giving attention to details and serving only the best.
‘We are about high quality ingredients…with love,” Melnik said.
Since Feb. 11, 2014, the rustic Italiano inspired restaurant continues to be a true gem of Saipan.
Located across the Commonwealth Health Center in Garapan, be one of the lucky guests to try their very own wood-fired oven pizzas.
La Trattoria is open from 11am to 2pm and 5:30pm to 10pm. For reservation, please call (670) 233-7600. (Hanaivy Babauta)
