It just so happens that I'm in Australia for work this month and I happened to see this sign on a Pizza Hut on my way back to my hotel from the train station on Sunday. They've had so much crazy crap come out in the states over the past few years that maybe I missed this one being around and didn't want to look like a fool for being awestruck by such a crust. Then I see it's trending on Facebook. And then I see it's trending here. And now I must have it to make a full report.
So I just get the "Pepperoni Feast" with the Doritos Crunchy Crust. If I get a regular crust the pizza costs $4.95; with the crunchy crust it costs $12.95. Crazy to bump it up that much, but meh expense account. Another interesting observation: they also only have 1 size of pizza in Australia. You don't order a size, you just tell them what you want on it and the toppings can add a heap of cash to the price tag too.
OK, so I take the pizza back to my hotel room and open it up. I was really worried from looking at the pictures that the Doritos would be way too crumbly and fall off everywhere and make a mess with none still attached to the crust when I get down to it. But look at the pictures, they are more baked into the top of the crust so they were pretty sturdy and didn't really fall off until I bite into the them.
The pizza itself is pretty standard Pizza Hut fare, not noticeably different from what I'm used to. Finally I get to the crust and bite in. Here's the deal, you put nacho cheese Doritos into a cheesy crust, it's just a cheesesplosion; you lose the flavor of the Doritos. They still have the crunch and texture, but maybe the pieces are too big. You almost need to look at the crust as you go to bite into it cheese a strategic direction of attack. Otherwise you have a Dorito shard attacking the roof of your mouth or the pieces fall off lost forever to the hotel floor (ok I won't lie, I pick them up and eat them anyway). Some of the Dorito pieces ended up burnt, which isn't really a great taste either.
Overall I'm not sad I gave the pizza a try. It was definitely something different (had a kangaroo steak last night for something else that was different). I can say though, if this makes it to the states, I won't go scrambling out to order it again. I wouldn't turn it down either if someone else wanted to try it. Probably like a 6/10 on the fast food pizza crust scale.
PS: Not sure why the store front sign displays sideways, but I've learned as a rule here to say "because Australia." Why is it zed instead of zee, but not bed instead of bee??? Because Australia...
