Coco Bistro

Coco Bistro in Benoa started with a bit of confusion over the order, but eventually the Margherita made its way to the table. At first glance, it looked quite appealing. There was a pleasant puff to the crust, a little char, chopped basil spread across the top, and even some fresh tomato slices — a bit unusual, but they photographed well. Dried oregano flakes had also been scattered over the top.

The base itself had a decent chew, strong but not tough, though it wasn’t especially crunchy. One thing that stood out was the heavy use of coarse polenta on the bottom, which gave the texture more grit than was necessary.

The cheese was gooey and stringy, which is always fun, but it didn’t carry much flavour of its own. Unfortunately, the sauce leaned far too sweet, tipping into sugary rather than rich, and together with the oregano it distracted rather than balanced the other elements.

It was a good-looking pizza and had plenty going for it, but the unusual toppings and overly sweet sauce meant the flavours never quite worked in harmony. It ended up feeling more average than memorable.