Ube pizza anyone? Fil-Am restaurant unveils this purple craze
Photo from spinning_dough/Instagram
Spinning their way to pizza goodness, this food haven in Oakland, California, offers a flavorful delight you never knew existed — ube pizza.
Surely, this pizza joint is spinning dough and heads alike. It’s not just ordinary dough – it’s a purple creation topped with delightful ingredients.
Spinning Dough owner, Chef Jeff Chin, is whirling his culinary magic and turning Bay Area’s growing love for ube (purple yam) into an obsession that’s worth all the buzz.
Introducing ube pizza in May 2023, he saw the increasing ube-flavored foods thriving around the Bay Area.
“I did a little research and looked around and said, ‘hey, I’ve never heard of anybody making an ube pizza before. Let’s try that,’” Chin said.
View this post on Instagram
You may also like: Two Filipino food spots join the list of 101 best restaurants in L.A.
What makes this purple marvel special?
Not just your average dough, this ube pizza comes with béchamel sauce, scallions, red onions, homemade sausage, ube ricotta cheese and medley potatoes, all sitting atop an ube-infused crust.
One TikTok review raved about how every bite transports you to paradise. “After taking that first bite, we were blown away by the perfect combination of ingredients.”
@geraldfermin We decided to finally try the viral Ube pizza from Spinning Dough in Oakland, California, which had been highly recommended by many. After watching numerous videos of their famous Ube pizza, we couldn’t resist any longer! But we also wanted to taste their special of the month – Longanisa Silog, a Filipino breakfast pizza with a unique flavor. The Ube pizza was made with a bechamel sauce, ube ricotta cheese, scallions, sausage, red onions, and medley potatoes on an ube-infused crust. The Longanisa pizza featured classic Filipino breakfast items such as egg, tomato, and fried garlic, served with a side of suka (vinegar). Both pizzas were beautifully crafted and tasted absolutely delicious. 📍2935 Market St, Oakland, CA #filipinofood #filipinobreakfast #silog #longanisa #ube #pizza #pizzalover ♬ What You Won’t Do for Love – Bobby Caldwell
Earning a 4.6 rating on Yelp, it’s clear proof that customers can’t get enough of this novelty. “The ube pizza was surprisingly pretty good!! It’s a mixture between savory and sweet. The caesar salad was really goooooood,” shared one Yelp reviewer.
Beyond the ube craze
But there’s more. Another innovation that screams “We’re Pinoy” is his longganisa pizza. With classic Filipino breakfast foods as toppings, such as egg, tomato, fried garlic and longganisa, there’s a twist — you’ll have to dip it in vinegar.
View this post on Instagram
Other specials like Eatsbyrachel Berry Pizza, Seafood Pizza and Soppressata making up just a portion of their sumptuous menu, Spinning Dough is a living testament to culinary creativity.
Behind every great food is a good story. Chef Chin’s journey took a turn in January 2023 after he suffered a heart attack. His resilience and passion for his craft and community helped him overcome this setback.
Chef Chin was forced to close the restaurant following his hospitalization, but he came back in March 2023 stronger than ever.
“I want to continue to serve food,” Chin said. “It makes me happy to see people come in, enjoy the food that I make for them and say it’s good.”
If you’re ready for a nostalgic taste of home with a sprinkle of purple magic, head to Spinning Dough at 2935 Market St, Oakland, California.
