One of the things that has always amused me about India is the way that Domino’s Pizza is considered by many to be such a wonderful, trendy restaurant. Having been to their restaurants both in the US and in Delhi (my cousins were DYING to finally go and try it) I must say the pizza at Domino’s is always nothing short of ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTING. I find that there is a highly self-depreciative sentiment among many Indians when it comes to restaurants...it the place is an American chain, it must be trendy and have really good food, and if its an Indian restaurant, it must be a filthy hole in the ground serving greasy trash. The truth is that not all American restaurants are wonderful places serving delicious food, in fact, many are crap including Domino’s, and many Indian run restaurants, despite less than perfect surroundings, are great places to eat serving delicious food. I have always tried to avoid this restaurant, but sometimes, when I’m in a group, I get pressured into going and I’m always dissapointed. I personally hate the fast food atomsphere at places like Domino’s and McDonalds, and would much rather sit down and eat somewhere reasonably nice. The cheezy pop music in the background, the cheap, uncomfortable chairs pushed up against the formica table top, the rude staff behind the counter; all of this has contributed to my poor opionon of Domino’s.
The pizza itself is perhaps the worst thing about this place. The crusts are always taste chewy and somewhat doughy, and on one occasion, it was in some places actually uncooked dough inside. The sause always has struck me as being too bland, not having enough Italian spices to make it flavorful enough for a good pizza. My biggest complaint about Domino’s is the cheese. There is NEVER enough cheese on any of their pizzas, and the cheese itself is this dry, leathery, almost fake tasting layer on top of their pizzas. It is, perhaps, the worst cheese I have seen on any restaurant pizza thus far. I have noticed, however, that Domino’s is better than other similar pizza chains when it comes to topping pizzas. They are generally more generous with topping than other places are.
My personal suggestion would be to avoid Domino’s like the plague. Delhi and Mumbai both now have several traditional Italian restaurants popping up, the gourmet pizza they offer is generally going to be superior to the pizza offered at Domino’s. If a fast food style pizza is what youre looking for, go to Pizza Hut, they offer a vastly superior product at a similar price.