Spicy aroma wafts from the crust — crispy, chewy, and crafted with care. Tainan’s “Sauce Sauce Pizza” takes its time to serve up deliciousness.

Text and photos by /Orange Dog Loves Candy

When it comes to gatherings, is there any type of food you’re most worried about eating? Honestly, my favorite yet most anxiety-inducing suggestion is when someone proposes Italian pasta and pizza...

In the words of a classmate of mine, pasta is one of the foods he hates spending money on the most. It just feels like stir-fried noodles, toppings, and spices, yet a plate can cost two to three hundred dollars. I know that’s not really the case, because I’ve also eaten at some great Italian restaurants where the seasoning details really do require considerable skill.

Moreover, Italian restaurants are now as common as convenience stores — the most popular startup choice after cafes and noodle stalls. This has made these two foreign dishes as ubiquitous as braised pork rice, though the quality can vary quite a bit.

After too much sameness, it’s easy to gradually lose expectations for this category. That day, after watching a stage play at the Cultural Center, someone suggested having dinner at the “Sauce Sauce Pizza” right across the street. Initially, I wasn’t too excited, considering I had just eaten at a seemingly cheap but utterly underwhelming Italian restaurant on Lane 235 on the same road.

To be honest, its appearance isn’t particularly striking, and the signboard is fairly generic. It sells pizza and has a somewhat cute, homophonic name — “Sauce Sauce Pizza.” Unlike typical Italian restaurants, in Taiwan, people are drawn to anything exotic. So, as long as the shop name sounds European, romantic, and rolls off the tongue like an opera aria, it usually attracts plenty of visitors right away. Whether it tastes good or not is something you only find out after lining up.


It was actually dinner time on a weekend, but surprisingly there weren’t many customers (though I later found out they’re usually very busy — we just happened to visit on an off day, haha).


The interior has a very simple decor, with soft yellow walls and dim lighting creating a cozy atmosphere. As soon as we sat down, the staff came over warmly to introduce the menu and greet us, though we still took a moment to browse the menu ourselves.


As a dedicated pizza shop, they offer a wide variety of pizza flavors, with very detailed descriptions. Prices range from 260 to 400 NT$, which is not cheap by Tainan’s price standards.

They also have meals that come with British-style fried snacks or American-style bites. The portions aren’t small, and the prices for the snacks are actually quite reasonable, forming a bit of a pricing contrast with the pizzas.


Later, I looked up some information online and learned that the head chef, John, is British. He used to live in the suburbs of London but moved to Taiwan after marrying his wife. Since he couldn’t find good pizza here, he started experimenting and making his own.

He initially started with a food truck operating at night markets. Later, he partnered with a restaurant on Haian Road before finally opening his own independent shop right across from the Cultural Center. It’s definitely the result of customer support for a chef who puts care and effort into his cooking.


[Mexican Spicy Sausage + Beef Liver Mushroom Pizza / 400 NT$] — This was from about a month ago, so my memory is a bit fuzzy, but I think this is the one we ordered. It’s a combo of two flavors and is one of the pricier pizzas on the menu. But the rich, inviting aroma told me it was the right choice.

The crust is thin, in the Italian style — lightly crisp on the outside with a fragrant flour scent and the aroma of baking. It’s chewy and satisfying. Beyond the natural sweetness and fragrance of the dough, it’s brushed with a creamy garlic white sauce and layered with cheese. After baking, the slight spiciness of the sausage blends in, creating an irresistible aroma.


Then there’s the rich umami of the beef liver mushrooms, offering bold mushroom flavors that alternate between thick and mellow — the layers are quite distinct on the palate. But after all the praise, I should mention a small downside. I still think it’s delicious.

But the spicy sausage pieces are chopped too finely and lack presence. When it arrived, I even double-checked with the staff to make sure they hadn’t brought the wrong order because I literally couldn’t see any sausage-shaped ingredients. It made the pizza feel a bit less substantial at first glance, but every bite actually tasted really good — it’s just a bit pricier.


[BBQ Sauce Chicken Wings / 150 NT$] — Comes with three drumsticks and three wingettes. The BBQ sauce is applied in a slightly thick layer tightly coating the skin. The chicken is tender and not greasy. The BBQ sauce has a tangy, savory richness that leans toward a more intense flavor profile.

[British Fish and Chips / 250 NT$] — I didn’t photograph it well — the portion actually isn’t small. Even without having been to the UK, I’ve heard fish and chips is quite a British specialty. Although many say the UK doesn’t have great food, Sauce Sauce’s fish and chips are actually pretty decent.


The crispy batter coating is thick but not greasy. Inside is tender, flaky white fish similar to pomfret. The portion is quite large, plus half an order of crispy fries. I actually thought it was pretty tasty!!


Since I wasn’t very hungry that day, I didn’t eat much — just tried a few things. But after actually tasting the food, my initial worry about Sauce Sauce Pizza turned into fondness. You can really tell the chef’s attention to detail in crafting such delicious Italian pizza from scratch.

It’s said that everything — from fermenting the dough, hand-rolling and slapping the crust, to preparing the sauces — is done without outsourcing. It’s slow, meticulous work that results in Italian cuisine you’ll fall in love with after just one bite. Though Tainan is a historic city rich in Taiwanese street food culture, many international chefs still fall in love with this place.

Then, following the laid-back pace of the old capital, they put their hearts into crafting food that truly impresses. Maybe... if you compare the prices to other affordable Italian restaurants on the same street, it might not win. But I think sometimes you have to look beyond price to pursue true deliciousness on your plate. Highly recommended for anyone interested in trying Italian pizza.



【Sauce Sauce Pizza Big John Pizza】

Address:No. 351, Section 3, Zhonghua East Road, East District, Tainan City
Contact Number:0975013635
Business Hours:04:30Pm～10:00Pm
Consumption Reminder:The minimum consumption per person is 100 yuan, and outside food is not allowed.
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