TLDR: Good vegan pizza isn't easy to find — the cheese problem is real, and most places don't solve it well. At Kasto, we've spent serious time developing a plant-based mozzarella that behaves properly in the oven. Here's what goes into it.
Pizza is one of those dishes where the vegan version has a reputation problem. The cheese issue is genuine: most commercial vegan cheeses don't melt the same way, don't colour the same way, and often have an aftertaste that dominates the whole pizza. If you've had disappointing vegan pizza before, that's usually why.
It's solvable, but it requires effort. At Kasto, it took us a long time to get it right.
What makes vegan pizza difficult
Dairy mozzarella behaves in a specific way when it hits heat. It melts cleanly, pulls into strings, browns in patches, and blends with the tomato sauce and toppings to create something cohesive. It also has a mild, slightly fatty flavour that doesn't fight with anything else on the pizza.
Most plant-based alternatives fail on at least one of those counts. The first versions we tested either didn't melt at all, melted into an oily puddle, or had a pronounced aftertaste. None of them behaved predictably in the oven, which matters when you're making pizza at volume.
We eventually developed our own blend — a cashew and coconut-based mozzarella that we make in-house. It took several months of testing to get the texture, melt, and flavour where we wanted them. The result is a cheese that colours correctly, stretches when the pizza is cut, and doesn't announce itself as vegan.
The dough and oven
The dough is made fresh daily using a recipe built specifically for our setup. We proof it for a minimum of 24 hours, which develops flavour in the crust and makes it easier to work with. The base has a good amount of chew — thin in the middle, with a proper cornicione (the outer crust).
We bake in a traditional pizza oven at high heat, which gives the base and crust the right texture in a short cooking time. The high temperature is what creates the char and blistering on the crust that makes pizza taste like pizza rather than flatbread.
The toppings
Because the menu is 100% plant-based, every topping is vegan by default. That means ingredients like plant-based salami, roasted vegetables, house-made sauces, and fresh herbs rather than processed substitutes. We source locally where we can — Bali has excellent tomatoes, basil, and fresh produce year-round.
A few things we've learned: simplicity works better than complexity on a vegan pizza. A well-made base with good tomato sauce, proper mozzarella, and two or three toppings is more satisfying than loading the pizza to compensate for the absence of meat and cheese.
Vegan pizza vs regular pizza in Canggu
Canggu has several decent pizza options. Most of them use conventional dairy cheese and meat toppings. For vegans or vegetarians, the usual option is to ask for cheese to be omitted, which rarely results in a great pizza.
Kasto is the only place in Canggu making a fully plant-based pizza with its own in-house vegan mozzarella. If you're eating vegan or vegetarian and you want pizza that's actually been thought about, this is the relevant distinction.
Frequently asked questions
Is vegan pizza as good as regular pizza? Done well, yes. The key is the cheese — if a restaurant is using a cheap commercial vegan cheese, the pizza probably won't be that good. If the cheese has been made or selected carefully, the gap closes significantly.
What kind of pizza oven does Kasto use? A traditional pizza oven running at high heat. This gives the crust the right texture and colour, and the short bake time keeps the toppings from overcooking.
Is the pizza dough vegan? Yes. Our dough is made without eggs or dairy. It's proofed for 24 hours for flavour development and made fresh each day.
Does Kasto do takeaway pizza? Yes — you can order via WhatsApp for takeaway and delivery to Canggu and the surrounding area.
Is the full menu vegan at Kasto? Yes. Kasto is 100% plant-based. The pizza, pasta, antipasti, and desserts are all vegan. The menu is also entirely vegetarian-friendly.
Kasto is at Jl. Canggu Padang Linjong, Canggu. Open Tuesday to Sunday. See the menu and book a table.