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Anyone ever try Tokyo style pizza?

Torbee

Torbee

Heisman
Sep 13, 2002
13,001
58,996
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Obviously can't be as good as QC style, but it sounds pretty decent:

​

Tokyo Pizza Is the Newest Style You Need To Try​

When you think of Tokyo cuisine, a number of local favorites likely come to mind: ramen, yakitori, and sushi, to name a few. In fact, Japan’s capital is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world, making it a mecca for foodies. Pizza, however, tends not to be top of mind. That would appear to be in the process of changing, as Tokyo-style pizza is becoming increasingly popular — and not just in Japan. But what makes it different?

New Yorkers lucky enough to experience two pop-ups earlier in 2026 already know why this new take on a perennial favorite has been making waves. Pioneered by Susumu Kakinuma and perfected by his protege, Tsubasa Tamaki, Tokyo-style ’za has already been named as among the best in the world by the pizza ranking site The Best Pizza.

Several factors make this pizza style unique: how long ingredients are fermented (30 hours), the high temperature (nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit) at which they’re cooked in the center of a wood-fired oven, and a proprietary blend of flours that had to receive special Food and Drug Administration approval to be flown in for the New York City pop-ups.

After studying pizza-making in Naples for a year, Kakinuma returned to Tokyo and opened Savoy, his first restaurant, in 1995. Twelve years later he opened Seirinkan, which makes only marinara and Margherita pies. His latest creation bears some similarity to those traditional styles, but neither Kakinuma nor the Neapolitan Pizza Association believes it fits the (surprisingly strict) definition.

The differences are small but crucial: The cornicione (outer crust) has charred air bubbles, the thin bottom crust is sprinkled with Okinawan salt crystals to add shio no shigeki, or “salt punch,” and the wood-fired oven adds a smoky scent.

In an interview with Eater, Tamaki, Kakinuma’s protegee, explained the process even further. He places the pizza in the center of the oven, close to the flames. “When other pizza guys see this they can’t believe I’d take this risk,” he said. “There is no room for mistake in the center. Timing has to be perfect.”

The flavor has to be perfect, too, which is why he throws in sugi chips (Japanese cedar). This has the effect of “flaring up the fire, glazing the dough, giving it just the slightest hint of bitterness from the wood. That bitterness deepens all the other flavors and amplifies the umami.” That’s an appropriately in-depth description of a complex flavor profile, but like all food, this dish is best understood not by reading about it but by trying it.

 
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AFM22

AFM22

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Oct 31, 2022
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Austin Powers GIF by Pixel Bandits
 
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TJ8869

TJ8869

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Dec 16, 2022
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So one guy opens a couple of restaurants and that constitutes "Tokyo style"?

I like a reasonable amount of charring for flavor, like the pic below. But those black charcoal bubbles are not going in my mouth.

 
Torbee

Torbee

Heisman
Sep 13, 2002
13,001
58,996
113
TJ8869 said:
So one guy opens a couple of restaurants and that constitutes "Tokyo style"?

I like a reasonable amount of charring for flavor, like the pic below. But those black charcoal bubbles are not going in my mouth.

Click to expand...
Apparently there is some pickling involved? 🤷‍♂️
 
Tenacious E_rivals41982

Tenacious E_rivals41982

Heisman
Dec 4, 2001
4,920
15,854
113
Torbee said:
Obviously can't be as good as QC style, but it sounds pretty decent:

​

Tokyo Pizza Is the Newest Style You Need To Try​

When you think of Tokyo cuisine, a number of local favorites likely come to mind: ramen, yakitori, and sushi, to name a few. In fact, Japan’s capital is home to more Michelin-starred restaurants than any other city in the world, making it a mecca for foodies. Pizza, however, tends not to be top of mind. That would appear to be in the process of changing, as Tokyo-style pizza is becoming increasingly popular — and not just in Japan. But what makes it different?

New Yorkers lucky enough to experience two pop-ups earlier in 2026 already know why this new take on a perennial favorite has been making waves. Pioneered by Susumu Kakinuma and perfected by his protege, Tsubasa Tamaki, Tokyo-style ’za has already been named as among the best in the world by the pizza ranking site The Best Pizza.

Several factors make this pizza style unique: how long ingredients are fermented (30 hours), the high temperature (nearly 900 degrees Fahrenheit) at which they’re cooked in the center of a wood-fired oven, and a proprietary blend of flours that had to receive special Food and Drug Administration approval to be flown in for the New York City pop-ups.

After studying pizza-making in Naples for a year, Kakinuma returned to Tokyo and opened Savoy, his first restaurant, in 1995. Twelve years later he opened Seirinkan, which makes only marinara and Margherita pies. His latest creation bears some similarity to those traditional styles, but neither Kakinuma nor the Neapolitan Pizza Association believes it fits the (surprisingly strict) definition.

The differences are small but crucial: The cornicione (outer crust) has charred air bubbles, the thin bottom crust is sprinkled with Okinawan salt crystals to add shio no shigeki, or “salt punch,” and the wood-fired oven adds a smoky scent.

In an interview with Eater, Tamaki, Kakinuma’s protegee, explained the process even further. He places the pizza in the center of the oven, close to the flames. “When other pizza guys see this they can’t believe I’d take this risk,” he said. “There is no room for mistake in the center. Timing has to be perfect.”

The flavor has to be perfect, too, which is why he throws in sugi chips (Japanese cedar). This has the effect of “flaring up the fire, glazing the dough, giving it just the slightest hint of bitterness from the wood. That bitterness deepens all the other flavors and amplifies the umami.” That’s an appropriately in-depth description of a complex flavor profile, but like all food, this dish is best understood not by reading about it but by trying it.
Click to expand...
Nft Wood GIF
 
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Yellowsnow51

Yellowsnow51

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Torbee said:
It’s f.ucking Japanese man
Click to expand...
No lettuce on top. Do not want.


TJ8869 said:
So one guy opens a couple of restaurants and that constitutes "Tokyo style"?

I like a reasonable amount of charring for flavor, like the pic below. But those black charcoal bubbles are not going in my mouth.
Click to expand...
New Haven Appizza has char bubbles. You can shut your w.hore mouth about char bubbles.
 
JWolf74

JWolf74

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Dec 17, 2022
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So it's neapolitan with some salt on the bottom and a different flour blend? I'll try it, but that doesn't really seem like a separate style.
 
PW Herman

PW Herman

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Nov 13, 2007
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PinkShizzle said:
When I go back to Iowa for Christmas this year I want to try that place out. Chinese pizza fusion sounds like a fun time. I'm told the crab rangoon pizza is one to try.
Click to expand...

Meh.

Best pizza I've had was at Sanctuary Cap Cana in the DR. Amazing pizza. I think we still compare every pie we get to that pizza
 
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