42 AUGUST 2019
The Goods | FOOD & DRINKTheir single-minded commitment to the humble pizza has made them
shokunin, a Japanese term that means “master craftsmen” and involves a total
immersion into the daily, repetitive tasks of making. The Tokyo pizzaiolos
hew closely to Neapolitan tradition, but in their deep, deep study of pizza’s
intricacies, they’ve introduced tiny changes, such as using a “salt punch”—
throwing salt right into the oven so it will bake into the crust—or moving
the pizza closer to the fire to promote a more charred crust and a smokier
Japanese-wood flavor. To experience Neapolitan-style pizza at its highest level,
get thee to Japan immediately—and arrive hungry at these three joints.The Fantastic Mr. Fox
a young chef approaches Jeremy Fox and sets a
small dish of braised escarole topped with shaved
cheese in front of him. “Want to try some country-club
greens?” he asks his boss. It’s a prototype for Fox’s
new Santa Monica restaurant, Birdie G’s, inspired by
dining at a country club in northeastern Ohio—not
exactly a mecca of gastronomy. But this version, aided
by the subtle heat of Fresno chile and the complexity
of fennel-infused broth, transcends the mushy greens
Fox ate with his in-laws outside Youngstown. It’s the
union of familiar and original, as well as the mix of
Midwest and California, that Fox is striving for at his
new Americana-inspired spot.
The customarily reserved Fox is pretty excited.
Rightly so: At 43 years old, he has become one of the
most influential chefs of his generation, and with Birdie
G’s, he finally has the opportunity to open a restaurant
from scratch. But the journey here wasn’t easy. After
working under David Kinch at Manresa, Fox took over
Napa Valley’s Ubuntu. With the aid of a dedicated
garden, he turned a vegetarian restaurant attached
to a yoga studio into a sensation, earning a Michelin
star, almost unheard of for a meat-free restaurant.
But the sudden fame fed into anxiety and depression.
After being booted from the restaurant, he had his car
impounded, then moved south to LA, bouncing from
job to job and hitting rock bottom before ending up
at Rustic Canyon, a restaurant serving farm-to-table
California cuisine in Santa Monica.PIZZA
À LA
TOKYOSeirinkan
Susumu Kakinuma is the
godfather of Japan’s Neapolitan
pizza movement. More than two
decades ago, he arrived in Naples
to learn the region’s careful art of
dough, sauce and cheese—but no
one would give him a job. So, he
spent a year eating and watching.
When he returned home, he
taught himself and opened the
original Savoy in 1995. He built
the business but eventually left
in 2007 to open Seirinkan, and
though it’s crammed with Beatles
memorabilia and steampunk
ironwork, it’s as Neapolitan as
you can get, with only two pizzas
on the menu: the Margherita
(mozzarella di bufala, tomato, basil
and olive oil) and the marinara
(tomato, garlic, olive oil and
oregano). Kakinuma replaced
Italian olive oil with a Japanese
variety, and he also invented
the Japanese “salt punch.” But
his greatest gift to Tokyo is his
dogged pursuit of perfection,
which has become the template
for other aspiring pizzaiolos
around town. (theseirinkan.com)Savoy
It would be easy to wander
right past Savoy. Located
near the Roppongi Hills luxury
development, the restaurant,
with its rickety steps and
faded awning, makes for anunimpressive sight among the
gleaming boutiques. The DIY motif
continues inside as diners belly
up to a bar that curves around
a pizzaiolo who has just enough
space to navigate the hulking
black pizza oven behind him. As at
Seirinkan, your options are limited
to the classics, but once the pizza
arrives you won’t mind a bit: The
bright saltiness of the pie, the
fruity olive oil, the slight acidity of
the tomatoes and the perfect char
on the crust make this one of the
best pizzas you’ll ever bite into.Pizza Studio Tamaki
Though Tsubasa Tamaki trained
for years under Kakinuma and
the purists at Savoy, his own joint
has garnered a loyal following
for signature pies that take the
old-school wood-fired Neapolitan
beyond the basics. There’s a
smoked mozzarella, pecorino
Romano and basil variety, and a
Diavola with sausage and olive.
Patrons can even—gasp!—choose
their own toppings. Tamaki’s
methods add extra flavor, too: In
addition to throwing salt punches,
he brings extra smokiness to his
crust by adding Japanese maple-
wood chips to his fire. You might
never grow tired of the classics,
but if you’re ready to take your
pizza pilgrimage further, this is
the place to be. (pst-tk2-ad.com)
Jeremy RepanichMargherita pizza
from Savoy. PIZZA AND JEREMY FOX: JEREMY REPANICH; BIRDIE G’S FOOD: JIM SULLIVAN42 AUGUST 2019
The Goods | FOOD & DRINKTheir single-minded commitment to the humble pizza has made them
shokunin, a Japanese term that means “master craftsmen” and involves a total
immersion into the daily, repetitive tasks of making. The Tokyo pizzaiolos
hew closely to Neapolitan tradition, but in their deep, deep study of pizza’s
intricacies, they’ve introduced tiny changes, such as using a “salt punch”—
throwing salt right into the oven so it will bake into the crust—or moving
the pizza closer to the fire to promote a more charred crust and a smokier
Japanese-wood flavor. To experience Neapolitan-style pizza at its highest level,
gettheetoJapanimmediately—andarrivehungryatthesethreejoints.The Fantastic Mr. Fox
a young chef approaches Jeremy Fox and sets a
small dish of braised escarole topped with shaved
cheese in front of him. “Want to try some country-club
greens?” he asks his boss. It’s a prototype for Fox’s
new Santa Monica restaurant, Birdie G’s, inspired by
dining at a country club in northeastern Ohio—not
exactly a mecca of gastronomy. But this version, aided
by the subtle heat of Fresno chile and the complexity
offennel-infusedbroth,transcendsthemushygreens
Foxatewithhisin-lawsoutsideYoungstown.It’sthe
unionoffamiliarandoriginal,aswellasthemixof
MidwestandCalifornia,thatFoxisstrivingforathis
newAmericana-inspiredspot.
ThecustomarilyreservedFoxisprettyexcited.
Rightlyso:At43yearsold,hehasbecomeoneofthe
mostinfluentialchefsofhisgeneration,andwithBirdie
G’s,hefinallyhastheopportunitytoopenarestaurant
fromscratch.Butthejourneyherewasn’teasy.After
workingunderDavidKinchatManresa,Foxtookover
NapaValley’sUbuntu.Withtheaidofadedicated
garden,heturnedavegetarianrestaurantattached
toayogastudiointoasensation,earningaMichelin
star,almostunheardofforameat-freerestaurant.
Butthesuddenfamefedintoanxietyanddepression.
Afterbeingbootedfromtherestaurant,hehadhiscar
impounded,thenmovedsouthtoLA,bouncingfrom
jobtojobandhittingrockbottombeforeendingup
atRusticCanyon,arestaurantservingfarm-to-table
CaliforniacuisineinSantaMonica.PIZZA
À LA
TOKYOSeirinkan
Susumu Kakinuma is the
godfather of Japan’s Neapolitan
pizza movement. More than two
decades ago, he arrived in Naples
to learn the region’s careful art of
dough, sauce and cheese—but no
one would give him a job. So, he
spent a year eating and watching.
When he returned home, he
taught himself and opened the
original Savoy in 1995. He built
the business but eventually left
in 2007 to open Seirinkan, and
though it’s crammed with Beatles
memorabilia and steampunk
ironwork, it’s as Neapolitan as
you can get, with only two pizzas
on the menu: the Margherita
(mozzarella di bufala, tomato, basil
and olive oil) and the marinara
(tomato, garlic, olive oil and
oregano). Kakinuma replaced
Italian olive oil with a Japanese
variety, and he also invented
the Japanese “salt punch.” But
his greatest gift to Tokyo is his
dogged pursuit of perfection,
which has become the template
for other aspiring pizzaiolos
around town. (theseirinkan.com)Savoy
It would be easy to wander
right past Savoy. Located
near the Roppongi Hills luxury
development,therestaurant,
withitsricketystepsand
fadedawning,makesforanunimpressive sight among the
gleaming boutiques. The DIY motif
continues inside as diners belly
up to a bar that curves around
a pizzaiolo who has just enough
space to navigate the hulking
black pizza oven behind him. As at
Seirinkan, your options are limited
to the classics, but once the pizza
arrives you won’t mind a bit: The
bright saltiness of the pie, the
fruity olive oil, the slight acidity of
the tomatoes and the perfect char
on the crust make this one of the
best pizzas you’ll ever bite into.Pizza Studio Tamaki
Though Tsubasa Tamaki trained
for years under Kakinuma and
the purists at Savoy, his own joint
has garnered a loyal following
for signature pies that take the
old-school wood-fired Neapolitan
beyond the basics. There’s a
smoked mozzarella, pecorino
Romano and basil variety, and a
Diavola with sausage and olive.
Patrons can even—gasp!—choose
their own toppings. Tamaki’s
methods add extra flavor, too: In
addition to throwing salt punches,
he brings extra smokiness to his
crust by adding Japanese maple-
wood chips to his fire. You might
never grow tired of the classics,
but if you’re ready to take your
pizzapilgrimagefurther,thisis
theplacetobe.(pst-tk2-ad.com)
JeremyRepanichMargherita pizza
from Savoy. PIZZA AND JEREMY FOX: JEREMY REPANICH; BIRDIE G’S FOOD: JIM SULLIVAN