Sunday May 27, 2012

In general, what do you think of the quality of pizzas in Japan? And what do you think is the secret to making a great pizza?

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  • -3

    NeverSubmit

    Dearth of quality Chicago Deep Dish.

    All pizzas should be square, for regularity, by government mandate.

  • 0

    paulinusa

    If you are a discrimnating pizza aficionado and search enough there are quite a few pizzerias( in Tokyo and I'm sure every major city) that are authentic and use high quality ingredients. My favorite in Minato-ku, Tokyo is managed by an Italian gentleman and is always a must visit when in Japan.

  • 0

    kaminarioyaji

    I've never understood the "side order" of tabasco; a bottle of which seems to be brought to the table with every pizza you order in many Japanese places that serve pizza.

  • 1

    smartacus

    It's the toppings which I find bizarre in Japan, But having said that, there are some superb pizzerias. I like Pizza Strada in Azubujuban and I don't mind Salvatore Cumo's pizzas, also. Domino's isn't bad on occasion.

  • 0

    It"S ME

    Japan has some great Pizza(Italian, American, etc) and affodable, granted much of the takeout pizza is overpriced and can be rather unusual. We always go Pizzahut for takeout(square, crispy).

    What makes a good pizza tough for me a good wood-oven, thin crust(can't stand thick ones nor pan-fried or deep-dish) and a few well balanced toppings.

  • -1

    The_the_in_the_way

    Quality is almost always good, as is most food in Japan ( radioactive isotopes aside). Of course you pay for that quality.

    I agree with smartacus that the toppings can be bizarre, but you can order whatever toppings you want.

    And while I am all about thick crust pizza, I appreciate that there is a lot of variety in Japan. Not a fan of thin crust, but many are, and so everyone can be satisfied. Back home, you can't get thin crust, at least not in my area.

  • 0

    Foxie

    Agree with It'sme about the wood oven, that's the main point. Then the quality of flour, yeast and most importantly the technique of kneading the dough are the secrets to a good pizza. It is easy to make pizzas with a thick crust, so I can't count that as an art. Japan has many good pizza places, they taste often better than in rip off tourist restaurants in bella Roma.

  • -1

    sfjp330

    Crust is important, but the secret is the cheese and the sauce. There is a lack of balance in the way most of the resturants put together in making pizza. Japanese do not understand the taste of quality cheese and good deep sauce to to make good pizza. Go to Chicago and compare. If you get a good quality Wisconsin cheese and a good Chicago sauce, there is nothing like it in Japan. In comparison, If you never tasted Chicago pizza, Japanese pizza taste ok but very unbalanced in flavor. It's almost like pizza guy in the midwest trying to make sushi and call it sushi.

  • -2

    sau133

    I think the secret to making a great pizza is make it as far away from Japan as possible. The absolute worst food produced in Japan is pizza - soggy, swimming in oil and bizarre bits of fish and mayonnaise and a multitude of other monstrosities adorning them.

  • 0

    It"S ME

    sau133.

    Many japanese studied pizza overseas and got certified there/won awards overseas. Plenty good places and I can get a great lunch-pizza(roma or napoli style) for 500Yen and that ain't the slice price either. He also does a great Calzone, pasta and more. He spend 6yrs in Italy studying.

  • 1

    ExportExpert

    I used to get the best pizza i ever had in my long life in a little bar in west tokyo, bar has now closed unfortunately but the pizza beat anything else ever, nothing even has come close since.

    Lots of places have no idea how a good pizza should be and some even do home delivery, worst pizza in the world some of them.

    But at the end of the day guess it all comes down to personal preference.

    But corn on a pizza is just so wrong.

  • 0

    NetNinja

    California Pizza Kitchen is best Japan has to offer. Anything else is cruel and unusual.

  • 0

    Serrano

    It varies greatly. I've had expensive pizzas in restaurants that weren't too good, and cheap pizzas I bought in supermarkets that were great.

    "corn on a pizza is just so wrong"

    Actually I like corn on pizzas, corn's A LOT better than, for example, anchovies.

    The secret to a making a great pizza? Rich tomato sauce, mozzarella or gouda cheese, and Italian spice including oregano, majoram and thyme.

  • 0

    Novenachama

    There are many places that can claim they make the best pizza in the world. However it is really an individual matter. Generally pizza lovers are very loyal to the pizza thy grew up with therefore pizza fans are very particular about who makes the best pizza. It is a never ending debate but one thing is absolutely certain. I love pizza and so do you. Unfortunately eating pizza is bad for health and is almost an established absolute truth now. The culprit that plays havoc in all pizza is the delicious cheese, loaded with all the saturated fat. Greater the amount of cheese on the pizza more the amount of crust in your arteries. The good news is that if you're a compulsive pizza eater just choose a veggie pizza with healthy toppings or chicken or ham if you must order meat. Order the pizza with half cheese or no cheese for a healthier option. Well, no cheese sounds crazy right? That's not a pizza. I agree. Anyways I limit myself to a slice or two but remember even a slice of plain cheese pizza equals half a day's worth of deadly saturated fat. Life's too short. Go have some pizza for lunch and enjoy.

  • 0

    johninnaha

    If you're in Naha, go to Bacar (near Kokusai Dori). Daisuke makes WONDERFUL pizza. Thin, crispy baked in a wood fired oven. http://www.eatingokinawa.com/2011/09/upper-crust-at-bacar-naha/

  • 0

    MaboDofuIsSpicy

    I am from the City...NY, so quite spoiled from great pizza. However, I have found some good stuff here, and pineapple with garlic and anchovies was a splendid surprise.

    All should use my red sauce though, as it is the best in the world.

  • 1

    Disillusioned

    Why do they always put corn on a pizza?

  • 0

    Serrano

    @Disillusioned

    Jeez, if you really hate corn so much, just say "koun-nuki" when ordering.

  • 0

    Gurukun

    Disillusioned, That's what I'm saying! Thumbs up for that question!!!

  • -1

    Cos

    Why do they always put corn on a pizza?

    They don't.

    Well, no cheese sounds crazy right? That's not a pizza.

    Who gave you the right to define what a pizza is ? In Napoli, they invented the pizza, and they've done some without cheese from the start. Well the question is "Why do American pizzas all have to look like a giant Welsh rabbit ? ". Well, eat that if that's what you like. At least in Japan, we have many other choices.

    Unfortunately eating pizza is bad for health and is almost an established absolute truth now

    I'm a different animal. Pizza is healthy for me.

  • 1

    Nessie

    It's all about the crust. Should be crisp on the bottom, but still chewy. Not too thin; not too thick. In Sapporo, Bison and Nano Mano are only places that do really good pies, although both places could go slightly thicker in the crust.

  • 0

    cleo

    It's good being able to choose what crust you want, what toppings you want, etc. But what makes a good pizza great is sharing it (and a bottle of wine) with family.

  • 0

    ramses68

    No opinion of japanese pizza. Quality ingredients always make the difference between good and bad, regardless of personal topping selections. The only thing left would be the pride of the maker. If they take pride in turning it out, it is usually good. If not, then you get garbage.

  • 0

    NetNinja

    Why do Japanese people love Costco Pizza so much. Yesterday afternoon, they started talking about it. A couple of Japanese guys told me that their families love Costco Pizza.

  • 0

    Greapper1

    As I live in a very isolated area my pizza options are extremely limited.

    But putting raw sashimi slices on a cooked pizza is just disgusting.

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