I have returned to Japan after a 5 year hiatus (not self imposed), and I've got lots of things planned (with a splash of work here and there....jk) but one activity that I'm anticipating the most is going to Pizza Marumo, ranked #14 pizza place in the world. It's in Tokyo, Ebisu to be exact, very near to Shibuya, my favorite part of the city.
It's Neapolitan in style, but it's not exact, the main distinction being that it's a little less "soupy" on the top, which is much preferred. You can actually pick up a slice and eat it, and yes they do slice them all, another distinction from the classic Neapolitan.
Yuki Motokura is the chef, owner, and master of this restaurant. Yuki previously worked at Savoy, the long time famous Tokyo pizza spot, where he honed his talents, crafting them so that he'd be ready when he opened his own spot. He's been here almost 2 years now and getting a lot of attention fast for his amazing pies.
First, as always, let's have a beer......
And here's the oven. Wood fired (obviously).
Yuki-san said it's about 500 Celsius on the deck (about 932 Fahrenheit).
And now a little snack. Focaccia with Mentaiko cream on top, which is a spicy cod roe (egg) sauce.
The Mentaiko cream was a bit salty (by design) which balanced really well with the fluffy/crispy bread, which was baked in the wood fired oven.
And here she is:
Cauliflower roasted in the oven as well. This was awesome, really deep charred flavor, but the cauliflower taste was bold and came through quite well. A great start to the meal.
Let's GOOO!
Apologies to the guy picking his nose in the background,
I didn't notice during the filming and I'm not going to NOT use it. So, again, sorry.....
Starting with the Margherita. Amazing. Crispy and fluffy at the same time, perfectly topped (aka, not too much "stuff") sauce was delicious, tangy and bright but not trying to be the star of the show, a balanced and beautiful pie.
Molto bene
Yes, he makes every one, ensuring every detail is perfect.
Next up, the cream based Umami pizza.
This one had a lot going on, but not too much (but right on the edge of too much). Visually stunning and very well balanced and deep flavor. Very earthy.
On to the Red Hot Chili. Visually, this one had DANGER written all over it, but surprisingly it wasn't nuclear hot. There was spice for sure, but you could really taste the chili flavor, all elements distinct, but big. Quite a contrast from the Umami, a good progression of pies so far (you're welcome).
The master at work
And the finale, lamb and cheese, with an added touch of house made Nduja.
We didn't intend to order 4 pizzas for 3 people, but I kept seeing this one removed from the oven and head out to the dining room, and it looked and smelled incredible, and it tasted as good as it smelled.
Just wow
I don't think I'm alone in saying that, often times, the actual experience of the "big hype" places pales in comparison with the expectations. Generally it's disappointing.
Not Pizza Marumo, and not Chef Yuki-san.
This is some of the best pizza I've ever had, and I've had some of the best
(Una Pizza Napoletana, Lucali, Bianchi, Di Fara, Best, Apizza Scholls, Frank Pepe, on and on).
Pizza Marumo has deservedly and most certainly earned a seat at the table with the big boys.
Thank you for such a great meal, being so warm and inviting and engaging Yuki-san, I hope to see you again soon.
For now, sayonara.
DVA
