Tokyo's best new pizzeria is not hard to find. Just a brief stroll from Akabanebashi Station, it faces out onto a quiet open space ringed with trees. You can't miss it: the neon glowing over the door proclaims "Pizza" and, in smaller letters, the acronym "PST."
Pizza Studio Tamaki may be easy to reach, but don't expect to walk right in, least of all during the peak dinner rush. Places at the 10-seat counter are at a premium. Not only do you get to see and smell the wood burning in the squat black-metal oven, you are also treated to an up-close master class in the craft of preparing premium pizza.
Owner Tsubasa Tamaki cut his teeth as a pizzaiolo at the much-lauded Savoy in Azabu-Juban, later moving to its Mishuku branch. But it was the four years he spent as the man in charge at Strada (also in Juban) that really put his name on the map. So when he opened PST in late February, he already had a strong following ready and waiting. He also had a full repertoire of recipes. Three months later, many of his fans would say his pizzas are better than ever.
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