New York doesn’t just magically have the most unique food in the nation; creative individuals like Chef Tsubasa Tamaki bring rich culture and delicious fusions to the heart of Manhattan.
At Pizza Studio Tamaki, Tamaki is serving up Tokyo-Neapolitan pizza. His pizza isn’t the slices you buy at the local New York pizzerias, or even a sit-down Neapolitan-style pizza at a restaurant — Pizza Studio Tamaki serves up a warm, charred, crusted pie made with ingredients straight from Japan, teaching New Yorkers what cultural immersion is all about.
“It’s light, fragrant, slightly charred, and with a distinct punch of salt,” Tamaki says.
Unlike the very circular cornicione of a Neapolitan pizza, Tamaki stretches his dough, made with proprietary flour imported from Japan, so the outer crust expands dramatically.
“I stretch the dough so the crust puffs up like a cloud,” Tamaki says. “I also sprinkle salt directly onto the floor of the pizza oven, a signature technique we call the ‘salt punch.’”
Opening in New York has been the plan from day one. Tamaki values speed and the hustle and bustle of New York, so choosing New York for Tamaki made perfect sense.
Chef Tsubasa TamakiPhoto by Erin Byrne
“From the moment I dedicated my life’s work, I knew I wanted to open a restaurant in New York, the best city in the world,” he says.
Something Tamaki didn’t experience with New York’s dining culture until after he arrived in the States was the popular demand for pizza. New Yorkers can be found walking and eating pizza down the streets on any normal day.
“It felt as familiar and accessible as eating an onigiri in Japan,” Tamaki said. “I hadn’t realized just how deeply pizza was woven into everyday life.”
One of Pizza Studio Tamaki’s distinctive concepts is reflected through the ingredients. Every pizza is made with flour thousands of miles away from New York. Tamaki likes to use a proprietary flour blend from Japan. The decision, he said, came down to the pizza itself.
“I simply couldn’t find any flour locally that could bring the pizza I envisioned to life,” he said.
Tamaki believes flour is one of the misunderstood elements of Japanese food culture. The diversity of Japanese flour varies by meal type. Just like the variations in rice Japan has, there is also a wide range of flours.
“Technically, the recipe isn’t finished,” Tamaki said. “I’m constantly experimenting, searching for better flour and ways to improve it.”
Chef Tsubasa TamakiPhoto by Erin Byrne
Developing that dough in New York came with another element that affects the pizza-making process. Tamaki first developed the recipe during an extremely cold winter in New York, where the colder environment affected how the dough fermented and developed compared to Tokyo. This meant paying close attention to the water temperature and environment keeping the dough consistent.
However, that didn’t stop Tamaki from his mission to introduce New Yorkers to Tokyo-Neapolitan pizza.
In a pizza capital city, the common question Tamaki receives is: Why did the city need a Tokyo pizza? The answer: “originality.”
“We’re creating something from scratch, a completely new category that offers flavors, aromas, and textures people haven’t experienced before,” he says.
The distinction between Tokyo and New York is also reflected in customers’ reactions.
Pizza Studio Tamaki’s pizza.Photo by Erin Byrne
“In Japan, people expect pizza to taste good. That’s given,” he said. “What makes me happy is that New Yorkers seem to enjoy my pizza as something entirely different, almost as its own category.” The openness of New Yorkers’ palates gives Tamaki hope and motivation to keep going.
For newcomers and returners, Pizza Studio Tamaki is coming together with the generations of pizza history it has, but with the ambition and cultural immersion Tamaki brings.
“I hope people will see PST as a Japanese pizza restaurant that dared to challenge one of the world’s greatest pizza capitals with something truly original,” Tamaki said, “eventually becoming so loved by New Yorkers that it’s simply part of their everyday lives.”
And to see if that dream will come true, it can be reflected in “other restaurants trying to emulate my pizza.”
Pizza Studio Tamaki is located at 123 St Marks Pl. For more information, visit: https://www.pizzapst.com/
Dining and Cooking