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Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
First dibs: Tokyo's Bib Gourmand pizzeria makes its SG debut with chewy, 30h aged slices
Pizza lovers, gather around. Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) is finally landing in SG. The highly anticipated pizzeria is opening its first overseas outlet on 10 Jun, located at 38 Tanjong Pagar Road. Named after master pizzaiolo Tsubasa Tamaki, PST has been consistently ranked in the 50 Top Pizzas in the World list and the Michelin Guide's Bib Gourmand. What sets Pizza Studio Tamaki's Neapolitan-style pizza apart from other places is its delicately light and chewy crust with a unique, Tokyo-style twist. This starts from the process of making the dough — it is meticulously crafted using their signature blend of Japanese and American flour, aged for over 30 hours and cooked in a wood-fired oven to achieve its crisp crust with an irresistibly chewy centre. Leading the Singapore outpost is Ryosuke Tanahara, a protégé of Tsubasa Tamaki who has spent close to 3 years training under his guidance. Now, is Pizza Studio Tamaki worth the hype? I'll save you the trouble of finding out by sharing my experience at this cosy eatery. (Spoiler: you won't be disappointed) Starting strong is Pizza Studio Tamaki's signature Tamaki (S$29) pizza. Upon picking up a slice, I immediately noticed how thin the crust at the bottom was, as it flopped over my hand unceremoniously. However, this allowed the juices of the tangy tomato and savoury cheesy combo to spill into my mouth. Even the edges of the crust had layers of salt packed into them, which rounded up the overall flavours of the pizza cleanly. Despite that, it was still so light that I could've easily demolished the rest of it. (I didn't; there were 3 more pizzas incoming.) Another tomato-based pizza option is the Arrabbiata (S$30) that had a pleasant kick, although it was evenly balanced out with the sweetness and slight tang of the cherry tomatoes, gloriously smashed on top. I was enamoured with Pizza Studio Tamaki's cheese-based pizzas. Their Bismarck (S$32) pizza features a base of fluffy mozzarella with mushroom and peppery pieces of pork that I'd best describe as meaty salt pockets. It complemented the beautifully runny egg (imported from Japan!) crowning the centre of the pizza. I saved my favourite for the last : it was Pizza Studio Tamaki's 5 (S$34), which translates to 5 cheeses. It's a mix of creamy, rich and deliciously savoury. The mascarpone, in particular was a standout, adding just the right hint of sweetness that elevated the flavours of the pizza. Oh, drizzle the honey over your pizza for the best possible experience. This might be a pizzeria, but their House-Made Tiramisu (S$14) and Vanilla Ice Cream with Okinawan Sea Salt & Extra Virgin Olive Oil (S$9.80) is NOT a waste of stomach space. I'm still dreaming about that luxuriously creamy ice cream coating my tongue. Please just try it for yourself. PST's got a whole menu of salads, cold and hot appetisers, and even a range of Japanese-inspired cocktails for you to choose from, so don't miss out on them! Every pizza here is handmade fresh, ensuring the highest quality of crust and ingredients alike. And based on the ones I tried, I can easily see how Pizza Studio Tamaki landed themselves a spot on the 50 Top Pizzas in the World list. 10 Jun, I'll see you there? 168 Neapolitan Style Pizza: Family-run handmade pizza hawker sells special flavours The post First dibs: Tokyo's Bib Gourmand pizzeria makes its SG debut with chewy, 30h aged slices appeared first on
Vogue Singapore
24-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue Singapore
New restaurants in Singapore: Pizza Studio Tamaki and more
Courtesy of Sapoto When it comes to Singapore's culinary scene, there's always more to discover. Exclusive pop-ups regularly bring unique new gastronomic experiences to our door, and chef collaborations continually yield creative and delicious results. And of course, who could forget the constant slate of inventive new restaurants that are finding their place on our shores? The award-winning Tokyo-Napoli pizzeria Pizza Studio Tamaki lands on our shores after its most recent opening in Bangkok, quickly revealing its offerings to be some of the best pizza available in our city. Helmed by chef Tsubasa Tamaki, the restaurant is known for its signature dough, kneaded from a blend of Japanese and American flour and fermented for 30 hours before hitting the oven—resulting in a remarkably pillowy texture that keeps you diving back for more. On the opposite end of the Japanese spectrum is Sapoto, a yakitori omakase that propels the art of the binchotan grill to fine-dining status. Featuring humble ingredients prepared with finesse, the smoky enclave promises a spectacular meal ideal for meat lovers. As far as homegrown chefs go, both Rishi Neelandra and Violet Oon have new ventures ripe for exploring. The former brings his Michelin-starred chops to Station by Kotuwa, a vibrant new offshoot that offers authentic Sri Lankan fare through a cleverly designed menu that eschews frills for laidback comfort. The latter, known as Singapore's doyenne of Peranakan cuisine, brings some of the culture's lesser-known dishes to the fore at her new location in Dempsey. Ahead of your next big night out, look to our list of the city's most exciting new restaurants to check out. Courtesy of Pizza Studio Tamaki 1 / 5 Pizza Studio Tamaki Another slice of Tokyo has landed on our shores—this time in the form of a tantalising pie. The award-winning Tokyo-Napoli pizzeria Pizza Studio Tamaki—PST for short—has found a home at Tanjong Pagar Road, making this chef Tsubasa Tamaki's fifth outpost, following a successful recent opening in Bangkok. There's good reason to why the name of PST draws in snaking queues and has since given pizzas in Tokyo a reputable name—it all comes down to its signature dough. Kneaded from a blend of Japanese and American flour that's fermented for 30 hours before hitting the oven, the result is a puffy crust and thin centre; yielding a chewy bite. And with a foolproof recipe, what Tamaki does to seal in the winning pie is salting a wood fired oven as opposed to salting the dough, a simple act that enhances the salt distribution below the pizza bed. The rite of passage to any experience at PST is to start with its signature Tamaki, named after its creator and a cheeky iteration of the 'margherita'. Best to be enjoyed by first squashing the cherry tomatoes atop, the pièce de résistance falls on the smoked mozzarella that hits the senses at first bite. You can't help but dive in for more at this point, to which make sure to call for other flavours like Arrabbiata and 5 Formaggi. The former happens to be chef Tamaki's favourite—one that carries a little heat from sun-dried chili padi (as part of a Singaporean slant) while the latter is the perfect bridge as you ease into the sweets, of five mighty cheeses that amalgamate and paired immaculately with a drizzle of honey. Pies aside, the appetisers hold their own carb-free appeal—tuck into moreish beef meatballs served with the same fragrant tomato sauce present in the pizzas as well as tangy slices of marinated pumpkin doused in red wine vinegar. Of course, to conclude the PST experience, their vanilla ice cream too, carries the recurring note of Okinawan sea salt, alongside a savoury dose of extra virgin olive oil. Opens 10 June. Pizza Studio Tamaki, 38 Tanjong Pagar Rd, Singapore 088461 Courtesy of Station by Kotuwa 2 / 5 Station With Station by Kotuwa, chef Rishi Naleendra returns to familiar ground—21 Boon Tat Street—with a new concept that feels both personal and unpretentious. A tribute to Colombo's central railway station and the street food orbiting it, Station is a vibrant offshoot of Kotuwa, but offers a distinctly more easy-going experience perfect for quicker drop ins. The space is decked out in eye-catching design considered right down to each detail. A large copper shield depicting a Sri Lankan peacock hangs on one wall; a painting of a Kandyan chief, done by Naleendra himself, presides over another. Fabrics on the banquettes are sourced from Sri Lanka, while vintage curios are scattered throughout. It's stylised but lived-in—the sort of room that becomes more charming the longer you sit in it. The dishes, as is expected from Naleendra, are playful and punchy. The Babath Crispy Tripe with smoked chilli and lime is a dangerously addictive bite, while the Kaliya Chicken Liver is a flavourbomb that keeps you diving back for more. The cuisine is Lankan at its core, but with a contemporary pulse—unexpected ingredients and refined technique slipping into each plate with ease. Even the simplest of dishes, like a tempered dahl, is executed with great finesse, its appearance belying the complex flavour that lies within. It's the perfect destination for when you just need a really good meal with bold flavours and a great ambience—sans the frills. Station by Kotuwa, 21 Boon Tat St, Singapore 069620 Courtesy of La Terrace 3 / 5 La Terrace Tucked away behind French neo-brasserie Claudine is the restaurant's laid-back, airy new extension. Surrounded by lush open fields, La Terrace is casual yet chic—a convivial space where lively conversation can be had amongst hearty French plates and a thoughtfully curated gin programme. The intimate dining room is a cosy retreat that evokes the charm of Provence, whilst an outdoor terrace welcomes pet owners to bring their furry friends along. There's no better way to start your meal than a gin and tonic. At the centre of La Terrace's drinks programme is a robust gin offering, with a hand-selected collection of 25 gins spanning floral, citrus, herbaceous and spiced profiles. Each gin is carefully paired with selections from Fever-Tree or London Essence Grapefruit & Rosemary Tonic to further bring out its distinct flavours. Rooted in the same philosophy of French home-cooking as Claudine, dishes here are simple yet elevated. The star of the menu is no doubt the signature Half Roasted Chicken, cooked to succulent golden perfection and served with Niigata rice and crispy chicken skin. To accompany it, dig into an assortment of small sharing plates—from a delicious Sardine Toast topped with aioli and shallot pickles, to Zucchini Flower encased in a delicate tempura batter served alongside seasoned cottage cheese. And for dessert, try the Freshly-baked Madeleines. They might seem unassuming at first glance, but each little pastry is soft, fluffy, and delicately scented with acacia honey and hints of lemon—the perfect sweet treat to close the meal. La Terrace, 39C Harding Rd, Singapore 249541 Courtesy of Sapoto 4 / 5 Sapoto For meat lovers, yakitori is always a treat. When it's elevated to omakase status at a well-dressed venue with the addition of ingredients like truffle, uni and gold sparkles, it's a veritable performance and feast all in one. That is exactly what you are promised at Sapoto, the fine-dining yakitori restaurant which has just opened its doors in Tanjong Pagar's Amara Hotel. A stone-paved walkway leads into the space, gradually revealing the open kitchen framed with counter seating. In the middle, a large binchotan grill commands attention with its glowing embers and billows of smoke—a spectacular indication of the indulgent meal to come. The restaurant offers a fair bit of flexibility with three set menus for dinner, each one a curated journey through texture and flavour. You begin with a delicate spread of fresh sashimi, followed by the decadent uni truffle brioche, a golden, buttery mouthful perfumed with the earthy scent of truffle. As the chefs deftly grill up delicious skewer after skewer, standouts include the tsukune , which arrives alongside a bright-orange egg yolk which bursts open with rich flavour. The Pork Jowl offers crisp edges and a soft, meaty centre grilled to smoky perfection. The chicken hearts, a resounding favourite, are crunchy and succulent—they will almost certainly leave you wanting more. Just when you think you couldn't eat another morsel, a comforting bowl of Sapoto Ramen arrives, offering a warm ending to the extravagant meal. Sapoto, 165 Tg Pagar Rd, #02-26, 088539 Amara Hotel, Singapore 088539 Courtesy of Violet Oon 5 / 5 Violet Oon at Dempsey Hill Peranakan cuisine veteran Violet Oon has opened the doors to a stunning new location in a restored colonial building in Dempsey Hill. Boasting three private dining rooms, breezy verandas and a herb garden in addition to its generous main dining space, it's the homegrown brand's most ambitious restaurant yet, and not just in size. While the soul of Peranakan cuisine has always been enshrined in the ethos of each of Oon's restaurants, this new venture sees her digging deeper into her family cookbooks than ever before. The Dempsey menu brings some of the culture's lesser-known dishes to the fore. Leading the charge is the Hati Babi Bungkus , a traditional pork liver ball dish so onerous to prepare that Su-Lyn—Oon's daughter and the restaurant's creative director—had to fight for it to be included on the menu. Infused with the fresh, mild citrus of coriander seeds and topped with tangy pickled greens that cut through the more robust flavour of the liver, each bite is warm, savoury and comforting—a true labour of love. Other highlights include Kerabu Kacang Botol , a crisp and tangy sambal belacan winged bean salad, and the Gulai Nangka with prawns and salt fish, a hearty turmeric-infused coconut gravy with young jackfruit. To accompany, Violet Oon at Dempsey offers a wide selection of creative cocktails infused with regional flavours and ingredients. Try the Violet Bloom, a delicately sweet and fruity butterfly pea gin cocktail, or nurse a tangy sour in the form of the Rindu Roselle while soaking up the lush, rustic black and gold interiors of the building, the walls of which are lined with Peranakan tiles and mementos from Oon's illustrious career. Violet Oon, 7 Dempsey Rd, #01-05, Singapore 249671
Straits Times
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
Attention, carb lovers: Two new artisanal pizza brands land in Singapore
SINGAPORE – Call this the Republic of Pizza. How else to explain how a tiny city can boast top pizza brands such as L'antica Pizzeria Da Michele from Italy, Roberta's and Osteria Mozza from the United States and Fortuna from Australia? Add to them home-grown ones such as La Bottega Enoteca, Wild Child Pizzette, Beyond The Dough, Bad Habits Provision, Puffy Bois and Chooby Pizza. Two new brands are muscling in. Vincenzo Capuano from Naples, Italy, opens its first restaurant in Asia at Robertson Quay on May 17; and Pizza Studio Tamaki from Tokyo, Japan, opens its first Singapore outpost in Tanjong Pagar on June 10. Both tick all the artisanal pizza boxes: special blends of flour, long-fermented dough, Italian pizza ovens, and Italian tomatoes and cheeses. Their founders are hell-bent on world domination. On one side is pizzaiolo Vincenzo Capuano, 35, born and raised in Naples, and who followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. He already has more than 30 restaurants, and is using Singapore as a base to open in the Philippines, India, Thailand and other parts of Asia. 'My dream is to open in Tokyo because I have a big fan base there,' he says , adding that he goes to the Japanese capital regularly to teach pizza professionals and amateurs . On the other side is Tsubasa Tamaki, 45, from Okinawa. His first trip to Italy was in 2023, when he went there for an award ceremony. His Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) was No. 88 on that year's list, put out by online pizza guide 50 Top Pizza. He says: ' Pizza is from Italy, it is not Japanese food. But I want to take my pizza from Tokyo to the world. When I was 26, I wanted to be like Colonel Sanders. I had the same idea, but instead of KFC everywhere in the world, it's pizza.' Coming up are PST restaurants in the US, China, the Philippines and Indonesia. He has found partners in these countries with which to open the stores. He also wants to open in Australia, Dubai, Spain, France and the United Kingdom. Existing players are not taking any of this lying down. Roberta's, that famous Brooklyn pizza brand that opened at Marina Bay Sands in 2022, opened a new 103-seat restaurant at Mandai Wildlife East on April 30. Later in May, R Slice, offering pizza for takeaway, will open at Paragon mall. The brand will also open another restaurant this year. Fortuna is bringing in Neapolitan pizzaiolo Diego Vitagliano, 40, for a collaboration from May 28 to 30. The chef, who was last in Singapore in 2024 for a collaboration with La Bottega Enoteca, runs three Diego Vitagliano Pizzeria restaurants in Italy. It was No. 1 on the 50 Top Pizza World ranking in 2023, and No. 2 on the 2024 list. Pizza lovers, time to renew that gym membership. Napoli in bocca What: Vincenzo Capuano Singapore (opens on May 17) Where: 01-12 The Pier@Robertson, 80 Mohamed Sultan Road Open: Noon to 3pm, 6 to 11pm (Mondays to Fridays); 11am to 3pm, 6 to 11pm (Saturdays and Sundays) Info: Call 6016-8152 or go to A pair of gold scissors is at every table at Vincenzo Capuano Singapore. Diners use it to cut into the pizza. PHOTO: VINCENZO CAPUANO On every table at Vincenzo Capuano Singapore will be a pair of gold scissors. Diners use it to cut into the crust of the Neapolitan pizzas on the table. There is more to the self-serve gambit . Chef Vincenzo Capuano, 35, wants diners to see for themselves how special his dough is. He wants them to take in the large pockets of air in the cornicione or the puffy rim of the pizza, feel how light the slice of pizza is and , when they devour it, note how cloud-like the crust is. The pizzaiolo, born and raised in Naples, followed in his father's and grandfather's footsteps. He started helping out in the family's pizzeria at age seven, he says, picking basil leaves and slicing mozzarella. Asked if he was using knives at that age, he says with a shrug: 'Naples.' His dough is a refined version of the family pizza dough, made with Nuvola Super, a special blend of flour he developed with Mulino Caputo, a flour producer from Naples. Nuvola is Italian for cloud, and he has developed a technique for achieving that airy crust. It comes from a pre-ferment, a mix of flour, water and yeast that sits for 24 hours before being used, and an almost soupy dough with 80 per cent hydration. That ferments for 36 hours before it is used . Pizzaiolo Vincenzo Capuano drizzles olive oil over his Provola e Pepe pizza after it comes out of the oven. With him is chef Marco Puglisi, 50, the pizzaiolo for the Singapore restaurant. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI The pizzas go into a gas-powered oven from Moretti Forni that goes up to 480 deg C, and cooks the pizza in about 120 seconds. All of this is to bring to diners 'Napoli in bocca' or Naples in the mouth. He says: 'My pizza is very light. Normal pizza, after 10 minutes, it becomes hard. In Italy, when the pizza comes, people stop talking. But with the pre-ferment, you can take your time. It is perfect for delivery. ' His Neapolitan pizzas are priced between $28 and $32. Options include Provola e Pepe ($28), topped with smoked provolone, pepper, hand-crushed tomatoes, roasted cherry tomatoes, basil and extra virgin olive oil; Don Vincenzo ($30), its crust stuffed with ricotta cheese, and the pie topped with yellow cherry tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, pecorino flakes, pepper, crumbled almonds and basil; and Bellaria ($32), topped with Datterino tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, Parma ham, and pesto. From May 21, they will also be available on GrabFood. Chef Capuano left Italy at the age of 19 and headed to New York City, where he worked as a pizzaiolo at the Flatiron Building for a branch of Eataly, the chain of Italian food halls. 'I learnt how difficult it is to make Neapolitan pizza overseas,' he says. 'It gave me the will to study and improve my recipe.' Unlike his father and grandfather, who made dough by feel, he has set protocols to make sure his pies are consistent. He opened his first pizzeria in Naples in 2017. Calling himself a part of the 'social media generation', he gained a following of pizza makers and fans on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube. During Covid-19, when pizzerias closed and people were sequestered at home, he started posting videos, teaching people how to make pizza. He became a star , with new followers beyond the pizza realm . Today, he says, his videos get 60 million views a month. He has 900,000 followers on TikTok, 800,000 on Instagram, 550,000 on Facebook and 500,000 on YouTube. The brand, with 29 restaurants in Italy, was ranked 12th in the 50 Top World Artisan Pizza Chains list for 2024, given by 50 Top Pizza, an online guide. Since 2020, he has been opening restaurants overseas to bring the taste of Naples to people . He now has one in the Netherlands, three in Germany and three in Kosovo. Restaurants in Dubai and Spain will follow. The Singapore outpost, his first in Asia, is his 37th restaurant. The 150-seat restaurant, with tables indoors and out, is a franchised restaurant. The master franchise holder is Aurum, an F&B holdings and investment company which runs restaurants such as Burma Social in Tras Street and Gotti Italiano in Amoy Street. With them, he hopes to expand into the rest of Asia. He says his first visit to Singapore was in late 2023, 'to explore the city and its culinary culture'. 'I believe Singapore is the perfect bridge between East and West , a city open to innovation, but with great respect for tradition, just like my pizza ,' he says. 'I was fascinated. The multiculturalism, the order, the energy.' The chef says he 'studied the market deeply'. 'I saw a growing interest in artisanal , high-quality pizza, but felt that an authentic Neapolitan contemporary pizza experience was still missing,' he adds. He is looking at opening two to three more restaurants here , if people take to his pizza . Given that there are so many artisanal pizza brands in Singapore, why does he think he will succeed here? 'Because it's not just food; it's emotion , tradition and innovation in every bite,' he says. 'And the people of Singapore value quality and true stories.' Tokyo style What: Pizza Studio Tamaki Singapore (opens on June 10) Where: 38 Tanjong Pagar Road Open: 11am to 3pm, 5 to 11pm (Mondays to Fridays), 11am to 3pm, 5pm to midnight (Saturdays and Sundays) Info: @ (Instagram) At Pizza Studio Tamaki Singapore, the Stefano Ferrara oven is fired with oak, beech and cherry wood. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI If fate had twisted in a different direction, people might be watching Tsubasa Tamaki on TV or in the movies. The 45-year-old became a pizzaiolo instead, developing a style of pizza that is all Tokyo – a light crust with a moderately puffy rim, and pies topped with seasonal ingredients, many of which are sourced from Japan. Originally from Okinawa, Tamaki went to Tokyo at age 20. His cousin was an actor there, and he wanted to break into show business too. To support himself, he had a slew of part-time jobs – as a plumber, delivery man, bento box cook and delivery man, tuna salesman – and he worked at Italian restaurants, including a pizzeria. 'I had so many jobs,' he says through a translator. 'The pizza restaurant was where I had the most fun.' At the time, he says, there were just two artisanal pizza brands – Savoy and Seirinkan. Chef Tamaki says: 'It was a niche market. To be a top chef in Tokyo is impossible. So, why not do pizza? It was easier to get into the market.' Both those brands were established by pizzaiolo Susumu Kakinuma. Chef Tamaki has called his mentor 'the prime minister of pizza'. By age 26, he had stopped trying to get into show business and was working at Savoy. It was there that he developed his style. He says: 'At Savoy, there were 15 chefs. Everybody was so competitive, coming up with ideas to see whose was good enough so they could be in front of the oven. 'At the time, one person could eat only one pizza. I wanted them to eat two or three. So, I came up with a dough that is not so heavy.' After five years at Savoy, he went on to open Pizza Strada in 2011 with investors. They parted ways because their visions were not aligned. In 2017, he opened Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) in Higashiazabu, followed by another in 2019 in Roppongi. He also has a restaurant in Okinawa, which opened in 2024. There is a space in Azabudai, Tokyo, which produces frozen pizza. In January 2025, he opened a restaurant in Bangkok that has become a hit, serving 150 to 200 customers a day. In August, a PST will open in Niseko, Hokkaido. The Singapore restaurant takes the space vacated by Tippling Club, and will have 60 seats indoors and 12 outdoors. His pizza dough is made with a special blend of flour, using Canadian and American wheat, that a Japanese mill makes for him. He says he had tried using Japanese wheat, but with earthquakes and other natural disasters there, the supply cannot be consistent. PST's pizza dough has a brown hue, from the bran left on the wheat grains. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Those supple balls of dough are a little brown because he keeps some of the bran on the grain for nutrition. There is a 30-hour fermentation time before they are transformed into pizzas. These cook for 70 seconds in a Stefano Ferrara oven, which goes up to 500 deg C. It is wood-fired, powered by oak, cherry and beech. The special touch here is that pizzaiolo Ryosuke Tanahara, 29, who trained under chef Tamaki for three years, throws some Okinawan salt on the floor of the oven before sliding the pie in, to season the crust. The pies are priced from $22 for Marinara, topped with tomato sauce, garlic, oregano and basil, to $42 for Special Bianca, topped with burrata, buffalo mozzarella and mascarpone cheese and truffle oil. Other signatures include Bismarck ($32), topped with mozzarella, mushrooms, pork sausage, pecorino romano cheese and a Japanese egg. The chef's favourite is Arrabbiata ($29), topped with tomato sauce, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, nduja sauce, garlic, parsley and black pepper. 'It's spicy,' he says. 'And there's no arrabbiata pizza beyond PST.' Mr Paulus Tejalaksana, 45, whose J.A.P Dining concepts partnered chef Tamaki to open PST in Singapore, says he had the pizzas for the first time in 2024. 'It's unlike any pizza I'd ever had,' he says. 'I just talked to him until he said okay.' He adds that it is difficult to find good locations in Singapore, so there might be, at most, two more PSTs here. His company also runs Okinawan steak house Yappari Steak. Aside from breaking in the pizza oven, chef Tamaki has been eating his way through Singapore on this first trip here, and says he enjoys chicken rice, Hokkien mee and prawn noodles, which he calls ebi soba. 'Good food, good weather, similar to Okinawa,' he says. Tan Hsueh Yun is senior food correspondent at The Straits Times. She covers all aspects of the food and beverage scene in Singapore. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
CNA
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- CNA
Popular Tokyo pizzeria PST opening in Singapore in June
If you're jaded by the proliferation of artisanal pizzerias and are tempted to roll your eyes at the promise of yet another faux "famous" brand opening in Singapore – you might wanna hold those eyeballs. PST, aka Pizza Studio Tamaki in Tokyo, is coming to town on Jun 10. And it's not only famous for real, it's probably food editor's favourite Neapolitan-style pizzeria in Tokyo. Squeal. COOL CHEF-OWNER PST's puffy-edged, brazenly blistered, tender-chewy-crackly pies are as delicious as its chef-owner Tsubasa Tamaki is cool. The tanned Okinawa-born, Tokyo-based dude with rugged good looks and trademark fitting white T-shirt and jeans sure doesn't look like your typical greasy pizzaiolo. When we were lucky enough to have him behind the counter, he always handled the dough like a boss out of an edgy anime flick. SERIOUS TOKYO NEAPOLITAN-STYLE PIZZA CRED, FAMOUS CUSTOMERS He first trained in Tokyo pizza temple Savoy (where in our opinion, his skills surpassed that of his shifu) and Pizza Strada before opening his own joint PST in 2017. It might not have made it super far up on the usual pizza awards lists (we've been to some of the higher ranking ones in Tokyo and found them middling anyway), but his restaurants (there's another outlet in Higashi Azabu) are always fully-booked, always buzzy, always fun. View this post on Instagram A post shared by 玉城 翼 (@ Famous diners include singer Justin Bieber, actor Willem Dafoe, Amazon's Jeff Bezos and tennis star Naomi Osaka, among others, Tamaki told us. TAKES OVER SPACE FORMERLY OCCUPIED BY TIPPLING CLUB But Tamaki isn't content with just having pizzerias in Japan. Over a year after he initially told he had plans to open a franchise in Singapore, he'd set up one in Bangkok first. Initial plans for his Singapore branch fell through, he'd shared, adding details off the record. But it's finally happening. The 60-seater will be located at Tanjong Pagar Road, in the space where Tippling Club once stood. FRANCHISE WITH SINGAPORE-BASED COMPANY Yes, PST Singapore is a franchise. Tamaki has partnered Singapore-based JAP Dining Concepts Pte Ltd, a newish entity that also brought in the casual Yappari Steak from Okinawa to Singapore. While he will be in town to oversee the opening – expect to see the fit bro stretching dough in Singapore only about once a year. PST TOKYO CHEF STATIONED AT SINGAPORE OUTLET In his stead at this local outpost: His baby-faced protege Ryosuke Tanahara, 30, who trained alongside him for three years at PST Tokyo. Fingers crossed that the quality of the grub in PST Singapore hits the mark. Speaking of Tamaki's proteges, Beyond The Dough, which opened at Arab Street last year to great buzz, is helmed by Eddie Murakami, who once worked with Tamaki at PST. WHAT TO EXPECT WHEN IT OPENS PST will serve 12-inch pizzas in Singapore, somewhere between PST Tokyo's one-person eight-inch and sharing 14-inch ones. The menu will be similar to Tokyo's, with nine pizzas available, starting from S$22. The signature is the Tamaki (S$30), a tomato-based number topped with cherry tomatoes, fresh smoked mozzarella, pecorino romano and basil. PRICES FROM S$22 TO S$34 PER PIZZA What we loved in PST's Tokyo branch: The Bismarck (S$32) with yummy house-made sausage and an oozy egg, and the super savoury 5 Formaggi (S$34), laden with smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola, taleggio, grana padano and mascarpone. The appetisers are also great, like the Spinach, Chicory and Pine Nut salad with umami anchovies. Aside from tasty toppings brightened with the acidity of Italian tomato purée and Datterino tomatoes, Tamaki's unique blend of Japanese and American flour made into a dough aged for over 30 hours, then cooked briefly in a blisteringly hot wood-fired oven yields a pie that's incredibly light, yet brimming with character and flavours. The Singapore outlet will bring in these same base ingredients. Its oak wood-fired oven is crafted by Stefano Ferrara Forni in Italy, apparently one of the best in the industry. Mercifully, reservations are allowed. Fastest fingers first, obviously. Watch this space. PST Singapore opens Jun 10 at 38 Tanjong Pagar Rd, Singapore 088461. Open Mon-Fri 11am-3pm & 5pm-11pm; Sat-Sun 11am-3pm & 5pm-12am. Follow @ for updates.
Straits Times
23-04-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Japan's Pizza Studio Tamaki opens in Singapore in June
SINGAPORE – Tokyo Neapolitan pizza brand Pizza Studio Tamaki will be opening a restaurant in Tanjong Pagar on June 10. It is a partnership between the brand and JAP Dining Concepts, which runs Yappari Steak in VivoCity, an Okinawan-style steakhouse. PST Singapore will have 60 seats. The pizza will be cooked in a wood-fired oven from oven-maker Stefano Ferrara Forni in Bologna. The pies are priced from $22 to $34 each. Started by pizzaiolo Tsubasa Tamaki, PST, as fans call it, serves Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizza. The pies have a light and chewy crust with a puffy rim and thin centre, made with dough using Japanese and American flour that is fermented for 30 hours. Pizza Studio Tamaki founder Tsubasa Tamaki launched the brand in 2017. PHOTO: PIZZA STUDIO TAMAKI The brand has two restaurants in Tokyo – in Roppongi and Higashiazabu – and one in Okinawa. Its first overseas outpost opened in Bangkok in January. Famous fans include Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, who visited the Roppongi restaurant in 2022. Chef Tamaki had worked at two famous pizza restaurants in Tokyo – Savoy and Strada – before launching Pizza Studio Tamaki in 2017. He also studied under famous pizzaiolo Susumu Kakinuma of Seirinkan, one of the first Neapolitan-style pizza restaurants in Tokyo. Pizza Studio Tamaki serves Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizzas, which come with a light and chewy crust with a puffy rim and thin centre. PHOTO: PIZZA STUDIO TAMAKI His pizzas come with either a tomato or cheese base. Red sauce pie options include Tamaki, topped with cherry tomatoes and smoked mozzarella; Margherita, topped with buffalo mozzarella; Romana, with olives, anchovies and Aomori garlic, among other toppings; and Diavola, topped with housemade pork sausage, olives and basil. Cheese-base pizzas include Nduja, topped with spicy Calabrian sausage; 5 Formaggi, with five cheeses including gorgonzola; and Oltrana, topped with mozzarella, mascarpone, Pecorino Romano and cherry tomatoes. The Singapore restaurant will be headed by chef Ryosuke Tanahara, who worked with chef Tamaki for three years. PST Singapore opens on June 10 at 38 Tanjong Pagar Road, from 11am to 3pm, 5 to 11pm (weekdays), and 11am to 3pm, 5pm to midnight (weekends). Go to @ (Instagram) for more information. Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
