A Japanese pizza mystery

[SugoiBoy]

This might sound odd, but one of the little things I noticed about Japan is how four cheese pizza (Quattro Formaggio) is usually served here with honey.

I’ve had that type of pizza in other countries, but I don’t recall the honey. Never been to Italy. So, I don’t know if the Italians ever pour honey on pizza.

 

[Keihan]

This might sound odd, but one of the little things I noticed about Japan is how four cheese pizza (Quattro Formaggio) is usually served here with honey.

I’ve had that type of pizza in other countries, but I don’t recall the honey. Never been to Italy. So, I don’t know if the Italians ever pour honey on pizza.

Don't even get me started about how Japanese are capable of royally fucking up pizza. Like you, I've never been to Italy so I can't base my opinions on how it's done in the homeland. However, almost twenty years later I'm still scarred by the abominations I've experienced in Japanese pizza/pastry shops. And the most immoral thing about Japanese and their bastardized interpretations of pizza is the preparation, because Japanese are capable of making a pizza look really, really GOOD.

I remember my first week in Japan during one of my generous 40-min breaks at the eikaiwa, I stopped by a little bread shop in the basement of the department store we were based in. I saw this awesome looking deep-dish type pizza that looked like mostly a blend of cheeses, so I bought a slice and took it back to the break room. Upon biting into it, I discovered that under the thick layer of cheese was fucking mayonnaise, corn and potatoes and some random fishy meat. I felt sick. That shit went straight into the trash and I think I ended up having a juice box for lunch. And since I don't learn my lesson, I think I tried another pleasant-looking variation of a combo pizza that looked like just pepperoni and random vegetables. Underneath that, however, were chunks of shrimp and some other rubbish and then some sort of sweet, creamy sauce.

For all the civilians and women and children these people have raped and tortured and beheaded, their history of sabotaging western foods with their sick, twisted and nauseating culinary spin is the real crime against humanity.

 

[MikeH]

their history of sabotaging western foods with their sick, twisted and nauseating culinary spin is the real crime against humanity.

I think it is actually quite awesome how they can fuck up pizza. As originally it was just a way how Italian housewives made their family eat all the left-over food from the previous week. All you need is the base, dump everything that doesn't smell too bad over it and then pour all the cheese you have on top.

And then comes some highly trained chef from Japan and goes hold my beer, I know how to make this fail.

I have had decent pizza in Japan, but you do have to search for that. And during the quest you will encounter many a beast that makes you go fuck, even I can cook better than this.

 

[Desktop]

I was invited to a house party where I saw a friend put ketchup, cheese, & wiener slicers on pita bread & put it in the toaster over.

The solution is having a few great options to go to like Pizzakaya for regular pizza & Devilcraft for a real deep dish pizza. I also had a friend who swore he knew a great deep dish spot until he went to Devilcraft.

 

[Ken1988]

Pizza con formaggio di capra e miele?

I thought goat cheese and honey were paired quite well.

 

[mr roboto]

There is no problem of having honey on the side so you can use it or not, like spicy sauce.
In Italy they are now doing "American" pizza with french fries and beef.... that looks terrible and not very good but it is popular now.
My Italian friend always say pizza is just a bread base to put anything you like on top, if someone like it then it is a good pizza.
The only abomination about pizza for me is pineapple topping.

 

[Tabanico]

American pizza is an abomination. Japanese pizza is glorious. You guys are nuts.

The honey is surely for the blue cheese because most Japanese people don't seem to be able to eat blue cheese without honey - which isn't an untraditional way to serve it in many parts of the rest of the world either.

 

[Sudsy]

The only abomination about pizza for me is pineapple topping.

You clearly haven't had one with potato.

A surprisingly good addition, though, is mentaiko.

 

[Sudsy]

American pizza is an abomination

Ah, but there isn't just one "American" pizza.

New York style - properly made, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Thin crust with just enough pliability to fold a slice so you can eat it while you walk, no overdone toppings, just simple one or two topping pies.

Chicago deep dish - basically a cheese cake. Not a cheesecake. A drippy, cheese, "cake". More of a spiritual cousin to lasagna than to pizza. Tastes OK, but it's not pizza. It's basically a casserole.

Chicago thin crust - thinner and crunchier than New York style, so you can't fold it, fantastic pub food though. Heavy on the meat toppings. A suitable redemption for the sin that is deep dish.

Detroit style - In between New York and Chicago - not as weighed down as deep dish, and with a bit of crunch. Surprisingly good. Not as good as New York.

California style - is basically Japanese pizza's American cousin. Californians will put damn near anything on a pizza.

St. Louis style - overly doughy imitation of NY style that uses processed cheese. It's an abomination. AN affront to the gods. Like seriously, someone needs smiting.

 

[psd]

I hadn't had pizza for a long time and ordered smoked beef(?) and it was just massive lumps of smoked fat.

They can't even get a basic pizza right, tomato paste, cheese and salami - how fucking hard it that?

 

[Frenchy]

Ah, but there isn't just one "American" pizza.

New York style - properly made, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Thin crust with just enough pliability to fold a slice so you can eat it while you walk, no overdone toppings, just simple one or two topping pies.

Chicago deep dish - basically a cheese cake. Not a cheesecake. A drippy, cheese, "cake". More of a spiritual cousin to lasagna than to pizza. Tastes OK, but it's not pizza. It's basically a casserole.

Chicago thin crust - thinner and crunchier than New York style, so you can't fold it, fantastic pub food though. Heavy on the meat toppings. A suitable redemption for the sin that is deep dish.

Detroit style - In between New York and Chicago - not as weighed down as deep dish, and with a bit of crunch. Surprisingly good. Not as good as New York.

California style - is basically Japanese pizza's American cousin. Californians will put damn near anything on a pizza.

St. Louis style - overly doughy imitation of NY style that uses processed cheese. It's an abomination. AN affront to the gods. Like seriously, someone needs smiting.

thanks! I didn’t know that much about American pizza, notably that there’s a Saint Louis version

 

[Yanchan]

I really like the 4 cheese with honey. It’s an excellent “desert” pizza
I agree though, they have some combinations in Japan that are just ... weird.

 

[Tabanico]

Actually yeah, New York style is pretty good.

 

[Ken1988]

New York style - properly made, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Thin crust with just enough pliability to fold a slice so you can eat it while you walk, no overdone toppings, just simple one or two topping pies.

Joe's in West Village where people used to queue for a slice...

 

[Frenchy]

Joe's in West Village where people used to queue for a slice...

I remember Ray’s long ago, in the Village too. Not sure it still exists

 

[AMcguyver]

The only abomination about pizza for me is pineapple topping.

Whoever had the bright idea to put pineapple on a pizza and call it “Hawaiian Pizza” needs to be strung up from the nearest mango tree. Pineapples are not “Hawaiian”

I remember Ray’s long ago, in the Village too. Not sure it still exists

ahhhhh Ray’s Pizza... man, I miss that...

 

[Keihan]

I was invited to a house party where I saw a friend put ketchup, cheese, & wiener slicers on pita bread & put it in the toaster over.

The solution is having a few great options to go to like Pizzakaya for regular pizza & Devilcraft for a real deep dish pizza. I also had a friend who swore he knew a great deep dish spot until he went to Devilcraft.

Discovering Devilcraft was a lifestyle-changing event. Their pizza is awesome (for Japan) but it's their craft brews that have made DC a mecca for me, particularly their porters and stouts. Not just some of the best brews I've had in Japan but I'd argue that a couple of their stouts bested anything I've tried in the U.S., and I lived in the Pacific Northwest (where craft brewing began). A couple of years back they had this limited barrel-aged 12% coffee stout that I ordered as my nightcap; I don't even remember leaving and came to at a mini park in Akihabara, urinating on a wall.

The Kanda shop's first floor bar counter has always been my preference. Come at 5pm for happy hour after blowing my load in Okachimachi, get a stiff IPA and an order of onion rings and talk shit for a couple hours with other disgruntled former teachers, but the Gotanda shop seems to have a bigger variety of taps nowadays and it's right up the street from Tonbo.

Only downside is that over the past few years, it's becoming more and more popular with Japanese. Three years ago it was 75% expats at the Kanda bar and a temporary escape from life. Nowdays it's like any other establishment that hipster Japanese pack to get their "gaijin" on. And my favorite bartender girl is gone.

Whenever life finally gets back to normal and I'm back in Tokyo, Devilcraft will be the first place I hit. After a nice akasuri session.

 

[just4fun]

Joe's in West Village where people used to queue for a slice...

Rocco's NY Style pizza in Tokyo is maybe the closest to NYC pizza I've had here. Owner passed a few years ago and haven't been back so now I have no idea

 

[MikeH]

Discovering Devilcraft was a lifestyle-changing event.

Their place in Gotanda has an awesome collection of beer, is always so full of local people that you need a reservation and if you hear from news that someone was knifed in the face it was me after they tried to make me order their pizza.

It's basically a soup in a deep dish. If people in Chicago really invented this they deserve to be nuked.

 

[just4fun]

Their place in Gotanda has an awesome collection of beer, is always so full of local people that you need a reservation and if you hear from news that someone was knifed in the face it was me after they tried to make me order their pizza.

It's basically a soup in a deep dish. If people in Chicago really invented this they deserve to be nuked.

Not impressed by DC. Kanda branch has zero personality imho

 

[Tabanico]

I'm pretty sure craft brewing was invented in Europe several centuries ago...

I had a nice slice of New York pizza in San Francisco in some hipster place. I was talking to someone about getting Ryan Reynolds to do a TV ad for me.

Never got round to it but the pizza was nice

 

[just4fun]

I was talking to someone about getting Ryan Reynolds to do a TV ad for me.

Why am I snickering..........

 

[Keihan]

Their place in Gotanda has an awesome collection of beer, is always so full of local people that you need a reservation and if you hear from news that someone was knifed in the face it was me after they tried to make me order their pizza.

It's basically a soup in a deep dish. If people in Chicago really invented this they deserve to be nuked.

It depends on staff and in my experience, Kanda kitchen staff are better than those in Gotanda. If I order the pizza, I usually get the Devilworks, which is there version of a combo/supreme; in Kanda mine was decently done with equal amounts of everything, and then a couple times in Gotanda I basically got a bread bowl full of tomato sauce with two slices of pepperoni on top. But as you also pointed out, Gotanda has a superior beer selection, so I'm generally there just for fries/rings and a lot of dark beer.

I'm not a fan of Chicago deep-dish. I'm not a fan of Chicago in general, as it's cold as fuck, the people are a special breed of obnoxious (like less-cultured New Yorkers) and also Chicago gave us Obama. But it still is a fucking fantastic place to eat. I was there not too long ago and got an obligatory deep-dish the first night (was ok, nothing special), but if you ever make it out that way, the beef sandwiches are like a fucking orgasm for your mouth. Also you can't go wrong with a pasta at any Italian restaurant. The more it looks like a shithole out of a Scorsese gangster movie, the better the food is. And definitely don't go there to try picking up women. I think one of the female prerequisites for graduating from a Chicago public high school is to be over 180lbs but dress like you're a dancer at the Spearmint Rhino.

 

[Majestyk]

New York style - properly made, this is the stuff that dreams are made of. Thin crust with just enough pliability to fold a slice so you can eat it while you walk, no overdone toppings, just simple one or two topping pies

Yes! A thousand times yes.

St. Louis style - overly doughy imitation of NY style that uses processed cheese. It's an abomination. AN affront to the gods. Like seriously, someone needs smiting.

I have to agree.

 

[Sudsy]

Why am I snickering..........

Because you're imagining Tabanico in a Deadpool costume.