The monthly pies at Pizza Studio Tamaki include the “taco-style” Bismarck, layered with cumin-spiced ground beef, cheese, lettuce, and a gooey egg; the Japanese Umami pizza at Pizza Marumo has pecorino and mozzarella cheeses, shiitake mushroom purée, bonito flakes, and emerald green shavings of kombu; and the Nojiri pie at L'ombelico, inside the Trunk Hotel in Yoyogi Park, comes with a pile of plump clams from Hokkaido. At the Pizza Bar on 38th, a Michelin Bib Gourmand spot inside the Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo, Roman-born chef Daniele Cason crafts omakase menus with pizzas bearing duck salsiccia and marbled slices of Wagyu beef. Just a few blocks away is Ciel Pizza, opened last July by the team at Michelin-starred French restaurant Lature, in Shibuya, which features toppings like shirasu (baby sardines), citrusy sansho peppers, and lemons from the Setouchi region of western Japan.

Pizzaiolo (pizza master) Yuki Motokura opened Pizza Marumo last December, beautifully fusing Japanese ingredients with Italian cooking techniques. At the entrance hangs a curtain-like “noren” fabric, typically found at traditional restaurants, and guests are greeted with “omotenashi” hospitality—a uniquely Japanese experience. Motokura started his culinary career at the age of 16 at a kaiseki restaurant, and continues to incorporate his apprenticeship learnings to this day.

Pizza Marumo’s head chef, Motokura Yuki, was voted the 10th best pizza chef in the world in The Best Chef Awards 2023, and the 14th best pizza chef in the world in this year’s awards. That should be enough to tell you about how good Pizza Marumo’s pizzas are. But unlike Seirinkan’s adherence to the perfection of just two types of pizza, Pizza Marumo distinguishes itself with variety.

Every day, Yuki Motokura records the temperature and humidity, checking in on his pizza dough. He adjusts the flour, water, and salt in minute increments, logging the results with precision. Tokyo’s pizza scene has built a global reputation and word hit fast when Motokura – who cut his teeth at renowned Tokyo pizzeria Savoy – launched Pizza Marumo in 2022 in the fashionable Ebisu.

But trust us when we say that you can find some of the most delicious and unique pizza you’ll ever have in Tokyo at Pizza Marumo. Hats off to Chef Yuki Motokura for churning out some of the most perfect crusts from his wood-fired pizza oven. We’re talking an absoultely perfect ratio of crispy to chewy that would even make the Neapolitans jealous.

Japan, 〒150-0022 Tokyo, Shibuya City, Ebisuminami, 1-chōme−11−１３ 恵比寿ヴェルソービル 1階. Pizza Marumo is a casual spot in Tokyo’s Ebisu neighborhood, led by chef Yuki Motokura after his years at Savoy. The dough is carefully fermented and baked in a wood-fired oven, giving it a light texture that regulars appreciate.

◾️ Recommendations: Popular menu items include the Vegan Margherita and Vegan Meat & Mushroom Pizza, both made with vegan cheese and plant-based meat.