Story By Tracy Morin | Photos by Erin Byrne
Proprietary flour blend. Okinawan salt. Japanese cedar shavings. No level of specificity seems too meticulous for chef Tsubasa Tamaki’s Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza, which has just landed in its first U.S.-based location after enjoying considerable success in cities around the world.
Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) officially opened its first permanent U.S. location in New York City’s East Village on May 5. Taking over the former home of Moody Tongue Pizza, at 123 Saint Marks Place, the 65-seat PST serves up chef Tamaki’s Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza, on the heels of a successful two-day pop-up last February. The New York opening brings the concept to eight locations total, following outposts in Tokyo (with two locations) and Okinawa, Japan; Bangkok; Singapore; Manila, Philippines; and a new location in Sydney—with other international expansion opportunities under consideration.
Tamaki, who was ranked No. 10 in the pizza category by The Best Chef Awards 2025, has built a global following for his highly disciplined method of making Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza. At PST, pies are made with a 30-hour fermented dough boasting a proprietary blend of Japanese and American flours, baked at 480°C in a custom-built oven. A signature technique from Tamaki includes adding Japanese cedar shavings to the fire.
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The PST menu features a focused selection of Tamaki’s hallmark pizzas, including the Tamaki (cherry tomatoes, fresh smoked mozzarella, Pecorino Romano, basil), the Margherita, the 5 Formaggi (fresh smoked mozzarella, Gorgonzola, Taleggio, Grana Padano, mascarpone) and the Bismarck (fresh mozzarella, mushrooms, homemade pork sausage, Pecorino Romano, farm egg). Small plates, including Charred Broccolini With Sauteed Garlic, Parmesan Risotto Arancini and PST’s Signature Meatballs, plus desserts, are also available. Meanwhile, a thoughtful beverage program from Moody Tongue Beers focuses on Japanese citrus-based lagers.
Tsubasa Tamaki recently sat down with PMQ to talk about his background in pizza, his new U.S. venture, and how his painstaking craftsmanship stands out even in the sophisticated pizza mecca of New York City.
PMQ: Tell us about your background in pizza and your pizzeria concept.
Tamaki: I began studying pizza around 2000, and after many years of training and developing my own style, I opened PST in Tokyo in 2017. From the beginning, I wanted to combine the foundations of Neapolitan pizza with the attention to detail that is so important in Japanese food culture. Over time, PST has grown internationally, but my focus has stayed the same: creating consistently strong pizza. In New York, we wanted the restaurant to feel energetic but intimate, with the pizza making process and overall dining experience at the center of the space.
PMQ: Tell us about your dough and fermentation process, and how that technique influences the flavor and texture. How does Tokyo-style Neapolitan pizza compare to traditional Neapolitan pizza? Did you face any challenges when adapting your recipe for the U.S. market?
Tamaki: The fermented dough is the most important part. I spent years developing the flour blend and tested around 700 different combinations before arriving at the formula we use today, which combines Japanese, American and Canadian flours. The dough ferments for approximately 30 hours, which helps create the airy texture and deeper flavor. Compared to more traditional Neapolitan pizza, my style uses a slightly higher oven temperature and allows for more browning. I use Okinawan salt during the baking process, which is one of the techniques that gives the pizza its distinct finish.
Bringing the process to New York definitely required some adjustments. During the February pop-up, the colder weather affected fermentation, and the mineral content of New York water changed how the dough behaved, so we shortened the mixing time.
PMQ: Why did you decide to bring this concept to the U.S., and why was New York’s East Village the right choice for PST’s first U.S. location?
Tamaki: Opening a restaurant in New York was one of my goals for a long time because of how important the city is to pizza culture and vice versa. I was interested in bringing a Japanese interpretation of Neapolitan pizza to an audience that already knows pizza very well. After the response to our pop-up, it felt like the right time to establish a permanent home here. The East Village was especially appealing because of its strong restaurant culture and interest in international food concepts.
PMQ: The use of Japanese cedar shavings in the oven is distinctive. How did you develop that idea, and what does it add?
Tamaki: The main firewood used is hard wood, like hickory. Cedar wood is used to adjust the heat. We feel that using it has little impact on the product. This is because we blend aromatic ingredients into our original flour, so it will turn out fragrant whether we use a gas or electric oven.
PMQ: Before opening, you held a two-day pop-up. How did that influence the permanent restaurant opening?
Tamaki: The pop-up was a good opportunity for us to introduce PST to New York and better understand how people would respond to our style of pizza before opening permanently. I was very encouraged by the reaction. New Yorkers are extremely knowledgeable about pizza, so seeing that level of excitement and curiosity meant a lot.
PMQ: How do you approach menu development and decide what to include?
Tamaki: Every ingredient is chosen carefully based on how it works with the structure and flavor of the pizza as a whole. For the New York opening, I wanted to focus on many of the signature pizzas people associate with PST, while also leaving room for the menu to evolve over time. We already source seasonal produce locally, and I expect the menu will continue to develop with additional starters, desserts and seasonal ideas. As it stands right now, we’ve limited adding additional items due to operational challenges, but we’ll be adding more in the future to ensure customers enjoy all that we have to offer. Stay tuned!
PMQ: How does PST build buzz, attract new customers and stand out in such a competitive pizza landscape like New York City? What are the brand’s plans for the future—in New York and beyond?
Tamaki: I think today’s diners feel connected to restaurants when they can sense the level of care behind the work. At PST, we focus heavily on consistency and detail, whether that’s through the dough fermentation, oven technique or ingredient selection. New York already has so many incredible pizza styles, so my intention was to offer something that feels different while still respecting pizza tradition. Looking ahead, we are continuing to explore international opportunities while staying very focused on maintaining the current quality.
PMQ: Is there anything else you want to share about your passion for pizza?
Tamaki: One of the things I love most about pizza is that it’s universal. No matter where you are, it has a way of bringing people together. My hope with PST is simply to share the style of pizza I’ve spent years developing, one with a distinctive cornicione and a wave-like shape. I also believe that the drink program is an important element that complements the pizza. At PST, we serve Orion beer, which is also available in Japan, but our main focus is on Moody Tongue beers, with a particular emphasis on lagers made with Japanese citrus fruits. It’s also an opportunity for our New York customers to enjoy beer from the world’s only Michelin-starred brewery.
