My Instagram feed has a variety of followers. A fellow by the name of Bun had a profile photo that caught my eye. It's of Passalaqua Cafe, which is one of my go-to places for Napolitano cafe. It turned out that Bun is manager and pizzaiolo at Savoy Azabujuban's "tomato and cheese." I don't know how long or when I may get to Tokyo, but his own Instagram feed is terrific. It makes me hungry. And so I invited him to share his pizza and baking knowledge with Stir the Pots. Below is an edited write-up of our email interview.
How did you start making pizza?
My father is a French cook. But he loved pizza very much.He encouraged me to start doing pizza.
When did pizza in Japan take off?
Pizza in Japan probably first started in the 1980s. At that time, there was no Neapolitan style pizza yet.
What is your concept?
What I look for in a pizza is lightness.
Is your pizza yeast or sourdough base?
Our pizzas are fermented for a long time at low temperature using a small amount of yeast.
What flour are you using?
We use Italian and Japanese
How many toppings for pizza?
Basically just Margherita and Marinara. Some stores have pizzas with various toppings.
Pizza heros?
In my opinion, Anthony Mangieri.
Counter service is a more personal experience for you and customer?
For me, making pizza is a tool to connect with customers, so the counter is a great fit for me!
Have you been to Naples or NY?
I went to Naples on vacation and I went to NY to make pizza for a week.
How do you shape your dough differently from a Napolitano pizzaiolo?
The method of making pizza dough is the same. Just the way the pizza dough is stretched is different!
What do you like more, fermentation, shaping or baking the pizza?
I love every step of the process!
Favorite food.
Definitely pizza
What did you grow up eating?
Japanese food , French, Italian.
Any use for whole grain in pizza?
No.
Mozzarella imported?
Yes.
Tomatoes local?
Imported.
When not making pizza, what do you like to do?
Visit restaurants owned by friends who chefs. Go eat their food.
0 Comments