Pizza Studio Tamaki, one of Tokyo’s best pizzerias, is opening in Sydney’s CBD

American celebrity chef David Chang called it back in 2018: “The best pizza in the world is in Tokyo.”

The Momofuku founder’s bold declaration – made on his Ugly Delicious Netflix show – has been validated over the years as Japan’s capital became increasingly famous for its take on Neapolitan-style pizza. One of Tokyo’s most essential places for savouring excellent crusts and toppings is Pizza Studio Tamaki – and now it’s coming to Sydney.

The first Australian Tamaki outpost will open in the CBD on May 15. Seating up to 78 guests at 259 George Street, it will be the pizzeria’s largest global location to date.

Founder Tsubasa Tamaki opened his first location in 2017, in a tiny space in Tokyo’s Higashi-Azabu district. The signature hit was the Tamaki pie, its charred crust encircling smoked mozzarella and Pecorino romano, basil leaves and whole cherry tomatoes hit by the oven’s heat. The pizza’s interactive charm includes popping the tomatoes with a fork so their juice splashes over each cheesy slice.

“Our pizza is renowned for its unique Japanese style – wood-fired pizza with a light and chewy crust and a distinctive, balanced salty finish,” says Tamaki. That taste could be due the particular way he throws Okinawan sea salt into the oven to flavour the dough.

Tamaki’s 18-year dedication to finding the right flour might also be why The New York Times named him “one of the most talked-about pizzaioli in the world”. His Australian fan base includes chefs Michael Ryan (from Beechworth’s two-hatted Provenance) and Luke Burgess (of Hobart’s Scholé) who called Tamaki’s pizza “minimalist masterpieces” in their travel and photography book Only in Tokyo.

Pizza Studio Tamaki opened its second Tokyo location in 2018, and media recognition has surged in tandem with Tamaki’s footprint. Following more branches in Japan (Okinawa, Niseko) and overseas (Bangkok, Singapore, Manila, New York), Tamaki will launch its first Sydney restaurant in partnership with Kaizen Food Group, the company that brought Japan’s queue-attracting Mensho Tokyo to Sydney in 2024.

“After experiencing PST firsthand in Tokyo on several occasions, we were convinced it represents one of the most distinctive and refined pizza styles,” says Kaizen Food Group chief executive Nixon Alex.

Last week, Tamaki was in town to view the site. “This was my first visit to Sydney and I was immediately impressed,” he says.

Although he didn’t try any local pizza slices, he dropped by Lune, Fabbrica and the Sydney Fish Market, and became acquainted with Pizza Studio Tamaki’s Sydney location, a busy square with restaurants and offices nearby.

“It reminds me of Rome, where the finest pizzerias are often located around a lively piazza, forming part of the city’s social and cultural fabric,” he says.

Alex says the core offering at Tamaki Sydney “will remain true to PST Tokyo’s celebrated menu”, which is good news for fans of the pizzeria’s five-cheese topping sweetened with honey, and the “Bismarck” with pork sausage and egg.

“We also hope to collaborate on a special menu that incorporates select local influences for Sydney,” says Alex. Tamaki will return closer to the launch date.