Nim’s Pizza Slices in Minato City, Tokyo

Similar to the way in which New York City has sushi restaurants and ramen joints, there is some effort at the level of mega-city culture to provide “New York Style” pizza slices in Tokyo.  As part of our proud and thorough coverage of pizza in Tokyo, we bring you this review of NY-style pizza slices at Nim’s Pizza, in the Azabujuban neighborhood of Minato City.

Tokyo’s Nim’s Pizza is what we might call a “New York City”-style pizza slice restaurant.  This NY slice style of pizza exists all over the world, and is characterized by large pizzas, baked in pizza ovens, cut into the classic pizza-slice triangle, and set out (usually behind glass) where customers can see all the options; you pick your slice, and they pop it back in the oven to warm it up.  NY-style slices are relatively thin crust, crispy, and you usually have several options of slices to choose from. All of this is true at Nim’s.

Get a look at the choices of slices at Nim’s Pizza in Minato City.

Nim’s offers a pepperoni slice – of course they do, that is the classic option.

In addition to pepperoni pizza they also offered a pepperoni-jalapeno version, cheese slices, their New York Margherita, one lonely slice of Hawaiian, a lemon & honey pizza, a spinach mushroom slice (where the “spinach” was in the form of dollops of a cream sauce), and BBQ chicken pizza slices. There was also a slice with with olives, two kinds of meat, and red onions – called a Supreme.

All of that was in big, beautiful, glass case with all the pies on display.

To my surprise, Nim’s Pizza also offers some of the only pan pizza in Tokyo. What I would have previously called “Detroit” pizza (check out Pizzakaya in Rippongi for Detroit pizza), what they call “Pittsburg Pizza” at Tony Tony Pizza in Nagoya, what I have been learning to call “Long Island Grandma pizza,” is what Nim’s calls “Sicilian pizza.”  It’s a sheet pizza, or a pan pizza; a rarity in Tokyo (more on that below).

Nim’s is (in many ways) derivative of the 1950’s – 1960’s American “diner” aesthetic; you can feel it in the checkered floor and counter seats upstairs, and the decidedly diner vibe downstairs, with it’s round vinyl booths (which are great for a hot date or a big group).

Nim’s wants to be “NYC” in a nostalgic, American-fetish kind of way.

The standard Japanese impersonation of a NYC slice joint is some 1970’s-era New York City kitsch mixed – almost always – with hip hop music; almost every pizza slice place in Japan has that same idea.  It is true for Rocco’s Pizza slices here in Tokyo (which I like better than Nim’s), and also for Henry’s Pizza slices in Osaka, Dookie’s Pizza in Nagoya, and on and on.

Nim’s pizza also mixes in a little bit of “modernism” with the not-quite-successful LED-faux-neon sign (mounted on the wall, “shin-deep” in fake plants) which tries a little too hard for Instagram status, as well as their effort to coax you to order your pizza via a tablet computer on the tables (downstairs).

I rejected their computer-ordering system (of course), and told them I wanted to order in person.  Trying to force customers inside a restaurant to go “online” to order, or via their phones (a la QR codes), is bad customer service every time.  No, no.  So anti-social, so anti-human, always a mistake. Don’t do it.

I don’t want to have to figure out some click-lag-wait online menu system.  I don’t want to look at “combo-meals” that degrade the whole experience to bad episode at McDonalds. I don’t want to stare a screen – that’s not cool, that’s not hospitality. I want to ask questions.  I might even want a recommendation.  No greasy screens. Come by, say “hi,” actually talk to your customers.  There is no substitute for service.

But… I doubt you’re coming to Nim’s for the kiddy-computers or their neon sign. Nim’s about the pizza slices.  Let’s get back to it.

Totally. Those slices look pretty good, don’t they?

For my part, I looked at that long list of slices on the pizza menu at Nim’s Tokyo, and I thought the Supreme pizza slice sounded best.

“Nim’s Style Supreme Pizza Slice. You can enjoy anchovy accent and lots of toppings in your mouth! Homemade Tomato Sauce, Anchovy Fillets, Italian Sausage, Pepperoni, White Mushrooms, Black Olives, Red Onions.”
— Nim’s Pizza

I’m not sure exactly why, but my impression of their Supreme pizza was that it was sweet (maybe a lot of sugar in the tomato sauce?). It looked good, photographed well, but was mostly unremarkable.

I bet a standard pepperoni would have been better.

Of course, like any good NYC slice should – it passes my “pizza test:” you can pick it up. That’s a good thing. I like it.

More interesting than that Supreme, there were two sheet-pizzas at Nims; one called the “Vodka” (“Vodka sauce is an American tomato cream sauce that originated in New York.”), and another called the “Sicilian Pep” (where the “Pep” is for pepperoni).

“Sicilian Pep: Homemade Tomato Sauce, Homemade Tomato Bomb Sauce, Pepperoni, Grana Padano, Fresh Mozzarella, Shredded Mozzarella, Fresh Basil.”
— Nim’s Pizza

I didn’t know it when I ordered, but you might notice that there are two different sauces listed in the description of that Sicilian slice.

I did order a slice of that Sicillian Pep – which, was a good pizza. I’ll complain a bit, but I liked it.

It was over-cooked. This is the main challenge with slice pizza – the pizzas are cooked, sit around (sometimes for hours), and are then reheated as you order. This slice of pan pizza at Nims, may have been cooked perfectly the first time, but was dry and beat up by the time I ate it. After two spins in the pizza oven, that crust was dried out, almost like a big cracker.

(I was once at Craft Beer and Pizza Imazato in Osaka, and I assumed the slice I was looking at was going to be dry, and overcooked, but it was precious and amazing. For really good pan pizza in Japan, check out Matt’s pizza spot in Ikuno, Osaka.)

As for the pan pizza at Nim’s, despite the dry crusty crustiness…

It was still good. (Imagine how good it would be if you could get it fresh.) I added chopped jalapeno, and that was a good idea.  Specifically: something about the sauce (a rich tomato taste) was much better than the Supreme, noticeably better.

We asked about the exceptional flavor on the the Sicilian Pep. “Is the sauce on the Supreme the same as the sauce on the Sicilian Pep?” The pizza chef said they both have the same tomato sauce, but the Pep has an additional garlic sauce. Ahhhh, okay, that makes sense.  It does give the Sicilian a totally different flavor (and much better, in my opinion).

Pizza slices are typically “cheap food,” but at around 700 JPY per slice, they are a little too expensive for a pizza slice place; Nim’s is pushing the cost up as if it was a “gourmet” experience (and it mostly is not).

The Tokyo Nim’s pizza has a full bar, and there was a DJ booth downstairs – I bet this place could be hoppin’ on a busy Friday night.  It’s not particularly affordable, but probably a fun place for a group of friends to have an American-pizza experience in Tokyo.

I think I was at Hughes’s Pizza in Osaka when I first nailed down that “pizza slices are more about a fun vibe” than they are about particularly high-quality pizza; that is not always true, but it is mostly true. Because the pizzas are cooked, and reheated, that “twice-cooked” quality means that slices are rarely as good as fresh-baked pizza.

Maybe the Tokyo pizza slice shops deserve their own category?  Nim’s Pizza in Azabujuban is not the best pizza in Tokyo, but in the sub-category of pizza slices in Tokyo, they are a solid contender.

One last way in which Nim’s in Tokyo pays tribute to America is there “Yo! Nims Pizza” sticker.  If you don’t get the reference, that is a take-off on “Yo! MTV Raps” – a popular hip hop show on MTV, back in the day.

The pizza may be a bit pricey, but the stickerz iz free (way to shame Henry’s Pizza, and their shameless attempt to fleece you in their 2000 JPY sticker-hustle… boooooo on that, Henry).  Everyone likes $free:99. Good on you, Nim’s.

For more Tokyo Pizza see:

— Marumo Pizza in Ebisu, Tokyo
— Tokyo’s Pizza Bar on 38th in Kshiki restaurant in the Mandarin Hotel in Chuo City, Tokyo
— The best Detroit pizza in Tokyo at Pizzakaya, in Rippongi, Tokyo
— Pizza Studio Tamaki in Rippongi, Tokyo
— Sabasu Pizza in Akasaka, Tokyo
— Savoy Pizza Domi-LA in Asabujuban, in Minato City, Tokyo
— DevilCraft Pizza in Kanda, in Chuo City, and Gotanda DevilCraft Chicago Pizza in Shinagawa, Tokyo
— Shibuya pizza at Kevelos, in Tokyo
— Frey’s Famous Pizza in Rippongi, Tokyo
— Tokyo’s Seirinkan Pizzeria in Meguro, Tokyo
— Napoli Sta Ca Pizza Komazawa Store in Setagaya, Tokyo
— Butcher Republic pizza in Tokyo

Pizza Slices in Tokyo

— Excellent gourmet NY-style pizza slices in Tokyo at New York Pizza Tonyz Tokyo in Koto City, Tokyo
— Rocco’s Pizza in Ojihoncho, Kita City, Tokyo
— Not recommended: Pizza Slice in Shibuya (on Cat Street), Tokyo