The Pizza Tokyo Hiroo, in Shibuya, Tokyo

Among the many excellent pizza restaurants in Tokyo, there is a small collection of pizza slice spots.  Of those New York-style pizza spots in Tokyo, the twin champions are The Pizza shops; one in Shimokitazawa, and this location, The Pizza in the Hiro-o, Shibuya, Tokyo.

We have tried all of the NYC pizza slices in Tokyo, and The Pizza is the winner; very good pizza slices in Tokyo.

The Hiro-o shop of The Pizza is located about 15 minute from Shibuya Station by train (via the Inokashira Line).  From the station, it’s a few minutes by foot through one of the nicest, walkable streets in Tokyo; a quiet, comfortable neighborhood, with nice homes, and lots of little shops.

As you approach from Hiro-o Station, The Pizza Hiro-o is on your right.

I know we’re not here for the paver-lined sidewalks, so let’s get down to what matters:

Witness the finest slice of pizza in this grandest of cities.

Typically, The Pizza offers a sweet selection of slices, including: Cheese, Jalapeno and Union, Italian Sausage and Green Pepper, Mix Pizza (which I later had at the Shimokitazawa The Pizza shop, and it was amazing), Anchovy and Black Olive, and Mushroom.

On the quiet afternoon when we walked into the shop, the big pizza case was almost empty.  As we report in this review, we give The Pizza the best ranking for pizza slices in Tokyo, but it is true I was disappointing with the selection on my first visit.

Lonely looking case, isn’t it?

On the day I was there (for some unknown reason), they were only serving Pepperoni and Margherita.  There was a fresh pepperoni going into the oven, but there were just three slices of Margarita pizza in the case. I… generally am not excited about Margherita (a cheese pizza and basil pizza with a fancy name), but I ended up having a very good experience.

Given my limited choices, I ordered, well… the Margherita.  The Pizza Master said in 10 minutes he’d have a pepperoni ready.  I made like Hallmark and tried to celebrate the cards I had.

We ordered a slice of Margherita (to share), a soft drink for my date, and a slim green beer.

Like most good New York pizza slices; this slice had been cooked as part of a full pie, sat in the case for time, and our particular slice was reheated and served up on a plain paper plate.  That is the authentic tradition; that is how they do it in NYC.

A lot of sliced pizza is simple, made without much love, and can comes out of the oven looking like a rough, cartoon drawing of a slice.  The pizza they make at The Pizza in Hiro-o made a much better impression than that.

One bite into it, I could tell it was a really good pizza. Excellent sauce; not too sweet. A light, crispy crust. (A lot of pizza slice places produce a pizza crust that’s the equivalent of Italian-inspired cardboard). The cornichone on this slice was light, fluffy, and proud.

A fine specimen.  I instantly knew that I had found the best pizza slice in Tokyo.

If I wanted to be a little bit more sophisticated (which I rarely do, but I will ape after in this moment), I could say that The Pizza makes New York pizza that is a hybrid between a fine Neapolitan style pizza and a classic New York pizza slice.

Take a look at this fresh Margherita as it came out of the oven:

Those thin, white lines crisscrossing the fresh pie look to be grated Parmigiana. The basil, added after the baking, is whole and fresh and vibrant. This is not your typical bare-minimum pizza slice joint (not that there is anything wrong with that).

That’s a genuinely beautiful pizza.

The Pizza in Hiro-o offers the best pizza slice in Tokyo, and a vibe that holds itself above more casual spots like the Pizza Slice shops, Nims, Pizza Nista, or Rocco, or the others.  The Pizza breaks the mold of the gritty NYC style pizza shop, with the Hiro-o location making a statement that is clean, simple, more like a boutique.

There is a sign on the wall that says “NYC BLAH BLAH” but there are no pictures of taxi cabs, no New York Yankees memorabilia. No pictures of the Brooklyn bridge or the Empire State building.  There is (almost) none of the homage to NY.

While I often say the New York style pizza shops in Japan run the formula of is pizza slices, skateboards, and hip hop, the pizza in Hiro-o has snappy, sophisticated Jazz overhead. 

And speaking of standing up…

As always, I like to show my esteemed readers how a slice might perform given my now (in)famous Pizza Czar “Pizza Test”: The Pizza… look at that, straight as an arrow.  That is a first-class, crispy slice.

In addition to pizza (and I think this is almost a little strange); The Pizza also does soup.  Soup, in a cup; which is not at all “NYC pizza shop.” Clam chowder, to be specific. And it is popular; something like half the people in the shop came in to get the soup.  As a pizza guy, I think that is insane, but I can’t help wonder if I missed something good.

The Pizza in Hiro-o, Tokyo, also does coleslaw. Of course.  Are you kidding?  No, not “of course.”  That is totally random.  Pizza. And soup. And coleslaw.  They do it their way, okay.  And they do it well.

One more quick story for the “too long, read it all” crowd: You want to know how long it takes to back a NYC pizza?  I’m not sure, but we stuck around and set a timer to learn more.

As the pizza master was ready to slide a new pizza into the oven, I whipped out my stop-watch.  We did rough timing on how long a NYC pizza is in the oven, and by our somewhat sloppy calculation: nine minutes and 30 seconds. He checked on it three or four times, lifting it, checking the underside.  He was also warming up slices in the same oven the whole time (presumably lowering the temperature each time he opens the door), which may have extended the cooking time a bit.. but there you have it:

Approximately 9:30 in the oven.  Compared to 55 seconds or so for a wood-fired, Neapolitan, there is a real difference in how this NYC slice pizza is cooked.

Hiro-o The Pizza slice shop is neither cheap nor expensive, but it definitely carries a “nice neighborhood” vibe.  I had a simple, but wonderful meal.  I mentioned I have since visited the Shimokitazawa The Pizza shop, but I have not been back to this one, but look forward to coming back another day; that is an opportunity worth being exited about.

Great shop.  While pizza slices are not necessarily the best pizza in the city, The Pizza (at either location) makes the best pizza slice in the city.

Highly recommended.

Pizza Slices in Tokyo

— New York style pizza slices at New York Tonyz Pizza in Tokyo
— Rocco’s NYC Pizza in Kita City, Tokyo
— NY pizza slices at Nim’s Pizza in Asabujuban in Minato City, Tokyo
— Pizza Slice Cat Street in Shibuya, Tokyo

For more Tokyo Pizza see:

— Marumo Pizzeria in Ebisu, Tokyo
— Pizza Bar on 38th’s omakase pizza at the Mandarin Hotel in Chuo City, Tokyo
— Massimotavio Pizza in Suginami City
— Rippongi PST Pizza in Minato City, Tokyo
— Savoy Asabujuban Pizza in Minato City, Tokyo
— Simple, excellent pizza at Frey’s Famous Pizzeria, in Rippongi, Minato City, Tokyo
— Pinsa at Bonta Italia in Sarugakucho, Shibuya, Tokyo
— Pizza Strada in Azabujuban, Minato City, Tokyo
— Devil Craft Pizza in Kanda, in Chuo City, more Chicago pizza at DevilCraft Gotanda in Shinagawa, Tokyo
— Shibuya pizza at Kevelos, in Tokyo
— Sabasu Pizza in Akasaka, Tokyo
— Komazawa Pizzeria da Peppe Napoli Sta’ Ca” in Setagaya City, Tokyo
— Deep-dish pizza at Pizzakaya (Detroit style) in Minato City, Tokyo
— Seirinkan Pizzeria in Meguro, Tokyo
— Risto Pizza in Azabudai, Minato City, Tokyo
— Butcher Republic in Ebisu, Tokyo