Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on October 2011

Testifying to the quality of Strada’s pizza, Metropolis would sacrifice a 30-minute roundtrip out of our one-hour lunch break just to eat in this newly-opened pizza paradise.

A huge pizza oven stands proudly at the center of Strada’s dining space, inviting you through their floor-to-ceiling exterior glass walls that look out onto the neighborhood of Azabu-Juban. From counter stools situated around the prep table and the oven, you get the perfect view of chef Tsubasa Tamaki’s craftsmanship.

From five pizza selections on their set lunch menu A (¥1,200), we went with Margherita and Tamaki—Strada’s signature pizza—topped with smoked mozzarella, pecorino, cherry tomatoes, and basil. The all-you-can-eat green salad with a choice of French or Balsamic dressing calms the appetite. After Tamaki threw a pinch of salt from his native Okinawa into the wood-firing oven and slid the pizza off his peel, it took only a minute to bake.

The first bite of the sizzling Margherita brought back reminiscences of our pizza experience in Naples. The golden ratio had been achieved between the thin crust, tomato sauce, olive oil, and lava-like cheese. The Okinawan salt gave a punch of flavor to the soft and light outer crust that it often lacks. A nice touch is the included all-you-can-drink organic detox tea (¥650 per glass at dinnertime), which leaves a minty echo on the palate, preparing the ground for more.

The chef’s special pizza came just when we had refreshed ourselves with more salad and tea. The intensity of the smoked mozzarella and pecorino was complimented with a burst of plump, baked cherry tomatoes, which replaced tomato sauce.

So true was the image of Napoli on our palates that we were forced to order a glass of red wine (¥500), which perfectly rounded off the experience. We promised to come back soon for dinner, to try the rest of the menu.