I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve recommended that someone going to Kyoto go to Monk. Arms flailing, I’ve frantically informed them that bookings open exactly two months in advance and are gone in seconds; that they must set an alarm immediately, clear their schedule, and refresh the page like their life depends on it. As though in a fugue state, I’ve described in great detail the consistency of the dough, and the food philosophy of the owner who — inspired by Zen monks who express enlightenment as a single circle drawn on paper — likens stretching his dough to meditation. I have no doubt that at times, I may even have drooled a little.

The irony is that I’ve never actually been to Monk myself. This deep obsession (that I can’t quite believe I’m broadcasting in a public forum) has grown entirely from having watched the Chef’s Table pizza special more times than I care to admit, and spending a truly embarrassing amount of time staring wistfully at pizza crusts online. Are hunger traps the new thirst traps? The food at Monk looks so good I can practically taste it through the screen. 

In an attempt to salvage some credibility here, I’d like to point out that I did however make it to Savoy Tomato & Cheese in Tokyo, where a few slices were enough to convince me that something genuinely exciting and different is happening over there with pizza (meaning my obsession, however unhinged, is not entirely unfounded).

All of which leads me to the actual point. Like everything else — the coffee, the ramen, the whisky, the denim, the convenience store egg sangas — Japan knows how to make a mean pizza.

So here’s the good news for the obsessed, the recently returned, and the perpetually plotting: in lieu of being able to teleport to Tokyo (unless anyone wants to offer me a seat on their private jet), Japanese pizza is finally coming to us. 

Pizza Studio Tamaki opens at 259 George Street on May 16. Founded in 2018 by Tsubasa Tamaki in Tokyo’s Roppongi district, this pizza was recently ranked #10 in the world at the Best Pizza Awards 2025. 

What makes it so special? Crafted with (as expected) an almost unreasonable level of attention, each pizza starts with a 30-hour fermented dough, baked at high heat over cedar wood, finished with Okinawan sea salt thrown directly into the oven. The result, if Tokyo is anything to go by, is a crust that is airy and structured and crisp all at once. Engineered, as one chef put it, rather than improvised. 

Whether that precision travels across a dozen new kitchens simultaneously — Sydney joins Bangkok, Singapore, Manila and New York in quick succession — remains the question. But the signs, so far, are good. 

On the menu you can expect the signature Tamaki pizza with smoked mozzarella, pecorino romano, whole cherry tomatoes and basil; a five-cheese with honey; a Bismarck with pork sausage and egg. Simple, on paper. The kind of thing that only reveals itself in the eating.

I plan to book a table and go immediately. Then maybe, just maybe, stop watching that Monk episode on repeat.

Pizza Studio Tamaki opens May 16 at 259 George Street, Sydney CBD. Bookings are available now via SevenRooms.