In this three-part series on establishments specializing in craft pizza and serving craft beer, we interview the chefs themselves on their passion.
Part Two: Jason Koehler of Devil Craft
Part Three: Derek Thomas of Pizzakaya
Part Three: Derek Thomas of Pizzakaya
What is your background in pizza? How did you get started?
When I was a kid my best friend’s older brother worked in a pizzeria and I, for some reason, thought it was so cool! I then worked in pizza places during high school to pay for my car and car insurance. Later, after coming to Tokyo, I managed for the original owner of Pizzakaya, Brendan Murphy, not long after opening, then took over ownership when he left in 2002.
Can you please describe the style of pizza you specialize in now? What’s its history?
We serve California Gourmet Pizza and our dough is what we do best. Brendan couldn’t find good pizza so he made his own and started Pizzakaya. Our dough is made using a biga, or starter, and is a 2-day process using 4 different kinds of flour. The biga ferments for 24+ hours and is what gives our dough its great flavor. Being a baking professional myself I’ve have made small modifications and tweaks to really perfect it. The dough is the base, literally and figuratively. “Great pizza starts with great dough” is our motto.
What are some of your special pizzas?
“Simple is best” is why our Pepperoni pizza is the most popular and most sold pizza– crisp pepperoni, sauce, cheese, and of course our awesome dough. It’s simple enough you can taste all the individual ingredients. Other popular pizzas are our Santa Fe, Gourmet Combo, and Big Russell pizzas. The Santa Fe pizza was voted our Facebook page’s most popular pizza. Using caramelized onions (we slow cook onions in olive oil to a sweet, beautiful dark brown color) with the dough, we then put on a little cheese and our lime chicken. Before it’s served we put a heap of guacamole on top. The Gourmet Combo pizza is our second best seller with all the meats and veggies. The Big Russell pizza is a hungry man’s pizza: all meat toppings with spicy sausage to boot.
Why do you think craft beer goes so well with your particular pizza?
Pizza and beer are a natural combo and since our pizza is so full of flavor it goes very well with full flavored craft beer. We have the best pizza in town so why not eat it while drinking the best beer? Like certain wines pair well with certain foods, certain craft beer can pair well with our pizza and it’s fun trying to match the two.
Which are some of your favorite craft beers?
My favorite is Green Flash’s Imperial IPA, then their West Coast IPA and 30th St. Pale Ale. Stone Brewery is also great with their Ruination IPA. I’m a big IPA fan.
What are your plans/goals from here on?
We just opened a second restaurant in Okinawa, in Chatan, about 20k north of Naha. It’s a modern, upscale concept and we have, of course, great American craft beer to go with our kick-ass pizza!
