After traveling thousands of miles (some 13 hours by plane) to get to Tokyo, what did a bunch of loopy, jet-lagged American tourists want to do? Well, they went on a hunt for the best Neapolitan-style pie.
Some locals suggested that we stop into Pizza Strada — 3-6-2 Azabujuban, Minato-ku, Tokyo.
According to its website, “Pizza Strada is an oasis where people can meet and eat simply good pizza, regardless of age or nationality. Facing you is the stage where the pizzaiolo performs. Colorful fresh ingredients, the sound of popping woodchips, the smell of the wood oven… when you have a fresh hot slice of pizza, you can't help smiling. As with a sushi counter, you will enjoy the experience with all five senses.”
We thought we’d step it up from the dull Margherita (which, as reported yesterday, was just an unseasoned tomato squished onto some chewy dough), to something “sexier,” like the “Marinara マリナーラ” — tomato sauce, garlic, oregano, basil トマトソース・ニンニク・オレガノ・バジル —(1550 yen; $14.50 approx).
It was like “deja vu all over again.” The crust was thin and chewy, and while the garlic and oregano spiced things up a bit, there was something wrong with the olive oil. It tasted “off.” (Might as well have been motor oil, as far as I was concerned.)
Ultimately, this disappointing rendition of yet another classic pie barely missed an “F,” and squeezed by with a near-failing “C-.”
蛙の子は蛙。
Follow Lucas on Instagram: @lucasaferrara
