The Japanese didn’t just invent the sushi omakase experience. They – or more precisely – Chef Daniele Cason at the Mandarin Oriental’s Pizza on 38th, came up with the pizza omakase too. We’re wondering why no one did this sooner. And yes, it is worth it to fly to Tokyo to eat at the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental.

Atmosphere

When you think of a traditional Japanese omakase experience, it’s often an austere setting where you can hear a pin drop. There is a reverence at the few seats of the top sushi omakase spots in Tokyo, where it is the furthest vibe from Tao that you can get. They take their food seriously in Tokyo, so with a pizza omakase, I was definitely curious when the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental showed up on several friends’ recommendation lists. Honestly, the last thing I wanted to do was sit in a stuffy omakase, and of course, the Mandarin Oriental is one of the best hotels in town.

As one of the OGs of Tokyo luxury hotels, the Mandarin Oriental has long been a gathering place for locals and visitors. This means there is a natural buzz throughout the bars and restaurants at the Mandarin. Sometimes you can walk into a hotel restaurant and find it completely empty. In the almost 20 years that the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo has been open, they have innovated their food and beverage options. Which is what makes the Pizza Bar on 38th one of the hardest reservations to get in town.

However, this isn’t your normal pizza counter where there are just eight seats; typical of traditional omakase restaurants in Tokyo. In fact, instead of a minimalist sushi counter, the first thing I saw was a rendition of the Mona Lisa. She had an “I Love Pizza” conversation bubble coming out of her mouth, so I knew I was in for at least a good time. That’s not to say that it’s necessarily a social experience. Rather it just depends on the luck of the draw of the other diners next to you. However, with the team behind the pizza bar, it’s anything but stuffy.

Food + Beverage

Chef Daniele Cason is himself at the helm in the kitchen almost every night where his technique with the dough is like watching Picasso at work. Of course, it helps that he grew up in Italy which gives him real street cred. Many of the ingredients are brought in from Italy, though they integrate local Japanese fine produce and dairy as well.

I was skeptical about whether to allocate one of my precious meals in Tokyo to a pizza spot. But when the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental came up on my most well-traveled friends’ lists, my curiosity was piqued. Not only did I really like the pizza, but it has since ruined me for other pizzas. It’s actually the aftermath that was the most impactful of my dining experience. We have decent pizza in New York, but I have not yet been able to match the eight perfect slices I had at the Pizza Bar. Everything from the dough to the Japanese mountain greens, black truffles, and cheeses still lingers in my head. And I don’t love pizza either, but this pizza omakase was something special. I’ve foolishly tried to replicate the experience by making my own pizza, but it’s just not the same.

The Experience

The reason why they only have eight seats at the bar is that there are eight slices of pizza per course. At the Pizza Bar, the omakase experience is a light starter, vegetable of some sort, eight slices of pizza, and dessert. It’s a lot of food and I should not have had ramen two hours prior. However, the pizza is so light and perfectly portioned that without a pre-meal before, it’s the perfect amount of food. Like each piece of sushi is perfectly set in front of you under a traditional omakase, the pizza omakase follows a similar format. I of course loved the caviar pizza with perfect slices of onion and cheese. However, my favorites were the traditional margarita and secondly a Japanese mountain green with burrata rendition. I can’t stop thinking about the latter.

Service

There is one thing that is indisputable about Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, and that’s its service. Even in a culture where top service is engrained in the DNA, the Mandarin Oriental still sets the standard. This experience transcends into the Pizza Bar on 38th. While pizza is fun, they still give you that extra Mandarin Oriental welcome that makes the experience flawless.

On my night there wasn’t a lot of interaction with the other diners; some were from the Middle East and then the others were local folks. Even with our diverse backgrounds though, Chef Cason and his team connected with everyone. The one common thread when you get a coveted seat at the Pizza Bar on 38th is that you take as many photos as possible. The team could not have been more gracious to indulge all of us.

Overall: 8.2/10

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FAQs

Q: Where is the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo located?

A: The pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Pizza on 38th, is located at 2 Chome-1-1 Nihonbashimuromachi, Chuo City, Tokyo 103-8328, Japan. As its name implies, it’s located on the 38th floor of the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo.

Q: What are the hours of operation of the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo?

A: The hours of operation of the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo are as follows:

Q: Do you need reservations at the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo?

A: Reservations are required at the pizza restaurant at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo as there are only a dozen seats or so. Pizza on 38th is one of the most sought-after restaurants by locals and visitors to Tokyo alike.