Pizza @ Seirinkan

I think I owe quite a bit to the magazine GQ. For example, most guys that wear the graphic tees and selvage jeans I do wear them far too big and baggy. And while some (such as Leo) may scoff at my extensive collection of skinny ties, others of us know better. Of course, even the best of fashion manuals can’t save certain members of the style impaired.

While it is mainly known for fashion and style, GQ also has great articles on food and I love reading what Alan Richman has to say each month. I seriously don’t think there’s a better job on the planet than traveling and eating the best food in the world. Maybe massaging supermodels but that’s about it.

Back in February, Richman published an article about his travels in Japan, where he was assigned to find the best food in Tokyo that wasn’t Japanese. It was a tall order even for a city as culinarily (I’m not sure if that’s a word) diverse as Tokyo. He had extremely high praise for Seirinkan, a restaurant that serves what he declares to be perfect Naple-style pizzas and his favorite place in Tokyo.

Seirinkan, which means (sort of) “House of Hollywood”, is not easy to find if you didn’t know it’s there. Luckily with my now superior Tokyo pathfinding skills (…and a picture of what the restaurant looks like), it didn’t take me long but Seirinkan, literally steps away from Nakameguro station, is largely unmarked and sandwiched between generic looking buildings on a narrow street.

Most of us will recognize pizza as thick-crusted pies slathered in tomato sauce and cheese and covered with a mountain of meat and vegetables but most pizza you’ll find in Italy is much simpler fare with thin crusts and simple but quality toppings. That’s the essence of Italian food, really. Quality ingredients prepared simply.

Seirinkan serves two types of pizza: marinara and margherita. The marinara is made with tomatoes, garlic, oregano and extra virgin olive oil while the margherita replaces oregano and garlic with basil and tops the whole thing with mozzarella cheese. I didn’t really have a preference but I ordered the margherita on the basis that…I hadn’t really had anything cheesy for awhile.

The mozzarella is vivid and delicious and the combination with the basil and fresh tomatoes is amazing. The crust is thin and light, soft on the inside with a fantastic charred crispy flavor on the outside, thanks to the 900+ degree, wood burning (I think) oven. The pizza seems a bit oily but the flavor of the olive oil doesn’t seem greasy. It’s almost a contradiction for oil on a pizza to taste fresh when you consider the usual Domino’s and Pizza Hut fare we’re used to but the pizza at Seirinkan manages to pull it off.

The restaurant space is minimalist and industrial looking, like you’re in some kind of steel manufacturing plant. Personally, I like it since I think it is interesting just like how I liked the similar style of the Alibi Room back in Vancouver but some may not enjoy the starkness of it all. It is, despite the factory-like walls and “antique” looking furniture, a very warm-looking room and a nice place to be.

My meal cost a total of 2300 yen, or about $23, for my pizza and a beer. Not cheap but I’d choose it over a generic pie with artificial ingredients from the big chains any day. I’d venture the cost reflects how cheese in Japan all seems to be imported from…somewhere else and not made locally, which I don’t get since cheese is not particularly difficult to make.

I couldn’t really decide whether or not I would recommend a trip to Seirinkan. Honestly, the problem was…I’ve had a better pizza in Vancouver. Seriously. My trip to Steveston Pizza earlier this year was, in my opinion, better. I did like the crust at Seirinkan better as I loved how light it was and the seasoning was perfect (yes, dough needs to be seasoned…) but I enjoyed the overall taste of the “Earth” pizza at Steveston Pizza more. Steveston Pizza also uses all natural and/or organic ingredients and there’s just more flavor there. It’s also bigger but on the other hand, it’s more expensive than Seirinkan.

I would, however, pick the margherita over the extremely heavy meaty pizzas at Steveston Pizza as I think I enjoy lighter, simpler pizzas. After I finished my meal and even though the pizza wasn’t big, I felt full…and not the “I feel like I’m dying” sort of full you get from eating a few slices from Pizza Hut.

Overall, if you’re in Japan and itching for a pizza, put down the phone and take-out menu from Domino’s and take a trip to Nakameguro for Seirinkan. However, if you’re ever in Vancouver, let me know and I’ll show you what I think is a better pizza in Steveston.

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