SINGAPORE – The highly acclaimed Pizza Bar on 38th from Tokyo is set to bring its culinary delights to Singapore this October with a special pop-up event. From October 24 to 27 and October 29 to 31, Executive Chef Daniele Cason will personally oversee the dining experience at the eight-seater chef’s counter at Embu, located within the Mandarin Oriental, Singapore.
Known for its two-month waitlist in Tokyo, The Pizza Bar on 38th will offer its signature pizza omakase menu during the pop-up. Chef Cason, who has been at the helm since the restaurant’s opening in 2013, will serve a mix of classic and seasonal pizzas. “We’ll maintain the same format as our Tokyo restaurant, offering six slices for lunch and eight slices for dinner,” Chef Cason shared in an interview.
The menu will feature the Pizzino, a fan-favorite topped with mascarpone cheese, black olives, and white truffles, alongside other creations highlighting the best seasonal ingredients. Chef Cason noted that October’s offerings could include premium porcini mushrooms and sea urchin from Hokkaido, depending on availability.
A key element of Chef Cason’s pizzas is the dough, made entirely with Italian ingredients. “Our dough is crafted from a blend of five different types of organic flour from Piedmont, olive oil from Sicily, Italian salt, and even S.Pellegrino water,” Cason explained. The dough undergoes a slow fermentation process of at least 48 hours, using only 1 gram of yeast per kilogram of flour, resulting in a light and easily digestible crust.
When asked how he categorizes his pizzas, Chef Cason described them as distinctly Italian, though influenced by his decade-long tenure in Japan. While the fresh cheeses and vegetables used for toppings are sourced locally from Japan, the aged cheeses are imported from Italy.
The concept of a pizza omakase menu, inspired by Japanese culinary traditions, allows Chef Cason to offer what’s freshest and best at that moment. “Our pizza omakase isn’t just a course menu; it’s about presenting the best of the season on a specific day,” he said.
As the pop-up event in Singapore approaches, Chef Cason and his team are meticulously planning to recreate the unique dining experience from their Tokyo establishment. The chef’s counter at Embu will be transformed to mirror the setup at The Pizza Bar on 38th, complete with a pizza oven and a redesigned backdrop.
This event follows successful overseas pop-ups in Hong Kong and Dubai. Chef Cason hopes that diners in Singapore will experience the same passion for pizza that he developed as a young chef in Rome, where he first fell in love with the street food-style pizza alla pala.
The Pizza Bar on 38th has earned accolades such as the Bib Gourmand in 2022 and 2023, and has been consistently ranked in the 50 Top Pizza Asia Pacific since 2022. Chef Cason is excited to bring this celebrated experience to Singapore, promising a week of unforgettable pizza delights.