Best pizza: PST or Vincenzo Capuano? Showdown between two hot new entrants
Pizza Studio Tamaki 38 Tanjong Pagar Road Singapore 088461 Tel: 8072 9512 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 12 pm to 3.30 pm; 5 pm to 11 pm.
Pizzeria Vincenzo Capuano #01-12 The Pier at Robertson 80 Mohamed Sultan Road Singapore 239013 Tel: 6485 9153 Open daily for lunch and dinner: 12 pm to 3 pm; 6 pm to 11 pm.
THE problem with rating pizza is that everyone is an expert. You don't need a degree or practical experience, just a set of teeth in decent working order. And everyone has an opinion on who serves the best pizza in Singapore.
If you don't agree, they react like you just insulted their favourite offspring – human or chihuahua. Or worse, they write you off as a plebeian, unable to appreciate the intricacies of triple fermented, 80 per cent hydrated dough and proprietary blends of flour.
Honestly, we couldn't give a mozzarella ball if the flour came from wheat hand-grown by biodynamic zealots and harvested when the moon hits their eyes – all we care about is the chew.
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As it happens, two new contenders have entered the already-crowded pizza ring, prepared to go dough-to-dough with each other. Who will win? The lean, light-footed Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST) from Tokyo, or the chunkier, Italian street fighter Vincenzo Capuano, who has more brass than class?
Pizza Studio Tamaki
PST brings with it accolades as one of the top pizza joints in Tokyo and among the hardest to book. It's not so easy getting into its Singapore outpost either. Housed at the former Tippling Club in Tanjong Pagar, its former fine dining aura has since been dialled down to cafe mode.
The Japanese aesthetic is unmistakable, with its streamlined looks and hipster vibe. Tables are small but not uncomfortable, and a neat open kitchen is flanked by cans of tomatoes on one end and a large, domed pizza oven on the other. The decor is functional but bright and clean, with its own bathroom – a perk you will appreciate only when you go to Vincenzo Capuano.
The lightness of the surroundings extends to the food, designed not to fill you up before the pizza comes. There's some decent variety, although they were running short of Japanese ingredients during our visit, so not everything was available.
Also, such is the price of the hype that they tell you off the bat you have to be out of there in one and a half hours, and start bugging you for your last order at the 60-minute mark.
PST's broccoli with garlic chips. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
Broccoli with Aomori garlic chips (S$16) is a simple but satisfying way to fill your greens quota, with warm florets cooked in oil scented by flakes of crispy Japanese garlic and spiked with chilli. Cold, rubbery octopus and celery (S$18) is overwhelmed by lemony vinaigrette. But they're just a token prelude to the main event – PST's signature Neapolitan pizza, done Tokyo-style.
Marinated octopus and celery in lemon vinaigrette. PHOTO: PST
That means a thinner, lighter crust that doesn't puff up obscenely around the edges like other inflated versions. This one is more restrained, almost delicate, yet holds the sauce without it seeping through the dough.
PST's Tamaki pizza features mozzarella and cherry tomatoes. PHOTO: PST
A basic Tamaki (S$29) shows off its attributes without any distraction – just a simple topping of sweet cherry tomatoes, smoked mozzarella and basil. It's so light that it doesn't take much to polish off the entire pizza and order another one. The cheese-based Bismarck (S$32) is covered in melty mozzarella, mushrooms and pork sausage, with a soft runny egg on top sealing the deal. It's richer than the Tamaki, but hits the spot.
Bismarck pizza features cheese, pork sausage and soft-cooked egg. PHOTO: PST
If you prefer a tomato base, the arrabbiata (S$30) stands out for the spicy nduja and added house-dried chilli padi. The 5 Formaggi (S$34), with as many kinds of melted cheese and a drizzle of honey, is an equal match with Bismarck. All the pizzas get a sprinkle of Okinawa salt when they're fired in the oven, which makes it more salty than we like, so let them know if you don't want it.
You can end off with a respectable tiramisu (S$14) or vanilla ice cream with salt and olive oil (S$9.80). Better still, get the ice cream with a shot of sweet potato liquor (S$12), for an addictive boozy treat that should come with a warning of 'don't eat dessert and drive'.
Vincenzo Capuano
While it fleetingly recalls a famous Korean drama, Vincenzo Capuano is no stylish Italian joint. Compared to the pulled-together look of PST, this place has a just-out-of-bed disregard for tidiness and aesthetics. It looks like it moved, as is, into the former premises of the wood-fired restaurant Kubo; it even retained the overhead wicker lamps and draping greenery, with no thought to how incongruous they are in a pizza setting.
Vincenzo's cluttered interiors with wicker lamps retained from the previous restaurant. PHOTO: VINCENZO CAPUANO
The restaurant sits in the tired F&B enclave at The Pier at Robertson, with its mismatched tenants and unkempt surroundings. Getting to the public toilet involves a long search, a QR code and facilities that have long lost their hope of being clean again.
But, hate the surroundings, enjoy the pizza. And the staff at Vincenzo are friendly and helpful, so suck it up and just dive into the voluptuously puffed pizza that is more pillowy than chewy, thanks to some fancy fermentation.
Vincenzo's fried doughnut topped with tomato ragu. PHOTO: JAIME EE, BT
There aren't many appetisers to speak of, but the guanciale di manzo (S$30) is a worthy pasta if you're in the mood. Rich, unctuous and tender beef ragu clings to slightly overcooked fusilli, but it's rib-sticking good. Montanara al ragu (S$16) is also carb-heavy but fun to eat – the server describes it as a doughnut, and he's not kidding. It's round and chewy and topped with a thick tomato sauce.
Vincenzo's provole e pepe is its signature pizza. PHOTO: VINCENZO CAPUANO
The kitchen doesn't care much about pacing either, so everything is plonked on your table at once, leaving you to figure out how to eat the pasta, doughnut and pizza all at the same time. It takes some joy out of the meal, but not so much that we can't savour the signature provole e pepe (S$28) with its generous puddle of melted smoked cheese and crushed tomatoes that comes to life with a drizzle of homemade chilli oil.
The pizza is way sturdier than PST's, resilient and chewy yet tender. But it's also heavy going, so you can manage only one. But the x-factor of Vincenzo's pizza is that if you reheat it the next day, it holds its shape and texture, particularly if it's an all-cheese version like the Don Vincenzo (S$30). Stuffed with mozzarella and ricotta, with juicy yellow cherry tomatoes and almonds, it's our favourite.
Conclusion
For an eat-in experience, PST wins for its sane, pleasant surroundings, and lighter pizzas with more sophisticated toppings. They don't do takeaways for good reason, because the pizzas taste best eaten on the spot.
Vincenzo's pizzas are more hearty, with a more resilient chew and assertive toppings. The Don Vincenzo is the best option for takeaway and leftovers. Based on chew factor, each has its merits, and how you choose depends on how big a chew you want.
Rating: 7 (for both)
WHAT OUR RATINGS MEAN 10: The ultimate dining experience 9-9.5: Sublime 8-8.5: Excellent 7-7.5: Good to very good 6-6.5: Promising 5-5.5: Average Our review policy: The Business Times pays for all meals at restaurants reviewed on this page. Unless specified, the writer does not accept hosted meals prior to the review's publication.
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