MuMu Mozzarella

I'd heard about MuMu Mozzarella and its rather special concept for a while, so when my trip took me to Tokyo, I felt I simply had to make my way here. It's not every day you find a place that has built its whole idea around a single cheese, and for anyone who loves mozzarella as much as I do, it's hard to resist. MuMu Mozzarella in Tokyo isn't really a restaurant, but first and foremost a mozzarella maker. The production sits right next door to their pizzeria, where they also have a sales counter and a few seats where you can sit down and eat the cheese on the spot. The backstory is at least as interesting as the product itself. The founder had previously run Italian restaurants in Japan but struggled to find mozzarella that delivered the same experience as the really fresh kind you eat in Italy. After tasting freshly made mozzarella in southern Italy, the difference became clear. Mozzarella is a truly fresh product that starts to change right after it's made, which makes it hard to get the same result when the cheese first has to be shipped all the way from Italy to Japan. The solution was to move production to Tokyo and make the mozzarella locally, using Italian ingredients, equipment and methods. The idea is to get as close as possible to the experience of freshly made mozzarella in Italy, but in the middle of Tokyo. And it works. We tried their regular fresh mozzarella along with burrata flavored with peach and fig. The pistachio version was also high on the list, but unfortunately it was sold out when we were there. Everything we tasted was of a high standard. The classic mozzarella had that clean, milky flavor and fresh texture you associate with really good mozzarella in Italy, exactly what the whole concept is built on. The fruit versions gave a fun twist without taking over the cheese itself. Both the peach and the fig worked surprisingly well with the creamy burrata, and this was where it became clear that MuMu isn't just trying to copy something Italian. They've kept the foundation and the quality, but put their own stamp on the products. The staff were very friendly, engaged and easy to talk to, which made the visit even better. In a place that's so much about craft and a clear idea, it's extra enjoyable when the people behind the counter seem passionate about what they do. It's not a big dining room, just a few seats next to the sales counter, and that simple setup suits the concept well: the focus is on the cheese. MuMu may not be the place you choose for a regular restaurant dinner, but if you like mozzarella and burrata, it's definitely worth a detour when you're in Tokyo. My tip is to try the classic mozzarella to feel how fresh it is, and then one of the flavored burratas to see what MuMu does with its own twist. If you're craving the pistachio version, it may be wise not to come too late, since it was sold out when we were there. Really good craftsmanship, an interesting story and mozzarella that makes you feel considerably closer to Italy than Tokyo.