Pizza 4P's Tokyo

It might sound a bit backwards to travel to Tokyo and then eat pizza. There wasn't any plan behind it, either. We walked past, the place was packed and looked good, so we simply wandered in. No research, just a full dining room and a hunch. The restaurant is on the ground floor of Garden Plaza in Azabudai Hills, in Minato. When we sat down, I didn't know that the chain comes from neither Italy nor Japan, but from Vietnam. Pizza 4P's started in 2011 in Ho Chi Minh City, founded by the Japanese couple Yosuke Masuko and Sanae Takasugi, but the idea was born out of pizza nights in a garden in Tokyo. So the pizza has taken a detour via Vietnam to find its way home. Today there are around forty restaurants in Vietnam, Cambodia, India, Indonesia and Japan, and this one is the chain's first in Japan. The name stands for Pizza for Peace. They make their own cheese, mainly at their own dairy in Da Lat, and openly work with local ingredients and sustainability. The space is fairly large with plenty of seating, so it's not a place where you have to squeeze in. What I appreciated most was that it was no problem to order a pizza with two different halves. For anyone who has trouble choosing, meaning me, it's a perfect solution: two flavors on one and the same pizza instead of sitting there regretting your choice. The pizzas are clearly made with care, and it shows in the result. They were well made and full of flavor. We had wine with them, and it was very good, not just something that happened to be on the table next to the pizza. We came in shortly before closing, right at the time when you half expect a friendly but firm no. Instead, we were very well looked after. The staff were nice and professional, and we never felt like we were keeping anyone back. If you end up in Azabudai Hills and are craving pizza, this is a safe choice, especially if there are a few of you who want to sit down properly. Ask for a pizza with two halves so you can try more of the menu, and have a glass of wine with it. Do check the opening hours beforehand, but arriving late apparently doesn't have to mean all is lost.