Review: Beyond the Dough’s Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizzas are worth waiting for

When in Tokyo, one does not simply leave without stuffing their face full of washoku, or traditional Japanese cuisine — it could anything from a two-hour omakase at the fanciest restaurant in town, to a kappo-style lunch at your ryokan, or simply ramen from a random roadside diner. 

But once you’re tired of all that, perhaps you might want to consider a “palate cleanse” of reimagined pizza that’s light from tip to crust and full of acidic saltiness, courtesy of the most obsessive pizza makers in Tokyo. 

Since the early 2010s, the Tokyo-Neapolitan pizza wave has taken over the Japanese capital, characterised by a wetter, almost soupy center and a hit of salt alongside a beautiful char from Japanese firewood burning at a whopping 500 degrees. The thin-but-not-too-thin crust is delicate and chewy and the goal is to pull out the richest flavours from the ingredients on hand. 

It’s a style that hasn’t been seen in Singapore until now, in the form of a relatively new 28-seater hole-in-the-wall pizzeria. In fact, Beyond The Dough Pizzeria at Arab Street’s already seeing reservations months ahead of time.

The backstory

The light-bearded man behind the counter is Eddie Murakami, who spent seven years as the head chef at Pizza Strada and later, the sous chef at Pizza Studio Tamaki. Both of these restaurants are in Tokyo and placed 82nd and 88th respectively in the Top Pizzas in the World rankings in 2023.

Wearing his uniform of a white t-shirt and waist apron over jeans, he assembles the ingredients on 30-hour-fermented pizza dough, before sliding it into a fiery wood-fired oven that’s burning with Japanese cedar wood chips, together with a quick throw of Okinawan salt. 

In less than 60 seconds, he pulls out a pizza that’s still bubbling and steaming, its crust blistered with incredible leopard spotting.

Beyond the Dough specialises in Tokyo-Neapolitan style slices, with both traditional and mod offerings. 

Classic flavours include the margherita and spicy diavola (devil-style sauce), but there are also more unique things like an amped up bianca (white) pizza with mascarpone, burrata, and truffle oil, and a crustacean-rich prawn pizza made from hundreds of prawns.

Our verdict

The food overall, can be described as precise. Not in the sense of its size, shape or presentation (which is tricky with dishes such as pizzas where the ingredients are usually distributed irregularly), but instead, the ingredients used at Beyond The Dough are of excellent quality and handled with expertise. 

Even if the flavours are not as exciting — such as its Singapore Rampage, made with many, many prawns — they still taste good. 

If you’re trying Tokyo-Neapolitan pizzas for the first time, or are just simply a pizza lover looking for some darn good pizzas, Beyond the Dough is worth booking ahead for.

What it’s good for

Before diving into the pizzas, we order an assortment of appetisers (S$18) that rotates regularly based on the freshest ingredients available, omakase-style. Interestingly, our plate arrived with four items instead of three, though it’s unlikely this will always be the case every day.

We get: Broccoli that’s blanched and pan-fried with garlic, with a light snowing of parmesan, fresh octopus and celery drizzled with a light vinaigrette and punch of black pepper, a savoury omelette with tomato and shiitake mushrooms, and a ratatouille of tomatoes, bell peppers and eggplant.

Just as we are done with the appetisers, the seductive homemade lasagna (S$12) comes to our table in a miniature ceramic pot packed with flavour and cheese spilling out the sides. 

We dig through the umami goodness to find thick sheets of al dente lasagna pasta and small chunks of tender beef cheek that fall apart easily in the mouth. We’re told there are limited portions daily, so be quick about ordering this hearty starter.

The counter seats are the best, as it’s where you can watch chef Murakami and his team prepare your pizzas. A burly Japanese staff member watches the dough inside the custom stone and iron kiln, turning it every 12 seconds for even cooking on each side. 

A short while after the sauce burbles, he thrusts the peel under the pizza and flicks his wrist, pulling out our Singapore Rampage (S$39) onto another plate, where it’s promptly sliced before arriving at our table still smoking. 

It’s one of two signature flavours here. The best part of this pizza is the spicy gravy on the dough, made from 100 prawns cooked over 20 hours and spiced with chilli, garlic and basil. 

It packs a punch of flavours, almost like hae bee hiam (spicy dried prawn) on pizza, but mixed with a rich tomato base. It leans towards the salty side, which is characteristic of Tokyo-Neapolitan pizzas and part of its charm. 

There are loose chunks of minced prawns that hit all the right spots, adding an additional hit of umami when you get a good bite in.

The 5 Formaggi (S$39) is a small miracle. There’s a crisp and airy crust like before, a smattering of cheeses (creamy mascarpone, smoky and rich mozzarella, the pungent and salty gorgonzola, mild and fruity taleggio, and always-reliable parmigiana with its sharp, nutty notes), complimented by a tiny pitcher of thick Italian honey that ties the flavours together.

The lush texture on the tongue is incredible; the 5 Formaggi is definitely heaven for cheese lovers.

Interestingly, drinks make up more than half of the menu here, from aperitivos and digestivos, to wines by the glass, juices, and Vietnamese arabica coffee. 

We started the meal with the golden-amber earl grey spritz (S$12), a very simple but refreshing concoction of French earl grey liqueur, soda and a slice of lemon. You get light notes of the bittersweet, herbaceous tea that’s rounded by fizzy water, plus fresh citrus cutting through cleanly.

What it could improve on

While the food here is excellent, Beyond the Dough isn’t a restaurant designed for slow lunches. Chef Murakami is the only one assembling the pies, so as a gauge, expect a waiting time of 15 to 20 minutes per pizza.

The service is brisk and proper, though there is a palpable sense of hurriedness here, as dining times are strictly limited to an hour and turnaround is immediate. In fact, we were reminded twice that our lunch booking was only an hour long. 

Though we were looking forward to tiramisu for dessert, we were later told that we could no longer place orders as our time was almost up. If dessert’s a must for you, it might be best to place your dessert or coffee order well ahead of time.

There’s no ignoring the price tag here either: Prices are relatively steeper than your average pizza joint, especially when you consider that each pizza (from S$30 to S$40) is only large enough for one person, but then again, you’re paying for the ingredients and skill. 

Considering the price point and the need to finish your meal within an hour (for the foreseeable future), I suggest coming in a group so that you’ll be able to try out more dishes.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? The restaurant is always packed and everyone sits close to each other, so not really.

Is a reservation necessary? A must-have.

How to get there? Beyond the Dough is a four-minute walk away from Bugis MRT Station Exit B.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this restaurant for this review.

Hungry for more? Read our latest stories on the new Chinese restaurant Wo Wo Dian at Raffles City and our guide to the best eats at Bedok 85 Market.

Do explore the GrabFood Dine-in service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Beyond the Dough Pizzeria at Arab Street.