Japanese Pizza


click to see larger image.

There are two kinds of Japanese Pizza.  First there is Okonomiyaki which you can read a little more about here.

The other is "regular" Italian pizza.  Or is that American pizza?  I don't know.  Anyway, so far, Japanese pizza is the best I've had.  They start with a pretty standard American style pizza and then add all kinds of stuff not common in America but very delicious.  For example here is what's on some of the pizza's in this ad.

The first pizza on this add called "Mix-J" has onions, green peppers, salami, bacon, corn and pizza sauce.

#2 is called "German Taste" and has bacon, potato, onion mayonnaise, pizza sauce,

#3 is called "Curry German" and has potato, bacon, tuna, onions, corn and curry sauce.

#4 is called "Meat Gratin" with onions, macaroni, corn, mushrooms, meat sauce, parsley and white sauce.

#5 is "Basil Deluxe" and is made from Basil sauce, tuna, bacon, crushed tomatoes, Italian sausage

#8 is called I think "Downtown Special" and it has cherry shrimp, squid, dried benito, octopus, cabbage, yakisoba and okonomiyaki sauce.

#15 is called "Hot Dog Pizza" and has cabbage, wieners, scrambled eggs and tomato ketchup.

#17 called "Teriyaki Chicken" and has guess what ... teriyaki chicken, mayonnaise, cabbage, nori and of course teriyaki sauce.

You'll have to trust me.  This stuff is awesome.  Actually many of them would be easy to make here.  #2, #4, #5, #15.  The tuna (the kind from a can like you'd make a tuna salad sandwich with) and the mayo both really make a big difference.

It shouldn't seem all that strange either.  Anybody who's been to a California Pizza Kitchen should know that pizza doesn't have to just be cheese and pepperoni.
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Comments:

Mmmm Mmmm Good [ e ]

Yummy

posted by greggmanApril 13, 2001 at 13:36

Corn on pizza [ e ]

My boyfriend was horribly offended by the thought of corn on pizza. I mean, what's the big deal?

posted by DiinzumoJanuary 29, 2004 at 11:19

clearly [ e ]

you should dump your boyfriend

I know lots of people who complain about corn on pizza.  For me, coming from California where we have California Pizza Kitchen I can pretty much take anything on pizza.

posted by greggmanJanuary 29, 2004 at 18:12

"Pizza California" [ e ]

Do they have this chain outside of Kyushu?  It's got the wierdest menu I've ever seen.  Not one of their specialty pizzas is anything like what I saw for delivery pizza in California.  Good stuff, but very very different.  I like their white-sauce, corn, and potato pizza.

One thing I miss is a good zesty pizza sauce.  For some reason all delivery pizza sauce is really sweet, like catsup.  My theory is that in Japan, foods that should be sweet are not (wagashi being the prime example) and foods that should not be sweet, are.  Try some tamagoyaki sometime and see if you agree.

As for "what kinds of pizza" you can get here, if you go to an Italian restaurant you can get Italian-style (thin, chewy crust) pizza, or if you order delivery you can get American-style.  I'm always craving a good deep-dish...

posted by RickJanuary 29, 2004 at 22:46

Squid/corn pizza [ e ]

I never had one , or saw one when I was in Kyoto, but I read that squid and corn pizza is one of the most popular combos. I was trying to make one of these at home. Do they use a typical tomato sauce under the toppings?

posted by casperyMarch 19, 2004 at 17:25

Crazy! [ e ]

My boyfriend spends every summer in Japan, and he was telling me that the "Idaho Special" is one of the best pizzas he has ever eaten.  If you don't know, the Idaho Special has potatoes, bacon, corn, and mayonnaise on it.  I'm sorry, but I just don't get how the Japanese can eat mayonnaise on pizza.  That's way too strange for me!

posted by KrystalAugust 29, 2004 at 7:45

Maybe you should try it? [ e ]

Of course if you just don't like mayo then I can see why you still wouldn't like it on pizza but if you don't mind mayo on your sandwiches maybe you should try it on your pizza.

Sandwich = bread, meat, cheese, tomatoes, mayo, other.
Pizza = bread, meat, cheese, tomato sauce, other.

Another thing Japanese like on their pizza is hot sauce.  Most Japanese Italian restaurants serve pizza and bring you tabasco sauce.  Pizza Hut brings their own green hot sauce.  I don't think I would have ever thought of putting hot sauce on my pizza but it turns out to be really good!  Try it!

posted by greggmanAugust 29, 2004 at 19:08

Winers on pizza!?!? [ e ]

wow it all looks amazing

posted by mexicanNovember 20, 2008 at 7:19

8 years later and we still aspire to recreate the German Special [ e ]

Nice, Thanks for posting the menu.
I gave mine to my brother.
We lived in Nara and ordered the German Special from Pizza California all the time. It makes a great Christmas eve dinner!
Ours looked similar to this German Taste but I don't remember the bacon. We still make it two or three times a year. Thinking of those delicious dollops of butter, veganese & potato topping just makes me drool.
We throw corn on it too just for nostalgia. My old Nihongo sensei used to say 'the Japanese have done to Pizza what we have done to sushi'. Isn't that the truth. Try to find a 'California roll' in Japan... If we could only get an Okonomiya place and a Mos Burger here I'd be a happy camper.

posted by vidDecember 16, 2008 at 23:55