Beyond the Dough Review: Tokyo Neapolitan-Style Pizza By Japanese Chef Near Bugis MRT Station

Beyond the Dough brings Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizza to Singapore

Beyond the Dough has opened its door near Bugis MRT Station, bringing Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizza to our shores. What is Tokyo Neapolitan-style pizza, you ask? It features a thinner crust than standard pizzas, although not so thin that you can’t still enjoy a substantial doughy chew.

The toppings are also kept simple to showcase the flavours of the high-quality ingredients used. At Beyond the Dough, the pizza dough is made from Japan-sourced flour and proofed for 30 hours, before getting wood-fired in the oven till the cheese and sauce are bubbling, and the crust is crispy with smoky charred edges.

Beyond the Dough uses an oven operating entirely on wood fire, not gas. Even the wood used is flown in from Japan, so you can tell how serious they are about preserving excellence down to the last detail. Helming this pizzeria is Chef Eddie Murakami, who perfected his pizza-making techniques at two Michelin-approved restaurants in Japan, Pizza Strada and Pizza Studio Tamaki.

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Food at Beyond the Dough

Fun fact: while making his rounds across Singapore’s hawker centres, Chef Eddie Murakami tasted prawn noodles and was struck with inspiration. Hence, Beyond the Dough’s SG-exclusive flavour, Singapore Rampage ($39++) was born.

It features a house-made spicy sauce tinged with garlic, basil, and a drizzle of olive oil sourced from Italy. The stock base is prepared by simmering 100 prawn heads for 20 hours to draw out all that robust, seafood-y flavour. 

The toppings for this pizza are bouncy lumps of prawn, which reminded me of prawn paste chunks commonly enjoyed in hotpot. The Singapore Rampage is finished with a smattering of chilli pepper flakes, further upping the heat. Very Singaporean indeed!

For a twist on something traditional, Beyond the Dough has a Smoked Margherita ($30++) on the menu. Classic Margherita pizzas—which they also have BTW, for $30++—are usually made with a tomato sauce base. For the smoked version, a savoury and rich cheese base is used, and torn pecorino romano is added for even stronger cheesiness.

Given all that cheese-on-cheese action, I was naturally wary about major jelak-ness heading my way. My worries were unfounded, because the slice wasn’t cloying at all. This was largely due to refreshing toppings like red and yellow cherry tomatoes and basil leaves cutting through the richness, as well as the dough being so light.

Carnivores can order the Diavola ($35++), which sports hunks of aromatic salsiccia AKA Italian pork sausage. The morsels of meat are definitely well-seasoned, and their flavour is further accentuated by the lightly briney taste of olives studded across the pizza—both black and green varieties! 

If you’re a fan of sweet and savoury combis, do not sleep on the 5 Formaggi ($39++). Smoked mozzarella, gorgonzola, parmigiana, mascarpone, and taleggio cheese come together for a savoury flavour bomb.

The presence of gorgonzola, which is a mild Italian blue cheese, gave it a bit of funk. But, coming from a non-blue cheese eater, I can assure you that it’s nothing overwhelming or unpalatable.

After you give 5 Formaggi a taste in its pure form, go forth and drizzle their pitcher of thick honey to balance out the savoury cheese kick. I’m not even that big of a sweet and savoury kinda girl, but this combination really took the overall taste to another level. 

Other than pizza, Beyond the Dough also serves a range of hot and cold appetisers. For the former, their Home Made Mini Bucket Lasagna ($12++) is highly recommended. It comes in a pint-sized pot that’s utterly adorable, giving “What is this, a lasagna for ants?” energy. 

The taste and quality are no joke, though. Melty cheese, big pieces of quality beef, and al dente lasagna noodles cooked in a delicious tomato sauce lie within. This dish is limited to one portion per customer, so make sure you savour every bite.

Other hot starters include Classic Home Made Meatballs ($8++), French Fries ($8++) dusted with garlic anchovy seasoning, and Fried Chicken ($12++) served with house-made Japanese herb sauce.

As for the cold appetisers, you can choose from the likes of Prosciutto ($24++), starring Tuscany ham aged for 20 months, Prosciutto With Burrata Cheese ($32++), and Burrata With Tomato And Balsamic Sauce ($18++). For an omakase experience within a Japanese pizzeria, opt for the Assortment Of 3 Kinds Appetiser ($18++). 

The chef will put together a medley of chilled starters showcasing the freshest produce and ingredients at the time of your visit. For us, this consisted of wild mushrooms in vinaigrette; celery, olives, and octopus with pink peppercorns; and a ratatouille-esque concoction of tomatoes, bell peppers, and eggplant.

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Ambience at Beyond the Dough

Image credit: @beyondthedough_pizza

Stepping into the pizzeria, your first thought may be that the space is rather cosy and small. Beyond the Dough is actually a 28-seater, so best believe that a reservation is needed in order to secure a table. If you’re able to book in advance, I suggest getting the counter seat right in front of the prep station.

There, you’ll get to witness Chef Eddie Murakami kneading and rolling out each and every pizza himself, laying the fresh ingredients, and sliding them into the wood-fire oven with finesse. It’s like getting treated to a meal and a show.

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The verdict

I’ve had plenty of wood-fired pizzas in my time, but never had any with that wow factor. Safe to say, Beyond the Dough might very well be the one that makes me a believer in wood-fire superiority.

The taste and texture of the pizza dough is sublime. Even as a serial crust tosser, the smokiness of the charred ends had me saving precious stomach space to scarf entire slices down, crust and all.

Prices may be slightly steeper, but it’s well worth the occasional splurge considering every pizza is lovingly made fresh, by hand instead of bulk-produced with ingredients of lesser freshness and quality. Beyond the Dough would be a stellar choice for date night.

Image credit: @beyondthedough_pizza

Get their unique digestivo drinks, AKA Italian post-dinner tipple, to cap things off. The Earl Grey Shot and Whole Pear Bliss ($10++ each) sound divine, made out of French Earl Grey liqueur with lemon juice and Japanese ripe pear liqueur from Oita Prefecture respectively. Make sure to book in advance through the Beyond the Dough reservation portal to avoid disappointment.

If you’re on a quest to explore top-tier pizzerias, let our list of best pizzas in Singapore be your guide. For those who are particular about whether the pizzas are of the wood-fired variety, we gotchu as well. Have fun hitting up the places on our wood-fired pizzas compilation.

Address: 150 Arab Street, Singapore 199832
Opening hours: Mon-Sat 11:45am to 3pm, 5pm to 11pm
Website
Beyond the Dough is not a halal-certified eatery.

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Photos taken by Casandra Nicholas.
This was a media tasting at Beyond the Dough.