JAPAN-FAMOUS PST NOW SERVES SIGNATURE PIZZAS IN MANILA

Like co-owner Bill Yuen, I, too, have had wonderful experiences dining at Tokyo's popular Pizza Studio Tamaki (PST).

- NINO ANGELO COMSTI

We practically share the same sentiments. It was always full and more often than not, had a queue for customers who tried their luck by walking in. But, as what always had been the case, the wait — or effort to call to reserve — was handsomely paid off by among the best pizzas Japan has to offer.

"We really like PST," says Yuen. "When we looked at the market in the Philippines and found that there's none in the country that's comparable to what we tried in Japan, my partners and I approached them and asked if they're interested (to open in the country)."

As fate would have it, founder Tsubasa Tamaki was in the process of expanding globally, setting up shops in Singapore and Thailand. Yuen's timing was just right. After several conversations, his team sealed the deal in 2024 and by the second quarter, they were already building their very first branch in Manila.