Devil Craft - Hamamatsucho Location

Restaurant Review by K. M.

Reviewing Devil Craft for a second time may be proof that I have no imagination, but it had been a while, and there are now locations in Hamamatsucho and Gotanda, so it seemed like the right moment. And the pizza is really good and unique for Japan, so why not? This time I tried the Hamamatsucho location, which is on the Keihin Tohoku and Yamanote Lines.

Devil Craft aims to be known for two things; its selection of beers on tap, and its Chicago style deep dish pizza. Having never had actual Chicago deep-dish pizza in Chicago, I can't say if this is authentic, but I can say that I loved the one I had, which is called Devil Works (basically a mixed pizza). I'd prefer it to be a little cheesier, but I have to be appreciative of the way this pizza seems sort of healthy, filled as it is with lots of tomatoes, olives and Italian herbs, to a height of 4 or 5 cm. There are two sizes, small and large, but I think the small appears to have a higher ratio of crust. I'd go for the large if there are two or more in your party.

There are 20 beers on tap, including about 8 local brews. The beer is nice, and at 1000 yen per pint, it should be. I'm not actually in agreement that 20 different kinds of beer are necessary at a pizza place, but maybe there's a late night group that goes there just for that reason? Personally, I go there for the pizza, and if they had only standard Japanese beers with a couple of bottled imports, I'd be just as happy. Cider, wine, cocktails and sodas are also available.

I've never had an appetizer here, but they have nachos (900 yen), waffle cut fries (500 yen), onion rings (700 yen), chicken wings (3/700 yen), salads (1000 yen) and assorted raw veggies (600 yen). They also have pan pizza, which I'll have to try sometime, though I like the Chicago style so much, it may be a while before I get to it. The varieties of deep dish are Cheese, Sausage & Mushroom, Veggie, Mixed (called Devil Words) and Meat. Prices run 1,250-1,750 yen for a small, or 2,500-3,500 for a large (8 pieces).

This place is pretty much a "must try" for people looking for interesting pizza in Japan. It's very casual, and feels a bit like the USA. You make reservations online, and on weekends, you probably should.

Devil Craft (Hamamatsucho location; also in Kanda and Gotanda)
Address: 2-13-12 Hamamatsucho, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0013
Access: Hamamatsucho Station (Keihin Tohoku, Yamanote, Tokyo Monorail); take exit S5 (or S3)
Phone: 03-6435-8428
Hours: Mon-Fri - 17:00-23:00
            Sat 13:00-23:00
            Sun 13:00-22:00 (also holidays)
Website: http://en.devilcraft.jp/about/hamamatsucho/