After years of operating out of a tiny Pico-Robertson storefront, Pizzeria Sei — widely recognized as one of the best pizzerias in the country — is expanding into a larger home in Palms. The original location will remain open as Sei Pizza Bar, while the new
outpost in Palms takes on the Pizzeria Sei moniker and opens on Wednesday, June 23, with a full sit-down dining room and an expanded menu beyond the signature Neapolitan-style pies.
For co-owners and partners in life, William Joo and Jennifer So, moving Pizzeria Sei into a larger space has been a longtime desire. By the second year at Pic0-Robertson, as Joo began to make a name for himself following years working in the kitchens at Providence, Ronan, and Pizzana, he dreamed of what he could do with a proper kitchen and equipment specifically built for the restaurant. “The first year I was always there cooking, and then the second year I tried to train people and focus more on the fun experience, like different topping pizzas, events like omakase,” Joo says. “From that I had the ambition to be like, ‘You know what? I can do this stuff if I have a better kitchen.’”
At the new Pizzeria Sei in Palms, Joo and So will build upon the foundation of the original location, expanding the ways they interpret pizza. “Some people like sourdough pizza, some people like yeast-based pizza, some people like crispy-based pizza, soft and airy pizza, or even fried pizza that tastes rich,” Joo says. “For me, those are really canvases and the topping is the expression of what a chef would do on the plate.” So says they take cues from chefs like Francesco Martucci, who owns the eponymous Pizzeria I Masanielli di Francesco Martucci in Caserta, Italy, and is considered one of the top pizzaiolos in the world.
After a year and a half of research and development, Joo will serve three types of pizza: puffy-crusted Neapolitan; fried montanara; and a thin and crispy scrocchiarella, the latter popular in Rome. When Pizzeria Sei first opened in Pico-Robertson, Joo took inspiration from Tokyo pizzeria Savoy, including the iconic crimped crust. Now, with more experience and a more robust equipment setup, he sees an opportunity to evolve the preparation, with a greater focus on making the dough light. “I want to evolve; if you stay the same, it means you’re like dead,” Joo says. “There’s no revolution, there’s no improvement.”
The signature Sei-style Neapolitan makes up the backbone of the menu. The margherita takes on the classic toppings of tomato, buffalo mozzarella, and basil, while the Patate arrives kissed with shallot vichysoisse cream and optional caviar. Wagyu beef cheek and dry-aged ‘Nduja nestle on top of the Ragu, and bluefin tuna conserva and squid ink olive tapenade bring salinity to the Riviera. “I’m not just trying to put the random stuff on pizza,” Joo says. “I’m trying to focus on creating the pizza experience or a multicultural experience.” Pizzeria Sei’s original locations imposed constraints on topping options, forcing a focus on preserved goods that would last longer; in Palms, Joo has the space and equipment to continue exploring.
Pizza montanara, a fried pizza from Naples, Italy, brings back the cult-favorite Mala Garden with mala-spiced lamb, shallots, and crème fraîche anointing crisp, golden brown slices. The 14 Culture Diavola gets built on a 14-inch scrocchiarella, also known as tonda Romana, with gochujang romesco, maple syrup candied guanciale, stracciatella, and aged balsamic. “I want LA people to think in the future, ‘Where is that good pizza here? Oh, Pizzeria Sei,” Joo says. “They have thin and crispy, Neapolitan pizza that is like super flavorful and juicy, this crazy double triple cooked dough that is never seen before. I want to be the definition of good pizza.”
A handful of starters will round out Pizzeria Sei’s new menu, including supplì served with vodka sauce, chicken croquettes with Jidori chicken breast and bechamel, giardiniera, a gem salad with white miso dressing, and broccolini paired with bagna cauda. For dessert, find a tiramisu parfait with rum, mascarpone, citrus, and gelato, and a cassata parfait that uses whipped cream, yuzu peel, and amaretto cookies.
The beverage program will focus on beer and wine, with espresso from Stereoscope also available. Joo and So tapped Andrew Wang, who has been with Pizzeria Sei for three years, to help put together a wine program with the help of other experts. The duo paid for Wang’s initial certification and hope to give him a platform to hone his skills at the restaurant. “We want to have a finer, more robust wine experience where it’s not limited to only Italian,” So says.
Neapolitan pizzas like funghi with shaved mushrooms and garlic confit, as well as the mala lamb sausage pie, will continue to be available at Sei Pizza Bar, but So is careful to emphasize that the two will function as different restaurants. “You don’t compare an evolved Pokémon to the basic Pokémon,” she says. Her goal for the original location is to keep it a neighborhood pizzeria with a consistent menu, while Palms’ Pizzeria Sei will offer more of an evolving, destination-worthy menu. “I want it to be like a Bay Cities, like a classic that doesn’t go away,” So says. “He had all that artsy passion that didn’t work well, not only limited by equipment but also by the way the business is going. We needed a new concept, so this is an opportunity for us.” Sei Pizza bar will offer dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
Joo is looking forward to showing people what he can do at Pizzeria Sei, without the limitations of the Pico-Robertson space. “It’ll take time to show and then settle, but once we know everything and settle in, I feel like it’ll be next level; this is really, truly next level,” Joo says.
Reservations for Pizzeria Sei go live at noon on Wednesday, June 17, on the restaurant’s website.
