The sweet tang of fermenting sourdough hangs low in the air, lingering with the promise of crust, char and umami to come. A daily ritual, humming below the upstairs rooms of MU HEN KO. This is our sister, SABASU — a former ryōtei turned pizzeria. With fewer than twenty seats, the space is intimate and intentional, pairing a thoughtful wine list with a contemporary take on a no-frills pizza restaurant.
Luke Savas, Australian expat, pizza maker and the restaurants namesake, tends to the dough like it’s alive — because it is alive. The starter ferments 18 to 24 hours before it’s stretched and fired. Pizzas land at the table fast, no ceremony. Ingredients do the talking: black garlic from Aomori, mushrooms dusted with shichimi, zucchini ribbons with ricotta. Not on trend — just in season.
The space mixes grainy timber with low lighting. Italian warmth meets Japanese clarity. At the bar, Steph Jacob — seasoned sommelier — pours wines from their low-fuss, high interest cellar. This list is varied but the wines share some important commonalities: minimal-sulphur, natural leaning, uncomplicated — and they’re sure to impress.
With a collective +20 years in the food and drink industry, Luke and the team bring knowledge to expertise beyond their years to SABASU, making it an experience not to miss. The black garlic pizza has become their signature. Sweet, caramelised black garlic from Aomori, buffalo mozzarella, maitake, spring onion.
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