Miami Beach is getting a pizza style that pizza fans fly to Tokyo for.

Royale Pizza Napoletana is set to open Wednesday, Nov. 18, in the old Harry's Pizzeria space at 1680 Meridian Ave., according to The Miami Guide's openings list and the Markets of Tomorrow openings tracker. Earlier plans pointed to October, so check the restaurant's Instagram before you go.

What Tokyo-style pizza is

It looks like a classic Neapolitan pie, but the edge puffs up thick and airy while the bottom stays thin, Miami New Times reported. The style grew out of Savoy, which opened in Tokyo in 1995.

Chef Bun, whose full name is Bungo Kaneko, made his name at Savoy. Royale is his first restaurant partnership in the U.S., per PROFILEmiami. The dough ferments for more than 30 hours and bakes in an 800-degree oven.

Who is behind it

  • Founder Jess Varughese, who also runs Haiku, the members-only restaurant in Wynwood.
  • Executive chef Albert Diaz, who leads Haiku's kitchen and cooked at Zuma London and Zuma Miami.
  • Pizzaiola Dalila Sabatino, who trained under Bun and worked at Pizzeria Sei in Los Angeles.

What it costs

The opening menu, as listed by The Miami Guide, has seven pizzas:

  • Marinara $24, Margherita $27, Royale Margherita $29 and Bianca $29.
  • Carne $34, Brasato $38, Truffle Bismarck $42 and Angie Mieux $45.
  • Wagyu polpette $18, a panuozzo sandwich $20 and Caesar salad $16.
  • Two pastas at $24 and $28, chicken parmigiana or Milanese at $32, and desserts from $12 to $15.

There is wine, Champagne, sake and beer.

Why the dough matters

Varughese got the idea about two years ago, when a Haiku member who loved Savoy told him to try it. He flew to Japan with Diaz, ate there and came home sold, New Times reported.

The team says getting the dough right took a blend of artisan flours, a resting step called autolyse and water softened to match Japan's. Then comes a long bulk and cold rise before the pies hit the oven.

How it works

Order at the counter, then grab a seat. The room has 65 seats around a big communal table. There are no reservations, so plan on a wait at busy times.

Hungry for more new spots? See Lucky Cat Steak in South of Fifth, A Pasta Bar in Sunset Harbour and the dining plans for North Lincoln Lane, a block away.

Black and white striped pavement and a fountain on Lincoln Road in Miami Beach
Lincoln Road, a block from 1680 Meridian Ave. Source