{"id":363327,"date":"2026-06-16T21:43:23","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T21:43:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/363327\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T21:43:23","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T21:43:23","slug":"pizzeria-sei-is-taking-la-pizza-to-the-next-level-at-its-new-palms-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/363327\/","title":{"rendered":"Pizzeria Sei Is Taking LA Pizza to the \u2018Next Level\u2019 at Its New Palms Home"},"content":{"rendered":"

After years of operating out of a tiny Pico-Robertson storefront, Pizzeria Sei<\/a> \u2014 widely recognized as one of the best pizzerias in the country<\/a> \u2014 is expanding into a larger home in Palms<\/a>. 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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. \u201cThe 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,\u201d Joo says. \u201cFrom that I had the ambition to be like, \u2018You know what? I can do this stuff if I have a better kitchen.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Hand<\/a><\/p>\n

Pizza montanara. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

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. \u201cSome 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,\u201d Joo says. \u201cFor me, those are really canvases and the topping is the expression of what a chef would do on the plate.\u201d 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.<\/p>\n

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<\/a>, 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. \u201cI want to evolve; if you stay the same, it means you\u2019re like dead,\u201d Joo says. \u201cThere\u2019s no revolution, there\u2019s no improvement.\u201d<\/p>\n

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 \u2018Nduja nestle on top of the Ragu, and bluefin tuna conserva and squid ink olive tapenade bring salinity to the Riviera. \u201cI\u2019m not just trying to put the random stuff on pizza,\u201d Joo says. \u201cI\u2019m trying to focus on creating the pizza experience or a multicultural experience.\u201d Pizzeria Sei\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Pizza montanara, a fried pizza from Naples, Italy, brings back the cult-favorite Mala Garden with mala-spiced lamb, shallots, and cr\u00e8me fra\u00eeche 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. \u201cI want LA people to think in the future, \u2018Where is that good pizza here? Oh, Pizzeria Sei,\u2019\u201d Joo says. \u201c\u2018They have thin and crispy, Neapolitan pizza that is like super flavorful and juicy, this crazy double triple cooked dough that is never seen before.\u2019 I want to be the definition of good pizza.\u201d<\/p>\n

A handful of starters will round out Pizzeria Sei\u2019s new menu, including suppl\u00ec 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.<\/p>\n

\"Overhead<\/a><\/p>\n

Pizza montanara. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

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\u2019s initial certification and hope to give him a platform to hone his skills at the restaurant. \u201cWe want to have a finer, more robust wine experience where it\u2019s not limited to only Italian,\u201d So says.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t compare an evolved Pok\u00e9mon to the basic Pok\u00e9mon.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Jennifer So<\/p>\n

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. \u201cYou don\u2019t compare an evolved Pok\u00e9mon to the basic Pok\u00e9mon,\u201d she says. Her goal for the original location is to keep it a neighborhood pizzeria with a consistent menu, while Palms\u2019 Pizzeria Sei will offer more of an evolving, destination-worthy menu. \u201cI want it to be like a Bay Cities, like a classic that doesn\u2019t go away,\u201d So says. \u201cHe had all that artsy passion that didn\u2019t 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.\u201d Sei Pizza bar will offer dine-in, takeout, and delivery.<\/p>\n

Joo is looking forward to showing people what he can do at Pizzeria Sei, without the limitations of the Pico-Robertson space. \u201cIt\u2019ll take time to show and then settle, but once we know everything and settle in, I feel like it\u2019ll be next level; this is really, truly next level,\u201d Joo says.<\/p>\n

Reservations for Pizzeria Sei go live at noon on Wednesday, June 17, on the restaurant\u2019s website<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\"Knife<\/a><\/p>\n

Suppl\u00ec. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

\"Giardiniera<\/a><\/p>\n

Giardiniera. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

\"Overhead<\/a><\/p>\n

Margherita. Stan Le<\/p>\n

\"Thin,<\/a><\/p>\n

Pizza scrocchiarella.<\/p>\n

\"Spread<\/a><\/p>\n

Spread of dishes. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

\"Dining<\/a><\/p>\n

Dining room. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

\"William<\/a><\/p>\n

William Joo. Stan Lee<\/p>\n

\"William<\/a><\/p>\n

Loading pizza into the oven. Stan Lee<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After years of operating out of a tiny Pico-Robertson storefront, Pizzeria Sei \u2014 widely recognized as one of…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":363328,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[27],"tags":[48,52,51,9146,47,50,49],"class_list":["post-363327","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-los-angeles","tag-la","tag-la-headlines","tag-la-news","tag-la-restaurant-openings","tag-los-angeles","tag-los-angeles-headlines","tag-los-angeles-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363327","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=363327"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/363327\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/363328"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=363327"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=363327"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=363327"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}