Inside a tiny space with a few tables, an eight-seat counter, a wood-fired oven, and not much of a kitchen, William Joo has created a pizza powerhouse. Now the chef hopes to show the world the full breadth of his creativity as he opens his bigger and better Pizzeria Sei in West Los Angeles.

Joo and his wife and co-owner Jennifer So opened the original Pizzeria Sei in a small storefront in the Pico-Robertson neighborhood of L.A. in 2022. Korean-born Joo had spent time at Pizzana, Ronan, and Providence before venturing out on his own, inspired by the pizzerias of Japan. In Tokyo, pizzaiolos hew closely to Neapolitan tradition, but in their deep study of pizza’s intricacies, they’ve introduced tiny changes, such as crimping the crust to vary its texture, using a “salt punch” (throwing salt right into the oven so it will bake into the crust), and moving the pizza closer to the fire to promote a more charred crust and a smokier Japanese-wood flavor.

However, chef Joo didn’t stick to ultra-classic pies like Susumu Kakinuma of the legendary Seirinkan; instead, he’s displayed a more creative streak with his pizzas more in the vein of Tsubasa Tamaki’s eponymous Pizza Studio (which has now opened a New York outpost). At Sei, pizzas became a vehicle for SoCal’s seasonal produce. That’s expressed in the pizza he named for his daughter Hailey, which is a pie loaded with squash blossom, slow-roasted cherry tomato, ricotta di bufala, green goddess aioli, Pecorino Romano, Parmigiano Reggiano, lemon zest, basil, extra virgin olive oil, and Sicilian sea salt. He also introduced Omakasei, his occasional pizza tasting menu that let him experiment further and show off items that wouldn’t work on the standard menu.

The world of pizza has taken notice. The last two years he has been ranked No. 2 in America in the 50 Top Pizza rankings, and last fall he slotted in at No. 9 in that same organization’s world rankings.

The new location is going to allow for Joo to build on his ambition. He’s able to expand his à la carte offerings to include more appetizers and the space will let him push beyond just Tokyo-style pizza. The menu will include montanara from Naples, where the crust is fried, as well as scrocchiarella, which is a thin, crispy style of pizza found in Rome.

The original location will not be going away. It will now be called Sei Pizza Bar and will continue offering dine-in and takeout, but will be more of a neighborhood spot with the new location further west being Joo’s flagship and more of a dining destination.

Pizzeria Sei opens for service in the Palms neighborhood of L.A. the evening of June 24, with reservations currently being taken.

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