【Authentic Wood-fired Pizza on Wheels! The Story Behind “Daddy’s Pizza” Kitchen Truck】

Peli

Hi, this is Peli from Hayanavi!
If you’re looking for hidden gems around Hayama, you’ve come to the right place.
We update our Instagram almost daily—don’t forget to follow us!Instagram Link

Today, I’m excited to introduce you to “Daddy’s Pizza,” a kitchen truck traveling around Hayama and Yokosuka, serving mouthwatering wood-fired pizzas.
I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Darwish Yamamoto (a.k.a. Dar-san), and hearing his inspiring story. Let me share all the delicious details with you.

Highlight 1: From Scratch – A Fully DIY Kitchen Truck!

Dar-san, the owner of Daddy’s Pizza, didn’t just buy a kitchen truck—he built it himself from scratch!
He started with a second-hand 1.5-ton truck, cut windows into the frame, installed solar panels and a sink, and even customized the interior and exterior, all by hand.

The heart of the truck is its handmade wood-fired oven, carefully crafted from bricks and concrete. The design allows the heat to circulate evenly, ensuring every pizza gets that perfect crisp.

“It was a lot of trial and error, but building it myself means I know every corner of this truck. That makes maintenance easier—and it’s part of the family now,” Dar-san told me proudly.

Highlight 2: Teaching His Children the “Can-Do Spirit”

Behind the DIY process was a deeper message Dar-san wanted to share with his children.
“I wanted to show them that even if you don’t have experience, if you try hard enough, you can make anything happen,” he said.

His children even helped with parts of the process, and friends and family pitched in to bring this truck to life.
Today, Daddy’s Pizza is not just Dar-san’s passion project—it’s a family treasure, built with love and teamwork.

Reference: Daddy’s Pizza Instagram @daddyspizza_jp

Highlight 3: Inspiring the Next Generation of Kitchen Truck Owners

The entire DIY process was documented on YouTube, attracting aspiring food truck owners from across Japan.
On the day I visited, a young man all the way from Yamanashi came to see Dar-san’s truck and learn from him directly.

They stood together next to the truck, discussing everything from oven building tips to real-life struggles on the road. It was clear Dar-san’s hard-earned knowledge was inspiring a new generation to pursue their own kitchen truck dreams.

Peli

Passing down knowledge like this—it’s something really special, isn’t it?

Highlight 4: Serving Pizza in Extreme Conditions

Inside the truck, the oven needs to reach 300-400°C to bake the pizzas perfectly.
In summer, the temperature inside the truck soars, as the oven heat combines with the vehicle’s engine warmth. Dar-san shared that just standing inside can make you break a sweat.

Winter comes with its own challenges. It can take nearly two hours to bring the oven up to proper baking temperature when it’s cold outside.

Every pizza served from Daddy’s Pizza comes with a story—one of grit, perseverance, and dedication to quality.

Highlight 5: A Commitment to Local Ingredients and Additive-Free Cooking

Every pizza at Daddy’s Pizza reflects Dar-san’s deep respect for local producers and natural ingredients.
Fresh vegetables from Miura Peninsula farmers, free-range eggs, and house-made sauces—all part of his commitment to healthy, honest food.

The dough is a special blend of domestic wheat, organic ancient wheat, and organic bran, creating a unique texture and depth of flavor.

Even the tomato sauce and soy milk mayo for side dishes are homemade, with no chemical seasonings or artificial additives.

Peli

Knowing that everything is so carefully selected makes each bite even more delicious!

Highlight 6: The Unexpected Connections Created by a Kitchen Truck

One of the most beautiful things about running a kitchen truck, according to Dar-san, is the spontaneous encounters with people.
Customers who discover his pizza at local events often become regulars, following his truck wherever it goes.

At Takahashi Coffee in Yokosuka, Daddy’s Pizza has even held special collaborations, where customers can enjoy freshly baked pizza paired with excellent coffee inside the café.

These collaborations, along with meeting fellow vendors at each market, continuously broaden Dar-san’s horizons and deepen his passion for this mobile business.

There are customers who show up at every market just to say hello—and these encounters, possible only because of the mobility of his kitchen truck, are a unique source of joy for Dar-san.

Peli

These chance meetings and the sense of community are what make kitchen trucks so special!

Why Dar-san Chose to Become a Chef

It all started with a simple reason—“I just wanted to eat something delicious.”
That desire soon evolved into a deep passion for cooking. Over more than ten years, Dar-san built his career in various restaurants, eventually falling in love with Italian cuisine.

Among the many dishes he learned, pizza captured his heart. Its simplicity, reliance on good ingredients, and the magic of baking in a wood-fired oven left a lasting impression on him.

This passion led him to the dream of owning his own pizzeria—but with a twist. Instead of a traditional storefront, he wanted to go mobile and bring freshly baked pizza directly to people wherever they gathered.

Dar-san’s Dream: Owning a Shop While Keeping His Kitchen Truck Rolling

Looking ahead, Dar-san dreams of opening a permanent pizza shop.
The kitchen truck offers amazing encounters and flexibility, but working in extreme heat or cold and managing everything in such a small space can be physically demanding.

Having a stable shop would allow him to focus even more on quality and creativity—but he’s not ready to give up the kitchen truck life either.
He hopes to balance both, using the shop as a base while continuing to bring Daddy’s Pizza to events and markets.

Peli

When that dream shop opens, I’ll be first in line!

Source: Daddy’s Pizza Instagram

For Families with Babies and Kids

✔ Stroller-friendly (outdoor setup makes it easy!)
✔ Freshly baked pizza is a hit with kids
✔ Safe ingredients, perfect for little ones ready for solid food