A Millbrae pizza shop is offering flavors that may be more divisive than pineapple: think blackberry, longanisa and even a vibrant purple ube pie.
Modern Eats got a menu overhaul in April when Jeff Chin of Asian fusion pizza pop-up Spinning Dough set up shop within the Millbrae restaurant. Still named Modern Eats, the pizzeria now offers a hybrid menu, with Chin’s pizzas and Modern Eats’ appetizers, salads and desserts.
Born and raised in San Francisco, Chin started his pizza pop-up in Oakland in 2017, after leaving a career in healthcare reimbursement. He had worked at pizzerias while in college and liked the communal, shareable nature of pizza.
“I like to call pizza comfort food,” Chin said. “I mean, everybody likes pizza.”
In 2025, Chin moved Spinning Dough from Oakland to a San Francisco ghost kitchen. After operating there for a year, a mutual friend introduced him to the owners of Modern Eats, and they decided to enter a partnership.
In the pop-up’s early days, Chin’s pizzas were garnished with more typical toppings, but after seeing the virality of ube foods on social media, he decided to hop on the trend and create the ube pizza: ube-infused pizza dough topped with sliced potatoes, housemade pork sausage, sliced red onions, ube ricotta, scallions and bechamel ($27-$36). From there, Chin got creative, making all sorts of Asian fusion pies, including okonomiyaki, Thai green curry and bulgogi.
“Social media and content creators and influencers definitely helped Spinning Dough gain exposure,” he said.
His menu even features a pizza made in collaboration with influencer @eatsbyrachel. The Eats By Rachel Blackberry Pizza is a sweet and savory pie featuring blackberry bechamel, Parmesan cheese, ricotta, blackberries, pistachios, honey and basil ($27-$36).
Chin said his personal favorite pies are the Eats By Rachel blackberry pizza and the longanisa pizza, made with longanisa, eggs, onions, tomatoes, fried garlic chips, honey, spiced vinegar and bechamel ($27-$36).
Chin did some light renovations on Modern Eats, including installing some wood panelings, a mirror and a craft beer bar. The beer bar seats nine and currently has nine taps, although Chin said he’s trying to get up to 16 taps. Beer options include Ghost Town, Standard Deviant, Barebottle, Alpha Acid and Brewing With Brothas. The restaurant seats 45 and will soon open its outdoor patio, which will add another 50 seats.
Spinning Dough will continue operating out of Modern Eats for the foreseeable future, Chin said, noting that he’s happy to have a business partner after years of being a one-man show. His goal is “just to provide a spot for friends and family to come out, have a good time, good food (and) good service,” he said.
Spinning Dough, Modern Eats, 414 Broadway, Millbrae; 650-697-5520, Instagram: @spinning_dough, @moderneatspizzeria. Open Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Dig into food news. Follow the Peninsula Foodist on Instagram and subscribe to the newsletter to get insights on the latest openings and closings, learn what the Foodist is excited about eating, read exclusive interviews and keep up on the trends affecting local restaurants.
