1.120

5 (Wed) May 2010

Arugula Pizza

2.0

from Due Cose

at home

(see index WHERE)

-Oksu (Joongang Heights Apts), Seongdong, Seoul, Korea-

with the Family, HS and his wife

Whereas the pizza offerings in Korea have long been done in the American style, a welcome new trend in local Italian restaurants is more authentic pizza: thinner, hand-made crusts, with traditional toppings in traditional combinations.

Due Cose, a small Italian eatery with a proudly displayed wood-fired oven that seems to take up about 20% of the floor space, makes pretty good pizzas in this way. The toppings and cheese leave room for improvement, but their crusts are just right. Overall, significantly better than anything from the American delivery chains. A bit pricey, anywhere from 15,000 won to 25,000, this simple cheese pizza topped with fresh arugula goes for 18,000 won. Just barely worth it.

One major drawback, however, is that their pizzas don’t travel very well, even for short periods.  After a five-minute drive to our apartment, the crusts lose their chewiness and, the cheese goes gummy.