3.097

11 (Wed) April 2012

Mordor Pizza

1.5

from Hell

at Hosan Women’s Hospital

-Sinsa, Gangnam, Seoul, Republic of Korea-

solo

Hell is a pizza chain from New Zealand (see New Zealand website).  Set up shop in Korea last year.  Korea seems to be an odd choice in light of the other branches being in Australia, UK, Ireland, and Canada.  Superficially, Hell is all about pop/literary/religious references to the underworld: proprietary pizza combos named “Lust” or “Wrath” or one of the other cardinal deadly sins, stores referred to as “hell holes,” phone numbers involving the digits “666,” the pizza box featuring a perforated cutout that folds into a mini coffin for leftovers (which I imagine must come in handy).  Based on the menu descriptions, the food itself doesn’t appear to be particularly evil, although most of the items seem to be wildly jumbled messes of fatty meat (e.g., bacon) and strong sauces (e.g., BBQ sauce).  A lot of shtick.

I went with the “Mordor Pizza” upon the recommendation of the guy who answered the phone.  It featured bacon, pepperoni, chicken, onions, bell peppers, and BBQ sauce – a wildly jumbled mess, though not in a good way.  At 24,000 won for a 12.5-inch pie, it was one of the most expensive pizzas that I’ve ever had, not worth it.

Surely, the founders had hoped that the name of the venture would be ironic, but the poor quality of the product makes the phrase “it’s a pizza from Hell” metaphorically appropriate.

I had a coupon for a complimentary side of cream sauce pasta, also featuring chicken and bacon, called “Spirit” (it’s white, like a ghost – get it?), which wasn’t bad as a freebie but normally sells for 8,000 won.  Overall, not a lot of substance.

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