Italian Style Pizzas at Pizzarium
By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporter
With its bright red facade, Pizzarium stands out in the food street lined with restaurants like Thunder Burger and Taco Chili, just down the hill from Noksapyeong Station. It's hard to miss a restaurant with Pizzarium in big bold white letters.
Pizzarium is quite different from other pizza chains in Seoul. For one, they serve rectangular pizza, not round. Even the types of pizza available are unlike pizzas served at, let's say, Mr. Pizza.
On the menu are about eight kinds, all freshly baked in the open kitchen (where you can actually see them being made and baked).
The flavors more closely resemble Italian versions, such as Margherita (cheese and tomato), Pomodorini (cherry tomato), Melanzane (eggplant), Patate (potato and bacon) and Funghi (mushroom). An order of pizza is priced at 4,500 to 5,500 won, depending on the type.
We ordered three: the Salami Piccante (spicy pepperoni), Frutti di Mare (seafood) and Ranch. The server advised us to order just two slices because three slices would be too much for two girls, but we went ahead with the order anyway.
The pizza was warmed up in the oven, before being served on a wooden board. It came with a small serving of potato wedges and sour cream sauce, as well as plastic tubs of pickles and chili.
The Salami Piccante pizza has a slight spicy flavor, but this did not overpower the cheese and tomato. The Ranch pizza was served with a dusting of Parmesan cheese and rucola leaves, adding freshness to the creamy and almost sweet flavored pizza. The Frutti di Mare pizza was very sticky and cheesy, with generous portions of juicy shrimps and tiny pieces of squid.
The consistency of the pizza was more similar to bread, which is good if you want it soft and chewy. The rectangular pizza was sliced into four small pieces, but it was kind of tricky to eat since, you end up getting your hands greasy with the sauce.
The restaurant is quite small and cramped, although it does have a cozy atmosphere. There are only three small tables inside. There are also tables outside, although it's hard to imagine sitting there during winter. During lunch or dinner, it is best either to come early or be prepared to wait for a table or simply order take-out.
The restaurant's name is quite catchy, although a quick search on the Internet reveals Pizzarium is also the name of a popular pizza place in Rome.
To get there, leave Exit 1 or 2, Noksapyeong Station, Subway Line 6. Cross the road using the overhead footbridge. Turn left and walk straight for about 50 meters, and you'll find Pizzarium on the right. Call (02) 312-7580.