If you’ve been in town for a little while you’ll probably have noticed that there’s
a big gap in the pizza market when it comes to an affordable, decent pie. Mr.
Pizza’s got Love for Women, but not for taste buds. Pizza School needs to take a
few more lessons. And Domino’s, Pizza Hut, and Papa John’s are pale imitations
of a product that isn’t even good back in the States — not to mention the sad fact
that a pizza from any of them will set you back at least 20,000 won. It’s enough to
make you throw your hands in the air with an exasperated “Mamma Mia!”

“Good pizza, there is no price,” chef and co-owner David Lauckner told me as I dug in at the newly-opened Pizza Peel in Itaewon. Originally from Canada, Lauckner spent time in Sorrento, Italy learning the pizza trade from a well-known chef. He moved to Korea in 2007, spending time in Busan before coming up to Seoul. He and his partner, Jessica Yeung, an Australian he met while travelling in New Zealand, realized that there was a need for affordable, authentic pizza in the city. And perhaps now there is.

Pizza Peel offers a dozen different varieties, including traditional styles such as Margarita, Capricciosa and Four Seasons, as well as more adventurous creations, such as BBQ Chicken, Greek Pizza, and one of the only White Pizzas in Seoul. In the restaurant’s first few days of operation, the Canadian Pizza ? pepperoni, mushroom, and bacon -- is the top seller, but the owners are confident that the wide range of vegetarian pizzas will also be a hit with the expat crowd. All 12” pizzas on the menu run a very reasonable 13,000-16,000 won, and right now the restaurant is holding a Grand Opening special where any pie can be had for 10,000 won (check for coupons on Facebook or around Itaewon). The restaurant is also the only place in town offering Menabrea Beer, a light Italian brew that is a perfect complement to a summer meal.

Things are just getting started and plans for an expanded menu, offering pasta dishes, homemade ice cream, and pizza by the slice is in the works. Lauckner says he also wants to turn the locale into a social spot, offering the space for functions and having events such as a Tuesday TV night, where popular North American shows are broadcast on the restaurant’s big flat-screen.

So the next time you’re jonesing for a taste of Italy, North American style, follow your nose to the Pizza Peel ? you might just find you’ve got one less reason to miss home.

At present, the Pizza Peel is a bit tricky to find. It’s off the main drag in Itaewon, closer to Noksapyeong Station than Itaewon Station. Basically, you have to go down the “Alley Market” next to Roti Boy. There are plans to improve the signage, but local bureaucracy is making that tricky at the moment. If you get lost, just call the shop at 02.795.3283. Open 12:00p.m.- 10:00p.m., with plans for extended late-night hours on weekends coming soon.

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