This was what I was looking at in deciding whether or not to take the plunge. It’s 14,900 won for take-out before 10pm. The same pizza delivered is 18,900 won. After 10pm, add another 1,000 won late-night surcharge. I was awaiting anxiously.

While I was waiting for my pizza, I thought it might actually end up looking like the disgusting pizza above. It’s actually a Pizza Hut advertisement for one of their premium pizzas. I had my fingers crossed. The typical Korean style pizza has lots of random goodies like shrimp, potatoes, fruit, and corn to name a few.  I really didn’t want any extra goodies on my pizza. I was nervous.

The typical pizza also has lots of colorful sauce (usually bright colors like neon yellow) sprayed all over (I always ask for sauces on the side when I can, an attribute I owe to growing up with my mom). The pizza above was delivered from a Dominos’s pizza in Korea. Yes, that is a Star of David.

That’s what I was looking at 20 minutes later. It was Jun’s Pizza’s 2nd day, and I was his first customer taking advantage of his credit card payment service. He couldn’t use my Korean bank card because he hadn’t finalized the contract with them.  I was on the phone with Eunmi, who was translating for me. She said, “he’s going to come back tomorrow to get payment.” I ended up just using my American card after 5 uncomfortable minutes of looking at a Korean pizza delivery guy at my doorstep struggling to process a payment.

Part of his opening promotion was a oven-baked spaghetti dish for an extra 100 Korean won (about $0.10).  You’re looking at a Korean made Italian dish. Tasted a little weird. Strangely sweet, but not bad.

You’re looking at 45cm of Korean-Italian goodness.

That’s my hand holding the first piece of pizza. I couldn’t eat any more than 2 pieces. It wasn’t bad. It looked similar to the pizza on the flier. It tasted similar to delivery pizza in the states.  It was close enough to get the job done.

For 20,000 Korean won, I got a 45cm supreme pizza, a spaghetti dish, and a free liter of Coke, delivered. Decent value, decent taste, and a decent blog entry.

After a day at the COEX Mall in Seoul, a McDonald’s caught the corner of my eye and I had to get a 2 cheeseburger meal.

Here are some tidbits about this McDonald’s-

-you can get a Big Bulgogi Burger which has a different sauce but has 3 buns and 2 hamburgers like a Big Mac… however, a Big Mac is also available

-this restaurant is huge, absolutely humongous…the biggest one that I have ever been to (see video below)

-although I wanted a 2 cheeseburger meal, they only offer a 1 cheeseburger meal

-the cost of my 1 cheeseburger meal with an extra cheeseburger was $6,200 Korean won, which is definately not cheap

-I was the only one in the entire McDonald’s who ordered a bottle of water with my meal (every other Korean restaurant except fast food restaurants provide really good filtered water for free)

-their fries don’t have salt on them

-they have a separate and smaller service counter/pay counter for desserts and coffees (Korean’s love coffee, ice cream, and frozen treats…. there’s a Baskin Robbins every other block of any busy area, just like Starbuck’s)

-items that are the same on the Korean menu as the American menu taste exactly the same

-McDonald’s, which we think of as the largest fast food chain in America (I know Subway technically is, but whatever), KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) actually seems to be the most popular American fast food chain in Korea

Full walk-around of the McDonald’s at Coex Mall in Seoul….

Order/service counter for everything but coffee and desserts….

Order/service counter for desserts and coffee (actually a great idea)

Familiar American brands, some in English… notice Minute Maid is in Korean