ID :
184219
Wed, 05/25/2011 - 04:30
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/184219
The shortlink copeid
Pizza doesn't have to be fast food -- ask the blacksmith
By Elysabeth Hahm
Contributing Writer
SEOUL (Yonhap) - In the midst of an economic slowdown in 2009, Korea's fast food industry grew enormously, reaching 7.8 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) in total sales, as many thrift-minded people traded down to cheaper options when eating out, an industry report shows.
Some argue that the growing fast food industry has something to do with Koreans' typical quick-temperedness, often referred to as "ppalli-ppalli." Although no one can say for sure if this analysis is true or not, there is one small pizza restaurant that bucked the "ppalli-ppalli" trend, and as a result, has thrived amid difficult economic times
Dae Jang Jang Ee Pizza -- a converted hanok, or traditional Korean house -- sits in the quaint and historical neighborhood of Bukchon near central Seoul, successfully accomplishing what others lack: extravagant food and an environment that makes you want to stay for hours
"My goal is for the people who come here to experience comfort, originality, nostalgia," says 43-year-old owner and chef Lee Jae-sung. "The point is to experience it."
Lee is not a chef by trade. In fact, he is a blacksmith and an artist, who didn't even enjoy pizza before opening his restaurant in 2008. But six years prior, he traveled to seven different countries in Europe for various blacksmith workshops and competitions. He met a lot of people and when they would invite him over to eat, he noticed something very peculiar.
"They would cook me things in a kiln, which is an oven blacksmiths use for iron work," says Lee. "Right away, I knew I wanted to do that, too."
When he returned to Korea, his friends and family encouraged him to open a restaurant, using this concept of a kiln. He concluded that opening a pizza restaurant would be a good way to support his art career, so he decided to go for it.
For the next six months, Lee received training and apprenticeship from a friend in Italy, learning how to make delicious Naples-style pizza.
"I also researched a lot on my own. I studied food, but I also researched how fire and temperature in kilns work," says Lee.
Regardless of having no advertisements or Web site, Dae Jang Jang Ee has experienced enormous growth, becoming a favorite among locals and visitors alike. In fact, it is so popular that reservations must be made almost 24 hours in advance to secure a spot in the tiny restaurant, which only seats about 30 people.
The menu is also small, only consisting of six or seven items, with prices varying from 14,000 won to 18,000 won. But each pizza is handmade to order, usually by Lee himself.
"I studied in Italy for six months and this restaurant makes it feel like I am back in Rome. The crust is cooked right and the simplicity with which he puts his pizzas together is, well, perfect," says 24-year-old customer Mark Ratto. "I've spent three hours in there over a bottle of wine and two pizzas and I will never forget my experience."
Most of the pizzas at Dae Jang Jang Ee are not the common ones you would find at your local Pizza Hut either. For example, the Gorgonzola pizza is layered with Gorgonzola cheese and garlic and served with a side of honey. Although unusual, the combination is seemingly perfect.
"I am always trying new things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But I always try it with my best and all of my heart," says Lee.
That is why, Lee says, it is very discouraging when people come into De Jang Jang Ee complaining that the service isn't fast enough for them. Although he tries to make the food as quickly as possible, there is a level of craft and care he strives to maintain in each pizza.
"Sometimes people do not understand, they do not want to come in and enjoy, and they become upset," says Lee. "So, I try to pay them back with taste. I put all of my heart on that pizza, with kindness and compassion."
Once upon a time, this focus on craft and care would have been appreciated by almost everyone, as Korean food culture was about enjoyment and eating slow. But with the influence of Western-style fast food, Koreans' attitudes towards eating have shifted away from quality and toward convenience.
Today, almost every fast-food shop provides home delivery service and, until recently, pizza chains like Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut guaranteed delivery in less than 30 minutes.
But Dae Jang Jang Ee is no Domino's Pizza or Pizza Hut, nor does it try to be. For one, a short visit is all but impossible. Its interior is a gallery of sorts, requiring time to absorb all the metal light fixtures, both small and large, on top of the hundreds of vinyl records, iron sculptures, fresh plants and, of course, a somewhat intrusive but attractive kiln.
And two, De Jang Jang Ee strives to be more than a restaurant. It strives to be an experience. The roof, walls and electrical lines are all original to when it was a hanok. And the moment customers walk through the door, they are reminded that this restaurant was once a home, as mouth-watering scents and spontaneous eruptions of laughter fill the room.
"My concept for this place and for my artwork in general is taking from the past and giving it new meaning. What humans have left behind is beautiful. Instead of creating new sculptures from scratch, I use previously created things to form a new piece," says Lee. "The same goes for eating here: It is a process of remembering."
Dae Jang Jang Ee Pizza
Jongno-gu Gahoe-dong 62-1
02-765-4298
)
Contributing Writer
SEOUL (Yonhap) - In the midst of an economic slowdown in 2009, Korea's fast food industry grew enormously, reaching 7.8 trillion won (US$7.2 billion) in total sales, as many thrift-minded people traded down to cheaper options when eating out, an industry report shows.
Some argue that the growing fast food industry has something to do with Koreans' typical quick-temperedness, often referred to as "ppalli-ppalli." Although no one can say for sure if this analysis is true or not, there is one small pizza restaurant that bucked the "ppalli-ppalli" trend, and as a result, has thrived amid difficult economic times
Dae Jang Jang Ee Pizza -- a converted hanok, or traditional Korean house -- sits in the quaint and historical neighborhood of Bukchon near central Seoul, successfully accomplishing what others lack: extravagant food and an environment that makes you want to stay for hours
"My goal is for the people who come here to experience comfort, originality, nostalgia," says 43-year-old owner and chef Lee Jae-sung. "The point is to experience it."
Lee is not a chef by trade. In fact, he is a blacksmith and an artist, who didn't even enjoy pizza before opening his restaurant in 2008. But six years prior, he traveled to seven different countries in Europe for various blacksmith workshops and competitions. He met a lot of people and when they would invite him over to eat, he noticed something very peculiar.
"They would cook me things in a kiln, which is an oven blacksmiths use for iron work," says Lee. "Right away, I knew I wanted to do that, too."
When he returned to Korea, his friends and family encouraged him to open a restaurant, using this concept of a kiln. He concluded that opening a pizza restaurant would be a good way to support his art career, so he decided to go for it.
For the next six months, Lee received training and apprenticeship from a friend in Italy, learning how to make delicious Naples-style pizza.
"I also researched a lot on my own. I studied food, but I also researched how fire and temperature in kilns work," says Lee.
Regardless of having no advertisements or Web site, Dae Jang Jang Ee has experienced enormous growth, becoming a favorite among locals and visitors alike. In fact, it is so popular that reservations must be made almost 24 hours in advance to secure a spot in the tiny restaurant, which only seats about 30 people.
The menu is also small, only consisting of six or seven items, with prices varying from 14,000 won to 18,000 won. But each pizza is handmade to order, usually by Lee himself.
"I studied in Italy for six months and this restaurant makes it feel like I am back in Rome. The crust is cooked right and the simplicity with which he puts his pizzas together is, well, perfect," says 24-year-old customer Mark Ratto. "I've spent three hours in there over a bottle of wine and two pizzas and I will never forget my experience."
Most of the pizzas at Dae Jang Jang Ee are not the common ones you would find at your local Pizza Hut either. For example, the Gorgonzola pizza is layered with Gorgonzola cheese and garlic and served with a side of honey. Although unusual, the combination is seemingly perfect.
"I am always trying new things. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. But I always try it with my best and all of my heart," says Lee.
That is why, Lee says, it is very discouraging when people come into De Jang Jang Ee complaining that the service isn't fast enough for them. Although he tries to make the food as quickly as possible, there is a level of craft and care he strives to maintain in each pizza.
"Sometimes people do not understand, they do not want to come in and enjoy, and they become upset," says Lee. "So, I try to pay them back with taste. I put all of my heart on that pizza, with kindness and compassion."
Once upon a time, this focus on craft and care would have been appreciated by almost everyone, as Korean food culture was about enjoyment and eating slow. But with the influence of Western-style fast food, Koreans' attitudes towards eating have shifted away from quality and toward convenience.
Today, almost every fast-food shop provides home delivery service and, until recently, pizza chains like Domino's Pizza and Pizza Hut guaranteed delivery in less than 30 minutes.
But Dae Jang Jang Ee is no Domino's Pizza or Pizza Hut, nor does it try to be. For one, a short visit is all but impossible. Its interior is a gallery of sorts, requiring time to absorb all the metal light fixtures, both small and large, on top of the hundreds of vinyl records, iron sculptures, fresh plants and, of course, a somewhat intrusive but attractive kiln.
And two, De Jang Jang Ee strives to be more than a restaurant. It strives to be an experience. The roof, walls and electrical lines are all original to when it was a hanok. And the moment customers walk through the door, they are reminded that this restaurant was once a home, as mouth-watering scents and spontaneous eruptions of laughter fill the room.
"My concept for this place and for my artwork in general is taking from the past and giving it new meaning. What humans have left behind is beautiful. Instead of creating new sculptures from scratch, I use previously created things to form a new piece," says Lee. "The same goes for eating here: It is a process of remembering."
Dae Jang Jang Ee Pizza
Jongno-gu Gahoe-dong 62-1
02-765-4298
)
