PrintTaking One for the Team: CheoGaJip's Bulgogi Pizza
Ever since T.J.’s Pizzeria in Flushing closed I’ve mourned the loss of kimchi pizza. So when I heard that My Favorite CheoGaJip Chicken was slinging several kinds of Korean pizza, including one topped with bulgogi, I had to try it. Korean barbeque and pizza both rank high on my list, so even though CheoGaJip didn’t have kimchi pizza, I was pretty excited. Since T.J.’s pizza was more of a standard-issue New York City slice topped with fiery preserved cabbage, I never really thought of it as Korean. I envisioned CheoGaJip’s pizza as a tastier, more Korean pie; living halfway between paejun and a standard New York ’za. Sadly all my hopes for mouthwatering Korean pizza were in vain. The only good thing about CheoGaJip was the fried chicken, and while we don't normally like to write about things on Serious Eats New York unless they are delicious– some things just have to be shared.
I don't know how else to say it: The bulgogi pizza was one of the worst things I’ve eaten in a while. It simultaneously managed to do disservice to standard New York City ’za, Korean food and frozen pizza. The picture on the menu shows a nice amount of meat on the pie, but there was hardly any meat on the one I was served. And what little there was didn’t taste like bulgogi. The limp dough brought to mind the undercooked Ellio’s Pizza I used to eat in my elementary school cafeteria. After forcing down the first slice, which tasted vaguely Korean because of the jalapeños, I doctored up the subsequent ones. Since I’m scared of Kraft parmesan, I opted for a few dashes of Tabasco and a pickle chip, which combined with a prodigious amount of beer enabled me and a companion to soldier through about half the pie.
I'd been thinking mean thoughts about CheoGaJip: Why not rename the special “Pizza & Chicken Death Threat?” Then I remembered that the sign bills the restaurant as a hof, a Korean spot specializing in serving beer. Then it dawned on me: CheoGaJip is all about beer and fried chicken. The pizza's obviously an afterthought. I suppose you could jazz up your pie by putting some of the fried chicken on it once it comes to the table. Just stay away from that Kraft parmesan and be sure to drink plenty of beer.
My Favorite CheoGaJip Chicken
160-24A Northern Boulevard, Flushing NY 11358 (map)
718-445-0806
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4 Comments:
Any pizza being served by a lactose intolerant ethnicity should be treated with much suspicion. Although topping a regular slice with kimchi does sound pretty awesome.
The second thing I wanted to say was about this statement: "we don't normally like to write about things on Serious Eats New York unless they are delicious"
I think that is an odd position to take. As reviewers, your duty is to alert us to both the good and the bad. When covering small neighborhood spots, I think the impetus to point out the bad is even greater. Everyone knows what to expect from the high end and well PRed spots. It's the little ones that can be treacherous to the uninformed.
Thank you for taking this one for the team. This is a great review, in that that bulgoki pizza is something I would actually try if I stumbled upon it, despite my own warning, mentioned above... Thanks Joe!
On question: this is a beer and chicken spot, what kinds of korean beers do they have? Is it just Hite and OB, or do they have more exotic ones? I find that Hite and OB taste just like generic American beer... Not that there's anything wrong with that.
simon at 1:24PM on 06/30/08
@simon - just to defend Joe's statement... the point we're trying to make is there are so many places to eat at in New York, that we don't want to waste our time telling you about all the bad hole in the wall places you would never want to eat at (and probably would never even consider eating at anyway.) We want to devote as much of our effort (and blog space) to pointing out the amazing places you'd want to go out of your way for. Of course... some things are just too hard to ignore- like the amazingness that is bulgogi pizza (even when it's bad.)
Zach Brooks at 5:31PM on 06/30/08
I totally understand. And as I said, I'm glad he did post this review in this instance, because bulgoki pizza sounds quite tantalizing. Still waiting on his answer to my question about the beers...
simon at 6:25PM on 06/30/08
Simon,
Can't quite recall, but if they had Hite or OB on draught we'd have ordered it. I think they only had Bud and Heineken.
Joe DiStefano at 6:37PM on 07/01/08