Visit to Pizza Hut, Korean Style

As most of you know, the first real job I ever had was working at the Buchanan Pizza Hut.  During my three and a half years working there, I served tables, answered phones, and occasionally assembled and baked pizzas.  Good times, good memories, and, rather than hating Pizza Hut pizza as a result, it has actually turned out to be one of my favorites.

So, anyway, I've really been enjoying trying new foods and new food establishments.  I've enthusiastically tried several variations of kimchi, kimbab, bibimbap, ramyeon, and a plethora of other foods whose names I do not know yet.  Even so, I found myself with a hankering for something a bit more like home.  I emailed Lindsey, and we made plans to meet after sundown on Saturday and find us some pizza.  Wondering along the commercial strip near my apartment, we tried to decide which parlor to try.  When we saw the recognizable Pizza Hut logo, we new our search had come to an end.  Of course!  A chain restaurant, it would surely be something familiar...right?

At first glance, we were right:  the dining room looked like Pizza Hut, it smelled of garlic and yeast like Pizza Hut, and it even had a salad bar.  Then we looked at the menu.

Not Pizza Hut.  Sure, there was pizza on the menu.  Black sesame pizza.  Bulgogi pizza. Shrimp Pizza.  Oh, my.  What to do?

We read through the English titles of the menu and finally saw "vegetarian pizza."  Hooray!  We ordered our pie happily, and then thought a trip to the salad bar might be a nice way to start the meal, and ordered that, too.  We really should have looked first.

The HORROR!

Fear Factor:  Korean Edition

There was almost nothing recognizable on the salad bar, aside from some iceberg lettuce.  What's this orange stuff here?  Does this have meat in it?  Oh dear, there are whole miniature fish in this.  Where's the tomato?!

We managed to be brave and try some of the safer looking items.  Wasn't half bad, really.  I was still really looking forward to that pizza coming out, though.  At long last, it arrived at our table.  A bit small for the price, perhaps, but it looked delicious!

A thing of beauty

We prayed a very thankful prayer, then I grabbed a slice and dug in.  Mmmmmmm!  That wonderful, delicious, amazingly satisfying flavor of....SWEET POTATO???

Noooooooooooooooooooo!

Oh, we should have known better than to think Korea would have left that ole' standby Cheesy Bite pizza as is...oh no, it had to give it its own personal twist.  You live and learn.

Actually, that was probably the worst culture shock I have experienced since coming to Korea; such a shock, in fact, that I forgot how much I wanted regular pizza.  That is, until the craving turns up again with a vengeance.