Fusion cuisine: is it divisive or unifying? On the one hand, some fusions should just never happen (i.e. Russian-Thai fusion manifested in a coconut beef stroganoff). On the other hand, it can allow two individuals with two separate cravings to share a meal with equal satisfaction.
For those moments when you can’t seem to agree on which hemisphere’s food to indulge in, there’s always FlyPizza's expansive menu of classic Korean dishes, and (of course) pizza. And if you don’t care to enjoy the two side-by-side, they’ve saved you time and table space by combining the two into one.
Think of their menu as a Venn diagram: There's Korean-style fried chicken (RMB 85-95), Korean rice-based dishes (RMB 30-35), jeongol (RMB 108), noodles (RMB 32), soju and makgeolli (RMB 30-40). For the homesick westerner, they serve pizza (RMB 75-98), pasta (RMB 30-55), the full gamut of deep-fried snacks (RMB 25-75), salads (RMB 35-55), coffees (RMB 18-25), smoothies (RMB 20-25), and a few popular American brews like Budweiser and Corona (RMB 20-30).
Then there are a few places sprinkled throughout the menu where the two halves of the earth overlap, and these are my personal favorites, the items that set FlyPizza apart from the other pizza slingers in the area.
Bulgogi (a sweetly marinated beef grilled with onion) is served on pizza andon spaghetti (a bold move, Cotton). Pizza crusts can come stuffed with cheese or sweet potato. Fried chicken wings come tossed in a range of sauces, from the classic red Korean “sweet and spicy sauce” to a “Carbonara” variation.
Putting grilled beef on a pizza is hardly unthinkable, but for those who (like myself) adore the flavor and texture of Korean bulgogi, this will help break up the monotony of any pizza pit you may have fallen into. The sweet potato pizza – with soft and fluffy baked sweet potato, bacon and slivered almonds drizzled in mayonnaise – is unexpectedly satisfying, thanks to the tangy mayonnaise complementing the mild flavor of the sweet potato.
Manager Chai Jinyu says that people come to FlyPizza "because it's delicious, of course. But what sets us apart is that we're not limited to pizza and Italian dishes. We have our fried chicken and our more traditional Korean dishes."
Koreans don't mess around when it comes to fried chicken, and FlyPizza certainly does it right. It seems that no amount of their broad range of sauces could de-crispify the golden, flaky panko breading on these wings. So pile it on! Ask for all the sauces! Or ask for none of the sauces! These wings are cooked well enough to stand on their own, sans sauce.
Pair your pizza or wings with their selection of soju or makgeolli (RMB 30-40) to boost the Korean-ness of your meal. Soju is always frighteningly drinkable, considering its potency, while the mild and milky makgeolli is more like a creamy Breezer than something to get a buzz from. Its translucence, sweetness, and carbonation make it a refreshing spirit that lends itself to fruity flavors like banana – the FlyPizza's most popular variation.
The vibe in the restaurant seems to reflect the menu's lack of dedication to a strong, central identity. There are industrial shipping containers, painted bright red and used as a wall. There are fake old leather-bound books sitting on a shelf and a mounted deer head and antique chandeliers and sconces. And all of this in a basement of Sanlitun Soho, with the likes of Drake and Kendrick playing over the speakers.
Yes, it's all a bit confused, but so are we: Few people come to Beijing with the intention to lead a strictly Western life of pizza, burgers and football. But for those struggling to leave behind their pizza-filled past and embrace their future in an Asian culture, let FlyPizza be the bridge between.
Photos courtesy of FlyPizza, Mary Kate White