Dennis More in Haebangchon
Delicious Sweet Potato Pizza and Rich Imsil Cheese, but Slightly Disappointing in Price and Service
I work six days a week, which means Sunday is the only day when I can completely step away from work.
For that reason, Sundays are especially valuable to me. During the week, most of my time is spent operating Springday Clinic Sinchon-Hongdae and traveling between the clinic and home. On Sundays, I try to visit neighborhoods I do not usually have time to explore and eat something enjoyable.
This time, I visited a pizza restaurant called Dennis More in Haebangchon.
Haebangchon is not particularly far from Springday Clinic Sinchon-Hongdae, the clinic I operate, so it seemed like a reasonable destination for a short trip on my precious day off.
I first discovered the restaurant through Instagram, where it was described as the “Seoul version of Lee Jae-mo Pizza”, one of the best-known pizza restaurants in Busan.
That description was enough to make me curious.
Two Dishes and Drinks Cost More Than KRW 50,000
We ordered two dishes, including a pizza, along with drinks. The total came to somewhere in the KRW 50,000 range.
I have always liked sweet potato pizza, so I ordered the sweet potato pizza. It came with a generous amount of sweet potato topping and plenty of cheese.
The cheese-stuffed crust was also very good.
The pizza was listed as a regular size, so I initially wondered whether it might be a little small for two people. However, it was larger and more filling than expected.
There were two of us, and we each ate only two slices before becoming full. We eventually had the remaining pizza packed to take home.
If two people order another dish along with the pizza, a regular-sized pizza should be more than enough.
Considering how expensive pizza has become these days, there is probably no need to worry that the regular size will be too small.
A Pizza Focused More on Cheese Than Sauce
My palate has probably become accustomed to strongly seasoned franchise pizzas such as Domino’s Pizza.
For that reason, Dennis More’s pizza tasted slightly under-seasoned to me at first.
This is not really a pizza that depends on a strong tomato sauce or intense seasoning. Rather than being driven by salty toppings or a powerful sauce, it focuses more on the flavor of the dough and cheese.
According to the restaurant, they use Imsil cheese.
The cheese stretched impressively, and its rich flavor was definitely one of the highlights of the meal.
The sweetness of the sweet potato matched well with the savory cheese. The combination became even more noticeable when eaten with the cheese-stuffed crust.
As someone who already likes sweet potato pizza, I enjoyed it.
However, people who are accustomed to strongly seasoned franchise pizza may initially find the flavor slightly mild or bland.
On the other hand, those who care more about the natural richness of cheese than a powerful sauce may appreciate it more.
Is It Really the “Seoul Version of Lee Jae-mo Pizza”?
The main reason I visited Dennis More was the Instagram description comparing it to Lee Jae-mo Pizza in Busan.
Anyone who has eaten or heard of Lee Jae-mo Pizza would probably arrive with fairly high expectations after seeing that description.
After trying it myself, however, I honestly would not go quite that far.
The sweet potato pizza was enjoyable, and the flavor of the Imsil cheese was clearly noticeable. The cheese stretched well and had a rich, savory taste.
However, I did not feel that it delivered exactly the same level of satisfaction or impression as Lee Jae-mo Pizza.
That does not mean the food was bad.
It may simply be more appropriate to think of Dennis More as a neighborhood pizza restaurant in Haebangchon with rich cheese, rather than arriving with the expectation of finding an exact Seoul equivalent of Lee Jae-mo Pizza.
The “Influencer Pick” Label on the Kiosk
While looking through the kiosk, I noticed that some menu items were labeled as an “influencer pick”.
I am not certain whether this meant that a particular influencer had recommended the item or that the restaurant had become popular through influencer visits.
Still, the overall prices felt somewhat high, as though the restaurant’s social media popularity had been reflected in the pricing.
Even considering current restaurant prices in Seoul, spending more than KRW 50,000 on two dishes and drinks does not feel particularly inexpensive.
When the self-service system and one-person operation are also taken into account, the value for money becomes slightly less convincing.
I think my overall satisfaction would have been significantly higher if the prices had been a little lower.
The Restaurant Is Operated by One Owner
When I visited, the owner appeared to be operating the restaurant alone.
He seemed to be handling everything, including checking orders, cooking, serving food, and clearing the tables.
As a result, the food took some time to arrive.
This may not be a major issue when the restaurant is quiet, but when almost every table is occupied and several orders arrive at once, customers should expect some delay.
Pickles, water, and several other items were self-service.
This type of system would be understandable at an inexpensive neighborhood restaurant. However, considering the price level, it was somewhat disappointing.
Even Clearing the Tables Looked Difficult
Because the owner was working alone, it was difficult for him to clear the tables immediately after customers left.
While we were eating, a group of four people at a nearby table finished their meal and left behind a large number of plates and cups.
A middle-aged woman sitting at the next table, who may have been a local resident or a regular customer, looked at the pile of dishes and asked the owner:
“Would you like me to help?”
It was obvious that the owner had a great deal of work to manage alone.
For a moment, I found myself thinking, “Perhaps the world still has some warmth and kindness left in it.”
However, if a customer feels concerned enough about the restaurant’s operation to offer help with clearing tables, the current staffing structure may simply be too demanding.
If the restaurant regularly remains full, even one additional employee during peak hours could reduce the owner’s burden and improve the customer experience considerably.
Not Unfriendly, but His Busyness Showed in the Service
The owner was not exactly unfriendly.
However, perhaps because he was extremely busy, his service seemed to move back and forth between friendly and somewhat rushed or perfunctory.
Even when someone says exactly the same words, the tone of voice, facial expression, and length of the final syllable can greatly change how friendly the response feels.
For example, even a simple “yes” can sound cold when spoken briefly and sharply. If the final sound is slightly extended, it can immediately sound softer and more welcoming.
When I train the staff at Springday Clinic, I sometimes explain it this way:
“When you are not sure how to sound friendly, simply pronounce the final syllable twice as long. You will sound three times friendlier.”
Of course, a medical clinic and a pizza restaurant are different businesses, and the working conditions on that day were also different.
Since the owner was cooking, serving, and cleaning alone, I assume his rushed manner was mainly caused by how busy he was.
I would not describe him as clearly unfriendly, but the overall impression would have been much better if his tone had felt slightly more relaxed.
Kindness Costs Nothing
This may seem like a strange business discussion in the middle of a restaurant review.
Still, as someone who also operates a business, I would like to say one thing to readers:
“Kindness costs nothing.”
Business owners already face many unavoidable expenses, including rent, salaries, ingredients, advertising fees, and credit card processing fees.
It is understandable that they constantly look for ways to reduce costs.
However, there is no need to focus only on cutting costs in every possible area.
The cost of kindness is zero.
A softer tone, an extra moment of eye contact, or slightly extending the final syllable of a sentence can completely change how customers experience a business.
That kindness may increase a business owner’s sales. For an employee, it may improve relationships with colleagues. In everyday life, it can also have a significant positive effect on personal relationships.
Of course, staying friendly while tired and overwhelmed is not as easy as it sounds.
There are also busy days at my clinic when I find it difficult to speak to staff with complete patience.
Still, kindness is one of the most effective things a person can offer without any financial cost, and that is worth remembering.
Only Five Tables
The restaurant itself is relatively small.
- Three main tables
- Two additional tables in the inner area
- Five tables in total
Even the largest table appeared to seat only four people.
For that reason, I would not recommend visiting with a group of five or more.
It was also unclear whether the tables could easily be combined, and the restaurant did not have enough space to accommodate a large group comfortably.
More importantly, because the owner was working alone, a large group placing several orders at once could result in a considerable wait.
The restaurant seemed best suited for groups of two to four people.
A Popular Neighborhood Pizza Restaurant
When I visited, many of the customers appeared to be local residents.
Most were casually dressed and had come with friends or family members.
Rather than feeling like a restaurant filled only with tourists or people who had traveled a long distance, it had the atmosphere of a neighborhood pizza restaurant frequented by people living nearby.
All the tables were occupied when we arrived.
Fortunately, another group was almost finished eating, so we waited for approximately three to four minutes until they left.
The wait itself was not long, but new customers continued to arrive throughout our meal.
The restaurant remained completely or almost completely full until we left.
Although influencer exposure may have contributed to its popularity, it also seemed to have a regular local customer base.
The Entrance Can Be Confusing
The entrance was not immediately obvious when I first arrived.
The front of the restaurant is mostly glass, and it was difficult to tell which section was the actual door.
When facing the restaurant from outside, the entrance is the sliding door on the far left.
Simply slide the left glass door sideways to enter.
This is useful to know in advance, especially for first-time visitors.
Parking in Haebangchon Is Difficult
Parking conditions in Haebangchon are notoriously inconvenient.
The streets are narrow and steep, and finding an available parking space nearby can be difficult.
For people who usually travel by car, parking can significantly affect whether a restaurant feels worth revisiting.
I often use a car while traveling to and from Springday Clinic Sinchon-Hongdae, and I do not particularly want to spend my only day off struggling with parking.
I drove to Haebangchon on this occasion, but I would probably not return by car solely to visit Dennis More.
If I happened to be nearby or was already walking around Haebangchon and felt like eating pizza, I might visit again.
However, I would not strongly recommend making a special trip by car.
Public transportation or a taxi would be a much more convenient option.
Final Thoughts
As someone who already likes sweet potato pizza, I enjoyed the sweet potato pizza at Dennis More.
It had a generous amount of sweet potato topping, and the cheese-stuffed crust was tasty.
The Imsil cheese stretched well and had a distinctly rich and savory flavor.
The regular-sized pizza was also larger than expected and was more than enough for two people when combined with another dish.
On the other hand, people accustomed to strongly seasoned pizzas such as Domino’s may find it slightly bland.
This is a pizza that focuses more on the natural flavor of cheese than on a strong sauce.
I also cannot fully agree with the description of Dennis More as the “Seoul version of Lee Jae-mo Pizza”.
That does not mean the pizza was bad, but visitors may be more satisfied if they do not arrive with excessively high expectations based on that comparison.
The one-person operation also meant that the food took some time to arrive, tables were not cleared immediately, and many items were self-service.
The owner was not clearly unfriendly, but there were moments when his busyness was noticeable in his tone and service.
If the prices had been slightly lower, my overall satisfaction would have been much higher.
Overall, Dennis More is worth trying once if you like sweet potato pizza, enjoy rich cheese, and are already in the Haebangchon area.
However, after considering the price, service, and parking situation together, I am not sure that I would make a special trip by car solely to visit again.
If I happened to be nearby and felt like eating pizza, I might stop by one more time.
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