HSK Restaurant Review--Via di Napoli

Via di Napoli

Seoul is littered with Italian restaurants that claim they are "authentic" Italian cuisine. However, in my experience, this is not always the case. Many of the dishes offered in these "traditional" Italian eateries are severely disappointing and very catered to Korean tastebuds. While I appreciate complimentary pickles before every Italian meal as much as the next guy, sometimes this appetizer choice isn't always perfectly paired with your favorite risotto or preferred pasta dish!
In my neverending quest for a veritable Italian restaurant that tells the truth when it touts the most authentic Italian cuisine in Seoul, I came across a new place not far from my domicile thanks to KissMyKimchi : Via di Napoli. We went for an early dinner and entered a Sicilian rustic cavern with romanesque arches adorning the interior. We each ordered a different dish and decided to share it, so we could all experience the authenticity of Via di Napoli. I ordered a fresh Tuscan salad and my friends ordered a pizza and a chicken paella dish. For dessert, we shared a pine nut meringue pie.
I found the salad to be fresh and tart with avacados, peaches and mascarpone cheese to top it off. A light vinaigrette gave the dish an extra kick. The pizza was the hit of the evening. I usually find pizza in Korea to be a bit bland and the tomato sauce just doesn't do anything for me. However, the tomato sauce for this particular margherita pizza was a pleasurable mix of sweet and sour, which in my humble opinion, is the way any tomato sauce on a pizza should be! The one disappointment was the chicken paella of which the majority was encrusted to the side of the dish and extremely bland, even after squeezing some fresh lemon juice over it. The pine nut meringue pie had mixed reviews, but it certainly held true to its title. The pine nuttiness was very present and appreciated more by some than others.Overall, the experience was a delectable treat despite the paella disaster. If you're looking for a real Italian pizza in Seoul, hit up Via di Napoli and you won't be disappointed!

To get to Via di Napoli, take the subway to exit 5 of Samseong station (green line 2). Walk straight for about 300 meters and take your first right on the first major intersecting road that you approach. Walk another 300 meters until you see the Oakwood Premier hotel and Seven Luck Casino on your right. Across the street, you will see Via di Napoli. It is located on the B1 level.