Cheonan pasta restaurant: corn pizza and carbonara pappardelle

Hi, this is the younger sister, Jageunbangul. Today I'm writing a review of Napoli Shinbu, a wood-fired pizza spot in Cheonan. It's tucked in the alley behind Shinsegae, and even the dough alone is savory and delicious — a genuinely great place.

Where is Napoli Shinbu? The back alley behind Shinsegae in Sinbu-dong, Cheonan

Here's where Napoli Shinbu, a wood-fired pizza spot in Cheonan, is located. It's in the alley behind Shinsegae, less than a 5-minute walk away haha (near the janchi-kalguksu place).

Such a cute exterior.

Napoli Shinbu is a place where you can enjoy wood-fired pizza, pasta, salads, and other Western dishes. It's also registered as a certified Napoli wood-fired pizza artisan shop apparently. (So I went in with high expectations haha.)

Inside Napoli Shinbu: seating and the self-serve bar

Here's what the inside looks like.

The inner seats felt cozy, and the window seats had a nice view of green trees. (Must be even better during flower season!)

There were tables for 2 to 6 people, and a self-serve bar with pickles and such in the middle of the store. (Honey, hot sauce, pickles, etc.) Plates, cups, and utensils were there too.

As soon as we sat down, the owner brought pickles first, and they even had olives in them! I'd never had pickles with olives before — quite charming haha.

What we ordered at Napoli Shinbu and what it cost

You order using the T-order kiosk on the table, and true to being a wood-fired pizza artisan shop, there were so many pizza types. It took forever to choose, because everything looked delicious...

• Corn pizza ₩21,000
• Carbonara pappardelle ₩17,000
• Coke ₩2,500

After much deliberation, this is what we ordered.

Carbonara pappardelle, ₩17,000

Carbonara pappardelle (₩17,000): a cream pasta made with four kinds of mushrooms and bacon.

It wasn't regular pasta noodles but thick pappardelle, which was super charming.

I popped the egg yolk on top and mixed it into the sauce, and even while stirring I could feel how rich and creamy the sauce was. Honestly I don't order carbonara often because the sauce tends to dry up and harden quickly!!

But at Napoli Shinbu, it stayed moist and delicious the whole way through.

It wasn't just plain carbonara — there was a gentle mushroom aroma plus salty bacon, all coated with egg yolk, and it was sooo good.

If you usually like mushroom pasta or mushroom risotto, definitely order this. (I love mushroom pizza and mushroom risotto too.)

(Took photos in the order the food came out haha.) Coke is a must with Western food. They gave us two glasses with ice, which isn't a big deal but somehow felt nice haha.

Corn pizza, ₩21,000

Corn pizza (₩21,000): a pizza topped with corn purée, shrimp, and seasoned whole corn kernels.

I was checking reviews to decide on a pizza, and the visual of this corn pizza was just too aggressive not to order!

From the look of it you'd think it might be a bit spicy, but once you eat it, the sweetness of the corn comes through strongest haha.

We split it evenly, one slice each. Since we ate it right when it came out, the cheese stretched forever too><

I couldn't eat the corn as-is, so I stabbed it with a fork first — the corn itself was incredibly sweet and delicious. (Exactly like that tourist-spot sweet corn taste.)

And besides the whole corn kernels on top, there's also corn purée and small shrimp inside!

Dipping the pizza crust in self-serve honey

I figured the honey at the self-serve bar was meant for gorgonzola, but I thought it might taste good dipped with the pizza crust too, so I brought a little over haha.

Sure enough, it was delicious. Honestly, it's tasty even plain. The dough is so savory and chewy, it's amazing ㅠㅠ Thick-topped franchise pizza is great, but the light, savory flavor of this wood-fired pizza is a different thing entirely haha.

When deciding on pizza, my two other candidates were 1. Margherita and 2. Burrata pizza — I really wanted to try both too, so I was torn, but next time I'll have to try these two. Not many places sell burrata cheese, but Napoli Shinbu has several menu items with burrata, so I'm planning to work my way through them next time!

Napoli Shinbu, a wood-fired pizza spot in Cheonan, is also running a receipt review event, so give it a try!

Is Napoli Shinbu good for families with kids?

Little things I liked: the shelf for bags, the baby chair, the coat hooks. When I visited, there was a family with a young child, and the kid was eating happily, which kept catching my eye><. Since there's a baby chair, it'd be great to stop by for lunch or dinner after a family outing.

The dough I saw on my way out. I learned later that they use Italian flour and make their broth and sauces from scratch. The kitchen isn't hidden away, so you can see the whole process — you could tell they put real care and sincerity into it..!!

If you love wood-fired pizza, you have to go here at least once. (Never been to Italy, but this rivals Italian pizza!) Napoli Shinbu, a pizza spot in Sinbu-dong, is also a great date spot in the area. (Recommend the Sinbu-dong pizza-and-beer or pizza-and-wine combo!!)