Rucola prosciutto pizza at a Hongdae pizzeria: Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza

Looking for a proper, chewy Napoli wood-fired pizza and rich oil pasta near Hapjeong and Sangsu stations? Let me introduce a weekend date spot with a charming 72-hour low-temperature fermented dough and a half-and-half pizza you can order however you like.

I honestly can't remember the last time I had pizza! I'd been craving it so badly that, since I was finally going for it, I wanted a real handmade Napoli pizza with freshly baked dough, not the usual franchise oven stuff.

Turns out there's a legit pizza spot that's held its ground for a long time between Hongdae and Hapjeong, so my boyfriend and I went for a weekend lunch date to 'Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza,' a Hapjeong favorite and Hongdae pizza landmark!

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza: location, hours and parking near Hapjeong Station

• Location: 5 Dokmak-ro 7-gil, 1st floor, Mapo-gu, Seoul (Hapjeong-dong 411-16)
• Subway: 5 min walk from Hapjeong Station (Line 2/6) Exit 6, or Sangsu Station (Line 6) Exit 1
• Hours: 11:30–22:00 (last order 21:30)
• Break time: weekdays 15:30–16:30 (★no break time on weekends!)
• Closed: every Tuesday
• Parking: no dedicated lot (nearby Dangin-ri public street parking recommended)

It sits exactly halfway between Hapjeong and Sangsu stations, so whichever one you get off at, it's just a 5-minute walk.

The location is really great for meeting up or planning a weekend date course.

What do the exterior and interior look like?

Walk into the alley and you'll see the Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza building, giving off a classic, old-school vibe.

Unlike the shiny, cold new places popping up these days, this spot carries the visible traces of time spent in one place for years, which made me feel even warmer and more attached (totally satisfied, haha!)

Stepping inside, the warm wood and red brick blended together to give the cozy feel of a quiet countryside pizzeria in Europe.

Looking at the countless Polaroid photos hanging by the window in particular, I could immediately tell how many people had made precious memories here — a genuine local favorite loved by regulars for a long time, and it warmed my heart, haha.

The owner and staff also greeted us so warmly that I felt great even before the meal started.

Can you order a half-and-half pizza? Yes, straight from the table tablet

You can order conveniently through the tablet (T Order) installed at each table.

Here's what I really, really loved! You can order pizza half-and-half!

At an authentic handmade wood-fired pizza place like this, there are always too many toppings you want to try, so decision paralysis kicks in every time, right? But being able to order half-and-half cut that worry way down, haha.

What we ordered and what it cost

• Half-and-half pizza (Rucola Prosciutto + Manjo): ₩26,000
• Gamberi e Rucola pasta: ₩19,500
• Coca-Cola (355ml can): ₩3,500

My boyfriend, a total meat lover, picked the beef-loaded 'Manjo,' while I, a fan of fresh fragrant rucola, chose 'Rucola Prosciutto' — and we happily split them half-and-half!

72-hour cold-fermented dough and the volcanic stone oven

Reading the notice printed on the table paper mat carefully, I immediately understood why this pizza has been loved for so long.

Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza reportedly uses handmade dough naturally fermented at low temperature for 72 hours using only pure yeast, with no chemical seasoning.

On top of that, the dough is hand-stretched thin and then baked quickly in an oven over 400°C, made from Italian Vesuvius volcanic stone!

I was fully anticipating how chewy and gentle on the stomach the dough would be.

Rucola prosciutto and manjo half-and-half pizza, kept hot by a candle warmer

The half-and-half wood-fired pizza we'd been looking forward to finally arrived!

They lit a tealight candle warmer under the pizza stand, so the pizza stayed unchilled with the cheese soft and warm until we finished eating — such a thoughtful touch, it really moved me.

The point that made both our eyes widen after the first bite: as befits a handmade specialty place, the base sauce was completely different for each pizza!

The two pizzas' charms were so distinct that it felt like enjoying two entirely different fine dishes.

Rucola prosciutto pizza: the bold kick of prosciutto

The first we tried, Rucola Prosciutto pizza, had genuinely excellent prosciutto ham!

Thin as paper but with its deep, distinctive flavor and salty umami vividly alive, it gave a clear 'kick' between the fragrant, crisp rucola and the plain dough.

Here's one tip for eating wood-fired pizza the tasty way!

Napoli pizza tastes best when you roll the crust up with the rucola and prosciutto and eat it by hand, rather than cutting it with a knife.

Roll it up, take a big bite, and the salty, savory taste of prosciutto bursting through the crisp, fragrant rucola spreads across your mouth — it's truly fantastic!

Manjo pizza: rich tomato sauce and tender beef

Manjo pizza, my meat-loving boyfriend's top pick, hit with a rich, tangy tomato sauce flavor.

Compared to Rucola Prosciutto, the base sauce was a touch sweeter with a deep umami that clung to the palate wonderfully!

The beef topping was also piled on generously in big chunks, and the tender, juicy meat flavor added a sense of luxury to the pizza.

Thanks to the 72-hour aged dough, even the last bit of crust wasn't dry at all — it was chewy like chapssaltteok (glutinous rice cake) all the way through, so we finished every bite happily.

How was the gamberi e rucola pasta?

Honestly, since this is a wood-fired pizza specialty restaurant, we ordered the pasta lightly, more as a side to go with the pizza.

But the moment we tasted it, we both let out an exclamation! It had a much deeper, richer flavor than most dedicated oil pasta restaurants.

It was loaded with plump shrimp grilled shell-on, and the oil sauce carried the subtle tang of tomato deeply infused with the rich seafood flavor of the shrimp.

The umami lingering in the mouth was so good that even my boyfriend, a picky 'pasta lover,' couldn't stop praising how legit this place's pasta was, haha.

Dip the chewy pizza crust into this pasta's oil sauce and it's an amazing extra treat — make sure to try that too!

Verdict: a long-running Hapjeong date spot for wood-fired pizza

I went craving a proper handmade wood-fired pizza after a long while, and this place delivered not just the pizza I hoped for but pasta that exceeded expectations too.

With the candle warmer under the pizza, we could enjoy it warm and chewy down to the last slice, and thanks to the cozy space filled with regulars' memories and the owner's kind attention, our weekend date was truly satisfying.

If you're around Hapjeong or Hongdae and want genuinely chewy wood-fired pizza paired with a flavor-packed oil pasta, be sure to stop by Hongdae Hwadeok Pizza!