Slice pizza and boneless half-and-half chicken pizza pub: Raymond Isu

The owner of Raymond Isu Branch missed the American-style pizza he ate while studying abroad so much that he opened his own shop for it. Craving pizza and beer again, I paid a visit!

Raymond Isu Branch hours and parking

🕘 Hours 🕘 Daily 11:30–23:00, last order 22:30

🚗 Parking 🚗 No dedicated lot. We drove, so we used the Isu Xi Apartment parking lot right in front of the restaurant.

• Parking fee is ₩1,000 per 10 minutes (₩6,000 per hour)
• Rates are on the pricier side, so if you're parking for a long time, a public parking lot near Isu Station is recommended

Inside Raymond Isu Branch

From the exterior to the interior, you could tell the owner put real thought into recreating the feel of an actual American pizzeria. The vintage space paired with classic chandeliers and warm lighting gave it a retro yet comfortable feel — overall a casual American dining vibe that's easy to relax into. I heard the owner studied abroad, which probably explains how well he nailed the atmosphere of a shop overseas.

Most tables seat 2–4, and I saw a lot of couples and families dining.

Daily-limited pizza menu

Raymond Isu Branch limits its daily pizza sales — 20 pies on weekdays, 30 on weekends — to keep the ingredients fresh. I visited on a weekend early evening and two pizza flavors were already sold out. If you have your heart set on a specific menu item, it's a good idea to call ahead. Slices run ₩6,000–8,000 each, and since one slice is about half a regular pizza, it's decent value.

If you're overwhelmed by the sheer variety of pizzas, check out the visuals at the self-service zone first.

While looking at the pizzas, I stumbled onto a craft beer tap. Raymond only serves draft beer that's won gold medals at international beer competitions — world-class quality — so out of curiosity I ordered a glass right away.

What we ordered and the prices

• Big Pepperoni pizza (slice) ₩7,500
• Big Spicy Fusilli pizza (slice) ₩8,900
• Big Bacon Hawaiian pizza (slice) ₩7,900
• Boneless half-and-half chicken ₩23,900
• Garlic cheese sauce ₩300
• Cola ₩4,000
• India Pale Ale ₩8,500
• Total ₩61,000

Spicy Fusilli pizza

The Spicy Fusilli pizza has a bold spicy kick, so I'd recommend adding the garlic sauce.

The curly pasta on top is fusilli, coated thickly in a spicy tomato sauce with a chewy texture — the kind of flavor you keep going back for.

The dough is remarkably thin, almost hard to find, while the toppings are piled generously on top — letting the topping and sauce flavors really shine. A proper American-style pizza.

Pepperoni pizza and Bacon Hawaiian pizza

Combined, the two pepperoni and bacon Hawaiian slices are about the size of one regular pizza. We wanted to try both, but worried we'd get too full after a whole slice each, so we split each one in half and shared.

The mild dough loaded with salty pepperoni paired best with the draft beer we ordered — the pepperoni pizza let us really taste the fundamentals of a great pizza.

Pineapple on pizza is such a divisive topping, right? I'm firmly in the anti-pineapple camp, but Raymond's Hawaiian pizza actually won me over. Each bite balanced the pineapple's sweetness with the bacon's saltiness in a subtly addictive way.

Boneless half-and-half chicken as a main dish

It was unusual that the chicken is sold as a main menu item rather than a side. If it's confident enough to be a main, the taste must be worth it — so we ordered it.

Instead of the sweet-and-sticky sauce we're used to, this one went all in on spicy. It had an addictive heat — even as a couple who can't handle spice well, we sniffled our way through it and finished every last bite.

The inside was soft and packed with juicy meat — a satisfying chicken !! It had an upscale dakgangjeong (sweet fried chicken)-like feel, well worth ordering at least once. If you like fries or sausage, the set menu pairs those in too.

Pairing with India Pale Ale

When things start to feel a bit greasy, a sip of the India Pale Ale's crisp bite cuts right through it, leaving everything feeling clean.

On top of that, it goes down really smoothly with just the right amount of carbonation, so it's easy to keep drinking without noticing. Drink responsibly !!!

They even sent us off with candy for dessert — such a thoughtful touch from the owner ~~ He asked if we enjoyed the meal and genuinely listened to our feedback. That kind of care and sincerity made me confident Raymond will keep thriving.