Lee Jaemo Pizza (이재모피자) is one of those Busan restaurants that people keep telling you to try. Not pork soup, not milmyeon, not seafood. Pizza.
I first tried it almost ten years ago, and I remember feeling a little confused at the time. It was good, but not the kind of food that felt unforgettable right away. Then after the trip, I kept thinking about it.
This visit felt similar. While I was eating, I thought, yes, this is a nice pizza. After coming back home, though, I started thinking about it again. Clearly, it stayed with me.
The Waiting Is Part of the Deal
Lee Jaemo Pizza is famous for its wait, especially at the main branch. You register your number at the Catch Table kiosk in front of the restaurant, then wait for the KakaoTalk alert.
The main branch has two spaces, Main Branch 1 and Main Branch 2, right next to each other. You can register for both if you don’t care which one you enter first. I was being stubborn and only registered for Main Branch 1 because I wanted the original branch. If you just want the shortest wait, registering for both is probably smarter.
I arrived around 11:30am on a Saturday and got a number in the 60s. It took about an hour before we were seated.
One thing to know: when your turn gets close, you need to confirm your arrival within 15 minutes while you are within 300 meters of the restaurant. The sign said the arrival check starts when you are 25th in line, so keep an eye on your phone. If you miss it, your spot can disappear, so this is not the time to put your phone away.
Also, the main branch is closed on Sundays. Double-check before you go, but don’t make Sunday your Lee Jaemo Pizza day.
The good thing is that the restaurant is near Gukje Market (국제시장), so waiting doesn’t have to mean standing around outside. We walked through the market for a bit, then came back when our number got closer.
When we were near the 25th spot, we waited at a cafe right next to the restaurant and cooled down with iced coffee. If you are visiting in summer, taking a coffee break nearby makes the wait much easier.
Inside the Main Branch
The restaurant was much bigger inside than I expected. There were a lot of guests, a lot of staff, and several serving robots moving around the floor.
Even with the crowd, it didn’t feel messy. It felt like a very busy restaurant that has the system down, which helped once we finally sat down.
Ordering and payment are both done from the tablet at your table. We ordered the two things I had been thinking about: Lee Jaemo Crust Pizza and kimchi fried rice.
The pizza was the main reason we came, and the kimchi fried rice was the side dish I was most curious about. I had heard people mention it enough times that I wanted to see why a pizza restaurant had such a popular fried rice dish.
Pickles First, Then Wait for the Robot
Pickles and drinks are self-service near the entrance. The pickles don’t automatically come to the table, so I would grab them right after ordering.
That sounds like a tiny detail, but with a cheese-heavy pizza, pickles matter. You want that sharp, crunchy break ready before the pizza arrives.
The pizza came out on a serving robot. The staff still helped around the table when needed, but the robot service made sense for a restaurant this busy.
The kimchi fried rice came out almost right after the pizza, so we could start everything at once. I love when that happens. Pizza first and fried rice ten minutes later would have been a very different mood.
The Lee Jaemo Crust Pizza
We ordered the large Lee Jaemo Crust Pizza because there were two of us and we were being ambitious. If you are visiting as two people, I would honestly recommend the regular size unless you are extremely hungry or planning to pack leftovers.
The large is generous. Delicious, yes, but generous.
Lee Jaemo Pizza used to be especially known for using Imsil cheese, which has a strong reputation in Korea. Recently, they changed to their own cheese, and I know some people had opinions about it.
For me, the cheese still felt abundant. The dough was thin, so the cheese and toppings stood out more than the bread itself. It wasn’t a heavy, bready pizza. The cheese still felt like the main point of the pizza, which was what I wanted from Lee Jaemo in the first place.
While eating, it felt like a straightforward, well-made cheese pizza rather than something unusual. But after the meal, it was the kind of taste I kept remembering. Simple, but it works.
The Kimchi Fried Rice Was the Surprise
This was my first time ordering the kimchi fried rice here. I was curious because, honestly, how good does fried rice have to be for people to talk about it at a pizza restaurant?
It turned out to be better than I expected.
The rice was nicely separated instead of mushy, which is already half the battle with fried rice. The kimchi and bacon gave it enough saltiness, and there was a light smoky flavor that made it taste more satisfying than I expected.
This was honestly the dish that surprised me most. I went for the pizza, but I’d order the kimchi fried rice again without hesitation.
We scraped the plate clean. It was that good.
Pack the Leftovers
There are self-packing stations around the restaurant, so if you order too much, you can pack the remaining pizza yourself.
This is another reason I don’t regret ordering the large size. We couldn’t finish it, but packing it was easy.
We packed three slices and ate them the next morning. Leftover pizza for breakfast is not exactly a Busan food plan, but I was very happy with it.
Even after the cheese change, Lee Jaemo Pizza still feels like one of those Busan restaurants worth trying at least once. I wouldn’t plan my whole Busan trip around it, but if you are already near Nampo-dong, Gukje Market, or Gwangbok-dong, it makes a lot of sense.
Just go with patience, keep your phone close during the wait, and order the kimchi fried rice too.
Where to Find It
Lee Jaemo Pizza Main Branch (이재모피자 본점)
Address: 31 Gwangbokjungang-ro, Jung-gu, Busan
Area: Nampo-dong / Gwangbok-dong, near Gukje Market
Good for: cheese-crust pizza, kimchi fried rice, a very Busan-famous local pizza stop.
Tip: Waiting can be serious on weekends. The main branch is usually closed on Sundays, but hours can change, so check the latest map listing before you go.
Open Lee Jaemo Pizza in Google Maps →
Visited on a Saturday around lunchtime. Restaurant details checked July 2026; hours and waiting rules can change.
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