Gung Ho! Gung Ho! It's off to work they go (to make pizzas)

Last night in the super swanky environs of the penthouse of the Opposite House, Gung Ho! was launched. This involved some sponataneous and compulsory Haka dancing, the chance to paint one's own pizza box and the opportunity to listen to Gung Ho! supremos Jade and John wax lyrical about dreaming a dream, the efficacy of several types of flour and plucky World Cup underdogs New Zealand. "Enough of the revelry that one would expect from the brains behind student hangouts Lush and Pyro hurry up and tell me about the pizza" is what I'd be thinking at this point so here goes.

The pies, as people often call pizzas despite it being a little confusing, are spot on. There's a bit of something for everyone (yes, even you, tofu fans) and they taste as organic as they are described. Wholewheat pizza bases and a variety of simple if unorthodox toppings makes for decent eating. Pesto, octopus and soaked berries appear on the menu but thankfully not on the same pizza. Think a more palatable version of Nasca Cafe's pizzas (there's no banana and custard at Gung Ho!) and you're on the right track.

Where can you get one? I'll tell you where. At Gung Ho! This is in China View so just head to Hooters and follow the pink shirts that claim to "know where you live" and you'll find it. The store opens on Thursday, there's some seats but it is mostly delivery and if you live in Chaoyang then the likelihood is that they may soon know where you live. Or at least the apartment across the corridor where you get your pizzas delivered.

Check the Beijinger blog for a review of Gung Ho! in full after it opens on Thursday. For the meantime stop wondering why there is a need for an exclamation point in their name and look here at PR Ninja-Pirate Rich Akers' version of the Gung Ho! story:

"Commando entrepreneur and student honey trap builder Jade Gray and ex-Domino Sith Lord slash lad-about-town John O'Loghlen share little in common except New Zealand ancestry (barring the whole North Island/South Island rivalry) and a shared passion for making bags of cash. Oh, and they both quite like pizza.

So the unlikely duo joined unto an unholy alliance and swore unto the Gods of the Long White Cloud that they would venture forth into the world of pizza and return with a winning pizza concept or on one. So venture forth they did, seeking north and south, high and low. Maidens were deflowered, frequent flyer miles drained, and credit cards were split in twain, but to no avail.

Tired and dejected, heavily layered in the dust of many miles (except for John, impeccably attired as always), the duo returned to the shores of New Zealand. Together, they sat down in the sand and reflected over their journey over a can of Steinlager. One brother, (both being deep in their cups they recalled not which) cried out, "Christ I'm hungry!" to which a wise old stoner hiding behind a smoking bush replied, "Bloody hell! Check out the pizza joint over there you wankers!".

(Cue fanfare)

And thus it was, that the two noble-ish heroes did indeed discover what they were looking for, about five miles from where they started. After much facepalming the two swore a new oath, which was to create a little Antipodean slice (natch) of heaven somewhere down Sanlitun way. The moral of the story being, "Check us out, it's f-ing great, we spent a lot of bloody time and energy getting it that way. Cheers!"