The Deep Dish: Gung Ho! Offers Healthier Alternatives That Don't Sacrifice Taste

In the lead up to our September 16-17 Pizza Fest in Wangjing Soho, The Deep Dish will be previewing a few of the restaurants that you can expect to see slinging their thick, gooey, and tomatoey slabs of doughy goodness. Now that you're hot and dribbling, let's go!

The journey of pizza exploration in Beijing is endless. We've stumbled upon melting cheese mountains in deep-dish pies and ungodly amounts of pepperoni on thin crusts, smiling and drooling all the while. But our noble quest to scour the city for the best pies, observe, eat, and report to you takes its toll eventually. The heart is willing, but its arteries are growing increasingly clogged with our recent pizza-rific diet. So we made a stop at Gung Ho! Pizza in an effort to restore balance with its healthier, innovative options that never compromising on taste.

The kings and pioneers of pizza delivery in Beijing currently have three restaurants open, at Shuangjing, Sanlitun, and Xihongmen. Their pizza is still generously sprinkled with enough cheese to make any sheet of paper completely see-through with its grease, but you can opt for more vegetables (more than the usual vegetarian options, anyway) and healthier meat toppings, or a whole-wheat crust for extra fiber. 

Gung Ho! Pizza has been serving hungry Beijingers since 2010 when they started their delivery service. With their reputation growing steadily, the Gung Ho! guys decided to put a few tables in their restaurants for those who would rather eat out or use their lunch break as an opportunity to get out of the office. Gung Ho! are one of the most environmentally conscious companies in Beijing – by recycling, (and using 100% recycled menu paper), they reduced waste by 50.6% by 2014. Environmental concerns come with a dash of creativity, inspiring the company to use bricks from mining waste and particle boards made from the discarded wheat straw in their stores. Gung Ho! comes from the masterminds behind Pyro (check out their piece of Pizza Fest preview here) and Lush in Wudaokou. 

Their pizzas come with plenty of options, including those for the gluten-free among us. The menu includes our beloved pepperoni (RMB 38-86), Margherita (RMB 38-86) and fancier options of New Zealand lamb pizza (RMB 66-143) or mussel pizza (RMB 66-143). My heart goes out to the Spinach pesto pizza (RMB 48-110), which will convert anyone thinking tofu has no flavor. 

Beyond their pizzas, Gung Ho! is rich with sides. Their roasted sweet potato chips (RMB 35) served with blue cheese or ranch dip is a knee-weakener and six different flavors (BBQ, Lemon Pepper, Spicy Buffalo, Teriyaki and Spicy Hunan) of wings serve as a versatile sidekick for your myriad pizza flavors.

When the savory part is over, let your mouth water over the soft but crispy double-chocolate fudge brownie (RMB 20) or the chocolate-banana calzone with crushed roasted almonds (RMB 30). 

Gung Ho! also offers attractive weekday offers (pizza upsizes, half-price salads or pizza) which surely make it an easy choice when scrolling through lunch possibilities on your phone or when you can't be bothered to cook dinner after an 8-hour work day. So next time you see a delivery driver dressed in bright pink, with a flag attached to the back of his scooter, let them pass, someone is expecting their share of Gung Ho!. 

Find your new lunch favorites from Gung Ho! at the September 16-17 Pizza Fest in Wangjing Soho.

Images: courtesy of Gung Ho!

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