Coming out of the Vancouver Wine Festival Grand Tasting, it was late night and we were looking for a spot to grab a bite and sober up at.
Seeing as we were already downtown by the water, we thought to head to Robson Street, knowing that something would still be open and serving food past 11pm. Our options were limited this late, but we ended grabbing a limousine in order to fit our entire 8 person party into one vehicle. It was quicker and cheaper than trying to hail multiple Ubers on our own. Plus the adventure made for a good story to tell in the future.
After our first choice was closed, we walked a few units down to found our way to Hongdae Pocha Korean BBQ. As a “Pocha” we knew they would be open later. The term “Pocha” is an abbreviation of the Korean term “pojangmacha”, which translates to “covered wagon”. This refers to small street stalls, carts, or tents that sell street food and alcoholic beverages as an informal, late-night dining and drinking spot.
They were able to seat us right away on their upper mezzanine floor. There, we continued to drink, so grew increasingly rowdy, to the point that the staff had to ask us to tone it down. Although we got in several rounds of soju and shots, plus had a handful of cheers, (which is commonplace at a Pocha), before that.
As for food we ravaged a few shared dishes, where I was able to get in a few blurred photos and small bites between our group of tipsy 8. The following is what I can recollect.
The Korean Army Hot Pot is a must. Spicy, saucy, and comforting with a mix of Sausage, Spam, Kimchi, Pork Belly, Assorted vegetables, Garlic, and Beans. The menu lists it coming with two bowls of rice, but I don’t remember having any or seeing either.
We did add on a brick of ramen noodles for $3 more, but it didn’t come until the very end. By then it was just a thin layer of thick neon red sauce that remained, and we did our best to soften the noodles within its pool the best we could. Many of us were still hungry and this too quickly disappeared. Safe to it was a hit and hit the spot.
Korean fried chicken and fries is another late night, drunken eat, must. A mix of crispy fried light and dark meat served with equally crispy French fries. This one delivered on exactly what we expected.
The Egg Pancake Roll was a fun and lighter appetizer. I don’t know how many eggs went into this, but there were enough pieces for each of us. Egg, Green onion, Onion, and carrot, served with Ketchup. This was basically an omelet, but folded with multiple layers for dinner.
The Chapaguri caught our eye, as the menu described it as “The noodle dish from the movie “Parasite””. This is a sweet and salty dry noodle that is prepared with two types of instant noodles: Chapagetti and Neoguri. On the plain side, you have it for its chew and as a starch for the chicken above.
And naturally, our meal also came with the typical Korean sides. We shared kimchi, chilli beansprouts, and dipping sauces.
In short, this did the trick. We enjoyed our food and each other’s company in a settling that invited it.
Hongdae Pocha Korean BBQ
1642 Robson St, Vancouver, BC V6G 1C7
(604) 681-8252
hongdaepochacafe.com
