Gastronome

Thank Q Pocha’s take on budae jjigae, Military Stew, before and after it is cooked at the table (Before)

I have this affinity for soju. I like to say it’s because I am part Korean, and maybe that’s true, but really, it just tastes good.

So when pictures of apple-flavored soju served in cored-out apples began popping up on Instagram, I was intrigued. Through some perfectly healthy stalking, I discovered where I could get it: Thank Q Pocha, a new-ish restaurant/ bar located, naturally, near Koreamoku (in the spot formerly occupied by Sushi San).

“Pocha” is short for “po-jangmacha,” which, as Thank Q Pocha describes on its Facebook page, basically is like the Korean equivalent of an izakaya. And as much as I do love a good izakaya (Nonbei is my favorite), the experience at Thank Q Pocha was, well, way more fun.

It began, of course, with cocktails. Sadly, I refrained from ordering the Fresh Apple Soju. (I went with my boyfriend, who foolishly didn’t want to sip soju from an apple.)

Beach & Peach

I did, however, sample something equally, if not even more captivating: a Beach and Peach. It sounded like any ordinary fruity cocktail. But it was the “magic cloud,” aka a plume of cotton candy, that it came topped with that I could not get over.

It was a great drink and had it not been a Monday evening with an early start the next day, I would have ordered other ones as well, like Shark Attack, which comes complete with a gaudy red and blue plastic shark.

Essentially, it fulfilled everything I had hoped for.

It was a pleasant surprise, then, when the food also met my social media-fueled expectations. (Seriously, look up #thankqpocha on Instagram.)

Much of the menu reads like usual Korean bar fare. There is ddukbokki and fried chicken, along with the more unusual like Teriyaki Chicken Gizzard.

I ordered Uncle Bong’s Handmade Fried Mandoo to start, which arrived plump, hot and crispy.

Thank Q Pocha’s take on budae jjigae, Military Stew, before and after it is cooked at the table (After)

Then came something that I probably could have made at home, but always had dreamed about eating in real life: budae jjigae. It’s kind of like a kitchen sink-style ramen that you can put anything into that originated from Korean War days. Appropriately, Thank Q Pocha calls it Military Stew. Their take included hard-boiled eggs, rice cakes, fish cake, cabbage and scallions. It comes to the table cooking over a hot plate and takes about 10 minutes to finish.

When I ordered, I asked if they could make it slightly less spicy, but I guess no one got the memo. It was … hot. Delicious, but so spicy I broke out in perspiration and my nose wouldn’t stop running.

I would totally order it again.

The only dissatisfaction I felt during an otherwise great date night? The service. Thank Q Pocha relies on call buttons to get the attention of waiters. Ours was rather inattentive, and I ended up having to push it three times before he meandered over.

Still, I’m already planning my next visit there. This time, perhaps without the boyfriend or just with more friends, because I would really like to sip soju out of little apples.