Shin Jung owner Michael Lee was just a wee lad in the ’90s when he traversed the multisensory extravaganza of Seoul’s Jeongseon Market teeming with vendors, hawkers and, most notably, bustling food stalls. “I remember holding my grandmother’s hand when I saw the market for the first time. On one side, people made steamed dumplings; on the other, they made beef stews and noodles, drank Korean rice wines, laughed and smiled. It captured my complete attention. The lighting, taste, smell, vibrant atmosphere and all the different small kiosks left an indelible impression on me.”
So much so that some 30-odd years later, Lee re-created the memory by launching Pocha 93, “the first restaurant in the city based on a street in 1990s South Korea.” That’s a pretty niche theme for an Orlando restaurant, but the manner in which it’s accoutered will certainly draw comparisons to Japanese restos Juju in Colonialtown or Susuru on Palm Parkway. The mass of Korean paraphernalia decorating the Hiawassee restaurant, particularly a restaurant of this size (it was once an Orlando Ale House), is impressive. As is Boy Kong’s trippy mural — a psychedelic “Last Supper” with a couple of anxious-looking toads, a greedy tiger and an angry magpie amid a table of grilled LA galbi and banchan.
The toads are reminiscent of soju producer Jinro’s mascot and, crooooooak, soju was had. This is a Korean pub, after all, and drinking is practically a pre-condition of dining here. We were even spurred on by our lively server. “I love to drink!” she proclaimed, and it didn’t take much for us to fall in line. And soaking up all the beer and cocktails? Why, plates of pocha-style pub grub, of course.
Pocha is a contraction of pojangmacha, a catch-all term for covered food stalls and food carts specializing in street fare in South Korea. And there’s nothing more street than army stew ($25) — a blistering broth with an interesting backstory. During the Korean War, Koreans relied on the generosity of American troops and so a soup of instant noodles, kimchi, tofu and gochujang saw baked beans, American cheese, sausage and Spam added to the mix to create a true fusion staple. As the stew gurgled on our table, more dishes entered the fray — a deopbap of pan-fried kimchi and pork served over rice ($8), and a fluffy, custardy gyeran-jjim soufflé ($6). Both amped up Pocha’s street cred in our collective opinions.
And the protein-packed punches didn’t stop there. Maekjeok ($11), succulent pork belly wet aged in soybean paste and a soy-honey marinade, then topped with a mess of spicy strips of sesame-flecked dry radishes, was an instant favorite. We happily stomached the belly with sides of bean sprouts and gossamer rounds of pickled radish. The sweet heat of sticky Korean fried chicken ($11) made it a pleasure to gnaw the bones down to their finger-licking conclusion in a manner of minutes, while the swai katsu, a fall menu offering of panko-fried swai fish ($15) slathered in tartar sauce and served with an apple slaw, is a dish deserving of all-season status.
But when you hear, then smell, the sizzle of beef on a tabletop grill, it’s hard to resist a bit of DIY meat play. And Pocha 93 — the “93,” BTW, refers to the year when Shin Jung was established in Mills 50 — offers some quality Angus cuts of hanger steak ($12 for 4 ounces) and LA galbi short ribs ($14 for 8 ounces). We seared them in beef tallow, scissored them into bite-sized pieces, then stuffed them into perilla and romaine lettuce leaves coated with soybean paste. Lee says that wagyu beef omakases are in the offing, but I’m secretly hoping he can get his hands on some prized (and rare) Hanwoo beef from South Korea. That said, he’s not about to go all highbrow with his pub.
“I want to do more traditional dishes,” he says. “Fishcake skewers, bloody sausage, offal — not just trendy stuff.” Lee says he’s also planning karaoke nights, which is fine by me. I don’t mind singing Pocha 93’s praises.
Pocha 93
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This article appears in Nov 6-12, 2024.
