Gastronomical #3

STRA POCHA

Stra Pocha is one of the more popular Korean restaurants around so being curious, I've tried it once with my church fellowship, and then again with my family. While the restaurant is small it's cosy and well ventilated (no escaping the bbq smell on your clothes afterwards though). The service was good and the calling system was pretty rad. It's advisable to book prior to arrival, as it does get filled up quite quickly. Onto the food!

The food here is made to share so the more people you come with, the merrier! Many of the dishes come in different levels of spiciness, ranging from one chilli to three chillies for the hardcore. The complimentary banchan (side dishes) were served in generous helpings and varieties but they are standard and unremarkable compared to some restaurants.

Fried Chicken with Melted Cheese on Hotplate ($35)

In a nutshell this dish was the bomb! Crispy deep-fried chicken with a tender centre placed on top of a base of oil and cheese soaked bread. Make sure you drizzle the cheese over the chicken as soon as it arrives or you may find it difficult when the dish cools down. Zero percent spicy and a hundred percent yummy. True to this Instagram theme.. #foodporn #jooicy #cheeseporn #urbanspoonrecommend #foodcoma ...Oh, mum looked over my shoulder just now and she reckoned the chicken was a bit too dry for her liking but the flavour's well balanced. So that's a second opinion. 

Spicy rice cake hotpot ($25)

This dish had an assortment of canned ham, vegetables, rice cakes, fish cakes, egg, ramen and cheese. It was addictive and there was something so right about that assortment drenched in a spicy, oddly sweet soup base. 

Special Hot Sauce BBQ Chicken ($30)

How brave or foolish are you? Please bring along a first aid kit that contains plenty of dairy, bread, and tissues to wipe your sweat. This is one of the dishes that comes in three spicy levels but even one chilli was murderous for the fainthearted like me. You know what the weird thing was? The more I ate, the more I ate. No regrets mate!

Jinro Soju (Can't recall price)

That was the time I was acquainted with an allergy I never knew I had - an allergy to SOME varieties of alcohol. After three shots I felt my cheeks swell and an itch in my throat, mouth and arm. It was definitely not the Asian flush. Other than that, I thought it tasted pretty similar to straight shots of vodka. My friend finished the rest of this bottle.