Thursday, April 13, 2023

88 Pocha @ Holland Village - Korean Street Food In A Vibrant Pojangmacha-style Eatery

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Newly joining the variety of dining options in Holland Village is 88 Pocha, brought in by a South Korean chef who has been living long-term in Singapore. Chef hopes to introduce the Korean Pojangmacha (covered wagon) culture and recreate the taste of his favourite Korean street food. The eatery is vibrantly styled with bright blue and red plastic dining furniture and has K-pop tunes playing through the space.

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The menu is interestingly categorised into A, B, C, D and E, alongside canned drinks, alcoholic options and desserts. Each category is priced in tiers, ranging from $8.88 to $28.88. We tried a couple of dishes across the categories.

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Gimmari 3.5/5

We started with the Gimmari ($8.88), which came in a portion of 4 pieces. Gimmari is fried seaweed rolls with a filling of glass noodles. Albeit crunchy, we found them too pricey for the size.

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Sausage Gimbap 3.5/5

Rolled in seaweed with rice, sausage and cheese filling, the Sausage Gimbap ($11.88) had a pleasant mild aroma of sesame oil.

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Corn Cheese Ramyeon 3.5/5

Their Corn Cheese Ramyeon ($11.88) reminded us a lot of the instant Samyang Volcano Noodles, with a milder heat. The noodles are tossed in the spice and topped with kernels, cheese, seaweed strips and sesame seeds. It wasn't too surprising in terms of taste, and we wished there was more to it at this price tag.

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Kimchi Pancake 4/5

Despite being a little oily, the Kimchi Pancake ($15.88) impressed me with its taste. The pancake was done nicely thin with a good crisp all around. Their rendition has less batter, with more kimchi and melted cheese laid on top.

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Half Fried Chicken 4.2/5

The Half Fried Chicken ($15.88) was done surprisingly well. Served with a side of sweet chilli sauce, each piece of fried chicken was fried to a spot-on crunch while retaining juicy meat within.

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Oden Soup 4/5

Lastly, we had the Oden Soup ($18.88). We appreciated how the Korean fish cake soup was served in a kettle over a gas stove that kept it hot throughout our meal. We wished they were a bit more generous with the comforting soup. We enjoyed the intentional slight heat in the soup and the sticks of soft Korean fish cakes.

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Beverages

For drinks, we opted for the canned drinks of Haitai Pear Juice ($3.88) and Milkis ($3.88). If you are interested in alcoholic beverages, you can expect a selection of Suntory highball creations, bottled beers, classic makgeolli and soju.

Photos and words by Jo. A girl who loves her Mala (麻辣) at Da La (大辣), discovering hidden food gems and a good cup of matcha latte. Note: This is an invited tasting.


88 Pocha
26A Lor Mambong
Singapore 277685
Tel: +65 62359950
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Nearest MRT: Holland Village (CC Line)

Opening Hours:
Mon-Fri: 1130am - 3pm, 530pm - 12midnight
Sat-Sun: 1130am - 12midnight

Direction:
1) Alight at Holland Village MRT station. Take Exit B. Turn left and walk to Lorong Liput. Turn right onto Lorong Liput. Walk down Lorong Liput and turn right onto Lorong Mambong. Walk to destination. Journey time about 5 minutes.[Map]

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