En route to my intended restaurant for the week, I learned that it accepts cash only. Cashless and not interested in an ATM stop, I called an audible (after all, it is football season…) and reset the Grubmobile navigation for K Pocha, which sits on Kingston Pike, not far from West Town Mall.
The Grub Spouse and I were directed by the host/server on duty to a specific table upon entering the establishment, which has a modestly sized dining area and a small bar that serves beer only. We took our seats and dove into the menu, which offers up a variety of Korean street foods.
Categories include kimbap (sushi-style rice, vegetables, meats, etc.), tang (soup) and ramen bowls. I also spotted several fried chicken dishes, which put me in the mind of an Asian-food
eatery in Farragut, where I dined several years ago on some awesome fried chicken topped with white onions. K Pocha serves up similar dishes, but this time around, I decided to gravitate toward other things.
Also on the menu are several meat platters featuring bulgogi, spicy pork and stir-fried chicken feet. Many dishes come with sides, and those range from corn cheese fries and a Korean corn dog to a kimchi pancake and fried dumplings.
The Spouse ordered one of four different bibimbap dishes, offerings for which include a bulgogi version and one with kimchi, fried rice and SPAM. The Spouse went with the classic rice-and-veggies-only version ($13.99), declining the addition of a fried egg for $1 more. This meal features rice, bean sprouts, radish, shredded carrots, spinach, shitake mushrooms and cabbage.
I was intrigued by the tteok-bokki, which the menu touts as one of the most popular street foods in Korea. The original is made with rice cakes and fish cake, but I went with the rose tteok-bokki ($12.99), which the menu described as featuring a sweet cream sauce, sausage and broccoli.
Our server delivered our meals one at a time, beginning with my tteok-bokki. The bowl indeed contained small sausages (about the size of a Vienna sausage) in an orange cream sauce. I also spotted quite a few finger-sized items in the mix that I would best describe as dumplings, based on their texture. And although I didn’t see any broccoli in the mix, there was a fair representation of sliced onions.
Menu discrepancies aside, I really liked this dish. The dumplings were delightful, and the sausage and onion came through with savory and tart notes, respectively. I was particularly fond of the cream sauce, which was notably spicy but not so much that I broke out in heat sweats. The spice level was sufficient, however, to unclog my sinuses.
Our server had delivered a bottle of sauce that she recommended The Spouse integrate into the bibimbap dish. I thought the rice and veggie mix was delicious both on its own and with the sauce mixed in. The Spouse wasn’t especially hungry that evening, but I enjoyed the bites I sampled, plus I got to finish off the rest of the platter for lunch the next day, and I still thought it was a satisfying dish, even in the absence of any protein components.
I left appreciating several things about K Pocha. I enjoyed both dishes we ordered, and I found the service to be diligent and accommodating. The aesthetics of the dining area aren’t especially notable, but that didn’t detract from what I thought was an overall pleasant experience. And if nothing else, the menu was straightforward, and the process of ordering wasn’t nearly as befuddling and overwhelming as it was at the previous Korean-food restaurant I visited, KPOT in Turkey Creek.
K Pocha isn’t gimmicky or fancy-shmancy, but when it comes to serving up delicious Korean street food, this West Knoxville restaurant definitely checks the boxes that matter.
K Pocha
Food: 4
Service: 4
Atmosphere: 3.75
Overall: 4
Address: 7315 Kingston Pk.
Phone: 865-598-0047
Beer service only
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon-9 p.m. Sunday
This West Knoxville eatery is a good destination for fans of authentic Korean street foods.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: K Pocha serves delicious Korean street food sans gimmicks | Grub Scout
