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    Go Pocha

    4.2 (373 reviews)
    ModerateKorean, Bars
    Closed 5:00 pm - 2:00 am (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Go Pocha Photos

    Business Info

    GO POCHA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Go Pocha

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    Jenny K.

    Felt really rushed by a server to place in our food order. I understand that they wanted to go home but we had over 40mins before kitchen closes. Yes we were a bigger group in size, but one or two main dishes won't fill our table. Another server kept yelling that they are closed as soon it hit closing time. A lot of us packed up our order and finished our food outside in the togo boxes since we felt bad because we went overtime but less than 10 mins. For most part food was good. I guess to be able to enjoy our meal better, we will need to come at least 3hrs before closing time. Inside has a cool concept with graffiti arts on the wall though.

    Jeenee Y.

    It's been years but for old times we wanted to give this place another try. Odang soup was SPICY (I choked on the soup being soooo spicy) cream corn was just cream corn but I did enjoy Kimchi pancake. Just seems like this place is dead now :/ so sad. Service was good, although they had no zero soju and only 2 kinds of beer :(

    Spicy boneless chicken with cheese
    J H H.

    Perfect place if you like spicy food. The portions are generous for its price. Each dish could feed 2-3 people. The spicy chicken is of course very spicy but very good. The clam soup is clear and refreshing but surprisingly also spicy. The servers were great and the place had a good number of small and large tables.

    Kimchi Fried Rice
    Mason A.

    The vibe in here is one of a kind! It gives you you some grunge divey vibes and the drinks are varied and relatively cheap! The rice is piping hot and so tasty; it makes for a great late-night or pregame spot if you are going somewhere nearby. The parking lot is usually pretty crowded, which is as expected, but typically the wait inside isn't too long. Can't wait to go to Go Pocha next time I go by here!

    Truc T.

    Not too Shabby for a late eat/drink! Standard Korean Bar style place, & came on late Saturday night with friends for the vibes. Food & Drinks: Not a great selection of soju but the food was fairly decent. Corn Cheese: Overly Sweet Kimchi Fried Rice w/Egg: Good, would spread & let griddle char the rice a bit for crispiness. Army Stew: Standard & good! Employees will take a shot with you if you offer, decent food/vibe, but overall I personally like the other places in Ktown!

    The food, staff and vibes are amazing! The server was very helpful with explaining some of the dishes to my friends and I. Thanks for making my birthday special!

    Tteokbokki
    Derek T.

    If you want a taste of that street food life in Korea, then Go Pocha might just do it for you. The interior is designed to look like, well, a korean bar and what not. So naturally you need to drink some soju or somaek. First thing that happens is they give you some complimentary eggs, whether you want to let it sit or try to turn it into an omelette is up to you. Next, street foods. I'm a sucker for fish cake soup, tteobokki, and cheese over grilled pork. So yeah, that's what we went with and it's all delicious. I definitely ate more than my peers oops. Pair everything with a bottle or seven of soju and beer and you are in for a eventful night out in ktown.

    Shania W.

    We stumbled upon Go Pocha pretty randomly on a Saturday night. We had planned to go to LA Tofu House next-door, but their wait time was crazy so we decided to check out Go Pocha instead. What a blessing! I'm so happy I got to try this place. The interior had good vibes and was set up like other Korean bars. Right off the bat, we were each given a complimentary egg. We then ordered the Army Stew and Seafood Pancake to split among 3 of us. The service was super quick and attentive; we were brought out our food immediately. The food itself was great! The Army Stew was packed with toppings, and the flavor was delicious. The Seafood Pancake was on the eggier side and not as crispy but still solid. We had enough to eat for the 3 of us with just the 2 dishes, so the cost per person ended up being super reasonable as well. The parking is all valet which I think was $4. In general, I recommend coming to this place for late-night food with a group of friends!

    Fish Cake Soup
    Jeremiah M.

    It was a busy weekend where concerts and other events were happening all throughout the city. It was already late at night almost 11pm when my group of friends came in. We were a party of 8, yet Go Pocha came in clutch and were able to get us a whole big table right away. For my order I got the Fish Cake Soup. It wasn't anything special but the broth was rich in flavour and was perfect after a concert. Although I wished I ordered something more solid rather than soup. I also drank so much boricha throughout the night I probably went through more cups of it than the whole table combined. My bad for being dehydrated that day, oops. I think if my group wasn't so tired that night we probably would have ordered some bottles of soju as well, that probably would have made the night more exciting. Go Pocha seems like a fun place to be if you have the right energy and some drinks. I would try this place out again with better energy.

    Outside
    Jon A.

    Came here Sunday night around 11pm after rehearsal and it wasn't busy at all. I was so surprised by the cool interior where it felt very intimate and very vibey! They also were playing a lot of KPop music videos on the screen and it was pretty hype. The servers were super nice and very attentive to us. And the price range wasn't too bad because we did family style and tried a bunch of things. I'm also not usually a fan of spicy foods (I do love the sauce & flavors though) but it's a new year so I was feeling very open-minded to trying something new. We had the Rabokki (a type of Tteokbokki), Army Stew, Spicy Boneless Chicken with Cheese, Jokbal (Pig Feet), and Corn Cheese to share. And we even got surprised with a fruit platter at the end. I must say it was pretty spicy for some of the foods but they were so delicious and it was a good amount of portions to share. I'd say the rabokki, boneless chicken with cheese and corn cheese were my favorites! Definitely recommend those if you ever visit here! Will totally come back again another time! :)

    Tteokboki
    Mich W.

    Came here for a birthday party and it's such a good vibe!! Called a day ahead and reserved a table for 14 of us, which they had no problems with, so very accommodating for large parties. The service was great, and they gave us 2 free dishes and 3 free bottles of Soju! The food was delicious, some favorites were the sautéed chicken gizzards, seafood pancake, and the kimchi fried rice. Would definitely come again for a late night meal and drinks with friends

    Ash Y.

    my friend and i went here after a concert and tried their kimchi fried rice along with their kimchi bacon pasta. not to be dramatic, but the kimchi pasta was the best one i've ever had in ktown which is saying along because i've tried many of them. both were excellent dishes with surprisingly different flavors. they even gave us a complimentary egg dish and also the place was super cute inside. not to mention, the server was also super friendly and always tried to assist us.

    Esther J.

    I love that they give you free egg! Tables are quick and easy to get and the service is pretty good too. We got the kimchi rice balls and they were amazing!! So simple yet sooo good and the perfect little snack before a night out. The atmosphere is very chill with cute scribbles and drawings all over the wooden walls. We had fun reading the writings written by past drunk people. I love the lighted tree in the middle of the bar :) A super good pregame spot!

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    5 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Great food and great vibes! Their seafood spicy soup is to die for-- and their calamari fries-- !!

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    8 months ago

    Awesome Service! Yummy food always great times! It's our go to Pocha! Fun decor with all the hwato cards.

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    1 year ago

    Food was really yummy and the vibes just added to it definitely come with your friends for a good time :)

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    8 months ago

    Great food, great service! Took our group there and had a great time. Great atmosphere as well.

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    Page 1 of 10

    Ask the Community - Go Pocha

    Is happy hour still available here?

    Are they open for pick up right now (today is 5/2/20)?

    When is happy hour?

    Sun-thu until 8pm, fri-sat until 7pm

    View All 5 Questions

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    Hangari Kalguksu - (LARGE) Hangari Bossam

    Hangari Kalguksu

    4.4(3.2k reviews)
    0.4 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$
    Women-owned & operated
    10 years in business

    Visited Hangari on Saturday evening to try their renown Kalguksu with some friends. I've known that…read morespecific parking lot/strip mall to be a nightmare parking wise, so I bit the bullet and used the on-site valet. There is sometimes street parking but the availability is rough, it's tough to park, and even one of the meters we ended up at just didn't work. They only charge a $5 cash service charge though, which isn't bad. We were lucky to be seated right away, even in a packed restaurant. The restaurant has a surprisingly modern design, and is comfortable for as small as it is. We were quickly served their signature kimchis and barley rice. The kimchi, particularly the yeolmu (young summer radish) kimchi, has a unique flavor profile well suited to their food. We ordered 2 bowls of their plain kalgooksu, 1 bibim milmyun, and 1 tteokbokki. The food came out fairly quickly. The kalgooksu was as expected the star of the show. The anchovy broth brings a savory complexity that seems impossible for a soup made from just dried fish and a few other ingredients. It even has a rich, almost thick, quality to it that is surprising for a fish broth. Their noodles, the titular kalgooksu, have the signature irregularity and chew of knife cut noodles. I appreciate the vegetables that always come in kalgooksu, like potato, pumpkin, and zucchini, which offer an earthy heartiness to the light soup. My only complaint is that the potato is in huge irregular chunks, and is barely cooked, though I feel like I have had this issue with many of the kalgooksu bowls I've had over the years. The bibim milmyun was solid. I think that I prefer the texture and flavor of naengmyeon buckwheat noodles, but the milmyun, which are made with mostly wheat flour, still provide a satisfying chew. The sauce tasted bright and fresh, especially with a splash of added vinegar. It also came with a small side portion of spicy pork and some rice paper to wrap. The tteokbokki was the one let down of the meal. To be fair, I wasn't expecting much out of tteokbokki at all restaurant like this whose specialty is essentially the opposite. I ordered the tteokbokki as a "safe pick" for a picky eater in the group. It turned out to be a bit mediocre in our opinion, and that friend ended up enjoying their kalgooksu anyways. If you're looking to try this dish, it's definitely one of if not the best I've had in Southern California, so I'd totally recommend it. I'll also warn to steer clear of the Garden Grove restaurant of the same name and specialty. I think it's a disappointing mimicry of this place.

    Heard great things about this restaurant so I was very excited to try it while I was in town. Came…read moreon Sunday night at 7pm, and was very pleasantly surprised they had plenty of open tables to seat our party of 3 immediately. What we ordered: - Clam Kalguksu (5/5): this was sooo good! The noodle texture and broth favor was amazing. I would definitely order this again if I come back! - Large Bossam (4.5/5): I absolutely love bossam and this was exactly what I expect when I order bossam. Only reason it's not 5/5 is it's not really any different from bossam elsewhere. Overall, this place is definitely worth the hype and I will be come back when I'm in the ktown area again!

    Photos
    Hangari Kalguksu - Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Belly and Jowl & Chicken-KALGUKSU

    Hangari Kalguksu - Bossam jowl combo

    Bossam jowl combo

    Hangari Kalguksu - (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

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    (MEDIUM) Hangari Bossam (Serves 2)

    Anju House - covered patio seating

    Anju House

    4.4(695 reviews)
    0.9 miKoreatown
    $$
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

    It was my first time here. The place is very nice and love the decor…read more The parking is valet or street parking. The service was very good. The chicken was a little in the dry side but overall all the food was good. We will be back!

    I'll start with the positives. The location is very nice. Designed with an elegant, but…read moreminimalistic vibe. I love that, traditional mixed modern social dining feel. I had placed a phone order, for pick up; upon arrival, I found the service was prompt. I saw my food ready to go, just past the main walk-in area. Almost immediately after that, I was taken care of by the host and on my way. I've been waiting to try this place for ages so on the drive back to work I was excited to steal a piece of meat from the bag. Initial bite flavor was good, meat was tender just a bit on the chewy side.. I wasn't bothered by it too much as I'd have to leave it in an oven warmer at work. Trying to keep food warm, in doing so, I knew there'd be only two possible outcomes, melting tender or either tough & dry. So, the dish of meat and rice sat in the warmer for almost an hour hour and a half. The downhill slope.... Set the "meat " on the veggies and began to eat. Meat after meat, I kept experiencing the same exact texture. It was the same exact rubbery chew, I initially tasted. Each and every piece was the same exact flavor. There was no peak, there was no pitfall. If you cook or grill, you know this is a red flag. Normally, consistency would be a good thing, a Master craftsman type experience, but this was NOT it. As go on, I get the sinking feeling, this can't be real meat. I lock in, the deeper I dig, each piece looks the same, broken apart the same, tastes the same, just various shapes. They can call me crazy for this one - I'll stand by it. Something is not right here. I'm not even going to throw it away. I'm going to study it for the next few days and post an updated review. I hope I'm wrong but as of right now, I'll never revisit this place. Too freaky of an experience. We

    Photos
    Anju House
    Anju House - Inside

    Inside

    Anju House

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    Danbi - Wagyu zabuton

    Danbi

    4.5(383 reviews)
    0.3 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    We went shortly after they opened and it got busier as the night went on. The Honey butter chips…read moreare dripping with the honey butter sauce & I wished I had a whole bowl of that. The Grilled jowl was thinly sliced & one of my favorite dishes of the night! The Zabuton came out still sizzling on a bed of onions- I absolutely loved this & it is definitely shareable between 2 or more people. The Scallop pancake had baby scallops cooked in to it- very fluffy & filling, another shareable dish between 2 or more people. The Mushroom bibimbap mixed with the sauce is a great vegetarian dish! Parking- $10 self park in the plaza

    Food Seaweed salad…read more Elevated and the best I've had, easily. The only issue is I can't really eat too much of it. The cherry tomatoes bursted with acidity and umami. 4.7/5 Honey butter chips. I've eaten an alarming amount of chips in my life and I will say these are solid but nothing noteworthy. The chips had no warmth to them and were slathered with decently flavorful honey butter that pooled to the bottom. 4.2/5 Mushroom bimibap - A very balanced dish with cohesive elements. Wish there were more mushrooms as they of course were the best part. The chili sauce was solid but the dish benefitted when we added another half portion of it and mixed it in. 4.4/5 Waygu - A decent flavor (definitely needed the flakey salt), portion and a nice medium rare cook, wall to wall. The steak was not as tender as I hoped it would be and some extra chewing was required. The banchan was all solid. It reminded me of Cote's but actually edible. 4.5/5 Yuzu popsicle - Definitely the best popsicle I've ever had. Refreshing and light. Balanced sweet to sour flavor. 4.7/5 Service A decent job. Good hostess. The steak took longer than expected to come out? Perhaps the kitchen messed it up and had to start over. Either that or maybe the waiters were busy. Or maybe it just takes a while to make it. Not sure. The waitress did the job competently but nothing above that. Overall, definitely not Michelin level service. 4.4/5 Ambiance A little too loud and it affected the entire vibe because I had to raise my voice to speak with the waitress. It became easier to just use nods and thumbs up. Like Cobis, a very modern and upscale restaurant that is hampered by lighting that is too dark. Pictures turned out good because I used another phone's flash. Just a little more light would be so much of an improvement without losing the romantic intent. Bathroom was average. 4.5/5 Overall, I had a solid meal that left my mood elevated. The service or food weren't as good as Cobis, Barsha, Ammatoli, or even Sonoratown - all top LA restaurants, but still worthy of a experience and I may return. 4.5/5 I would highly recommend Chois in San Diego as an extremely similar modern Korean fusion restaurant that also had better food, service, and ambiance. That place was 5/5 in every way.

    Photos
    Danbi - Inside bar

    Inside bar

    Danbi - Perilla Cild Noodle

    Perilla Cild Noodle

    Danbi - Pork cheek

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    Pork cheek

    Kobawoo House - Kimchi Jjigae

    Kobawoo House

    4.3(1.6k reviews)
    0.5 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$

    What more can I say? This K-town staple consistently delivers when you're craving Korean cuisine…read more We started our meal with a generous portion of Haemool Pajeon (Seafood Pancake), which arrived sizzling on a hot plate reminiscent of a Chili's Fajita Plate. Next came the main attraction: the Bossam Plate, featuring simmered and cooled pork belly sliced to perfection. When you wrap all the other ingredients together, they create the perfect bite. Just after the Bossam Plate hits the table, a bubbling cauldron of Kimchi JJigae (Kimchi Stew) follows behind just in time to help wash down the delectable bites of bossam. Don't forget to order some rice because you'll need something to soak up the stew which turns the rice into a whole meal by itself. The service was jovial and welcoming, and like other Korean establishments, they have a handy-dandy button that jolts the attention of every server working whenever you're in need of service. The small space is very cozy, just the way I like it when I'm visiting with my loved ones. They don't have an extensive menu, just the OG staple items, but I feel the taste has improved over the years. I wish Kobawoo were closer to where I live, or I would be here this weekend, but perhaps it's a good thing we're so far apart.

    This place has been here for so long, I haven't been here in yrs! I was in the area so I decide to…read moredo a take out for lunch to take home for me and my family, such a disappointment! $76.80 for 3 dishes and what a puny portions these are, like a kid's portion. Very small kimchi maybe one or two bites. Three orders that I'm surprised that they give such a small amount of banchan. How can establishment justify this high priced meal for such small portions? God and I drove all the way from South Bay, stuck in traffic for almost 1 1/2 hrs of this. Maybe this is the type of place you should dine in only?? Do not ever do take out here! The food in general was just ok. Nothing special and Kimchi soup was very salty. Threw all 3. Wow, what a waste of money. Very disappointing... I guess I won't be coming here ever again.

    Photos
    Kobawoo House - Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Popular place. Had to wait 30 minutes for a table for 6 on a weekday at 6:15pm which is not bad!

    Kobawoo House - Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Lunch Jangban Guksoo

    Kobawoo House - Jangban Guksoo Vegan

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    Jangban Guksoo Vegan

    Borit Gogae - Dwenjang

    Borit Gogae

    4.4(511 reviews)
    1.0 miKoreatown
    $$$

    Be prepared to walk away feeling very full. We got the set meal here, which came served with…read moreappetizers, barley rice, a lot of banchan (and by that I meant a LOT), soup, congee, dessert, etc. It was definitely more than enough food. We also got an additional order of LA kalbi for some protein. The meat quality was good but I felt like the meat was not marinated long enough and so the flavor was a little bit lacking. If only it just sat in the marinade for a couple more hours, I think this would have been perfect. The tofu soup was not my favorite, to be very honest. There was some flavor in there that made it smell like a stinky towel. Very different from other soondubu soup places and unfortunately not for me. Everything else we had was excellent and I would definitely come back again just for the barley rice and banchan. Service was quick and servers were nice. We also came at 3pm on Saturday so there was no wait. Recommended!

    Across the street from the new Zion market is this wonderful and unique Korean eatery. Unlike most…read moreof the run-of-the-mill Korean restaurants in Koreatown this restaurant serves unique appetizers and a multi-course set menu that gives you a taste of a variety of authentic Korean village food - like pumpkin porridge and acorn jelly salad. It's a lot of food for the price ($35 pp at this writing). While the minimum order is for 2 people, we've tried sharing the 2-people order among 3 and it worked for us, with addition of a couple of other items from the menu. The Korean BBQ beef is at par with most other nice restaurants in K town; their marinated crab was delicious! Service is okay - given how busy they are! Most servers are not very conversant in English so a little patience would help you get the right things you need. Nice and unique vibe with Korean handicraft items and art work on display (and for sale, I believe).

    Photos
    Borit Gogae - Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Restaurant decor- art work and Korean figurines

    Borit Gogae - Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Barley rice mixed with side dishes

    Borit Gogae - Grilled spareribs

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    Grilled spareribs

    Ham Ji Park

    Ham Ji Park

    4.2(1.8k reviews)
    0.3 miWilshire Center, Koreatown
    $$$

    Really sad that Ham Ji Park is closing down permanently. For years, this place has been our…read morefamily's go-to place for pork spare ribs - the best in town. In fact, we regularly brought visitors here. They raved about how good the spare ribs were and even insisted that their last meal before LA should be at Ham Ji Park.  Here's my belated review of what I consider the best spare ribs in LA. From the moment the Korean-style spare ribs arrived at the table, it was clear this was a dish worth savoring. Each rib bore a beautifully charred exterior--deeply caramelized without a hint of bitterness--offering that irresistible smoky aroma the moment it was placed before us. The glaze was nothing short of spectacular. A perfect balance of sweet and spicy, it clung to the meat with a glossy sheen that promised flavor in every bite. There was just enough heat to make your taste buds sit up and pay attention, but it never overwhelmed the deeper, richer notes of the sweet components. But what truly set these ribs apart was the texture. Beneath the charred surface lay meat so tender it practically fell off the bone with the gentlest tug of a fork. Each bite was juicy and succulent, the result of careful cooking and a respect for quality ingredients. Ham Ji Park, you will be missed. Thank you for the memories. Thank you for the food.

    tl;dr the delectable pork ribs overshadow the otherwise authentic but standard lineup at this…read morenow-shuttered Korean stalwart Los Angeles Koreatown is home to restaurants that specialize in every facet of Korean cuisine. If you're searching for some of the city's best pork, then those in the know will bring up Ham Ji Park. For 2 decades, generous platters of pork ribs and pork neck stew decked every table. Now, our Korean friends lament the loss of their favorite pork joint in the city. The Koreatown proper location is located in the Royal Plaza mini-mall, just a few blocks off bustling Wilshire. Discounted parking is available in a lot across the street from the Chevron gas station. From the street, the entrance is flanked by potted plants and an enclosed street-ery. Inside, stainless steel chairs are pressed up against wooden tables, each outfitted with a metal grill. Oppressive fluorescent lighting shines down on the stone grey walls, which are left undecorated apart from a few flatscreens. Multi-lingual chatter blends with the sizzle of platters. I visited with some friends for a weeknight dinner, and about half of the tables were occupied. We shared a spread of grilled platters and sizzling soups. The meal began with a carafe of barley tea and a mostly standard spread of banchan. Across our food, the best dish was the signature Charbroiled Pork Spare Rib. The ribs were flavorful without feeling gamey, and the meat was complemented by sweet caramelized onions. The pork ribs handily outdid the good-not-great Charbroiled Beef Short Rib. Lastly, the Milt and Cod Rose with Vegetables stew was fishy and briny, appropriately flavored for the Korean palate. The service was appropriately attentive, although I would've appreciated more intentional refills of our banchan ramikens. The rib plates cost upward of $35 each, while the soup was just under $30. The portions were hearty; a single entree platter could reasonably feed 2 moderately hungry bellies. It's a shame to hear that Ham Ji Park has closed; I'm kicking myself for not trying their pork neck stew earlier.

    Photos
    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park
    Ham Ji Park

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    Go Pocha - korean - Updated May 2026

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