Not only was this the worst Korean food I've had to date, but the service was a mess. I try my best to be understanding and I usually never leave negative reviews, but this one I had to share. We ordered a combo (contains three dishes) and not only did they forget two of the three items, but when we asked for the two items they only brought out the second one over an hour later. By the time we were done with our second item, we asked them to just not bring out the third item in our combo because it was clear they hadn't even begun to prepare it because they forgot again. Despite only receiving two of the three items in our combo over the span of our two hours, they still charged us the full $73 for the combo. Additionally, they kept bringing out the wrong items and also brought out things twice when we had already received it. Food overall was undeniably bad for how it was priced. The quality of the pork in the katsu was extremely tough and stringy, not to mention how it was absolutely drowned in sauce. Kimchi fried rice was wet, as it was drowned in sauce and oil, barely fried. Chicken wings were also drenched in oil and sauce, and it was soggy, rubbery, and overall terrible. In conclusion, don't waste your time or money here. This was my second time at this establishment, and both times were atrocious. read more

Came with a few friends on a Saturday night and it was absolutely packed! The drinks here are relatively cheaper compared to other pochas, bars, or pubs, but the high food prices pretty much make up for that. We shared a soy garlic fried chicken and some fries with a beer and a few sojus. We were still hungry so we then ordered combo #4 and asked to replace the fish cake soup for more fries; our server originally denied the request but came back and said he'd do it this one time. I highly recommend ordering the combos here over ala carte! All the food came out piping hot and fresh. It was the perfect bar food; just really expensive for the quality of what you're eating. The place had ambient purple lighting inside, kpop & korean street food videos displaying on the TVs, tons of korean idol posters, and music absolutely blasting overhead. I enjoyed the lively vibe, but will say the music got a bit too loud and my friends and I really had to raise our voice to speak to each other. Overall, I had an enjoyable experience and would definitely come back! read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Wings & Fries - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here on a Thursday night, and it was empty. I absolutely loved the vibe of the place. The portions were generous, and everything we ordered was delicious. I got the spicy squid, which came with noodles, and it was packed with flavor. My friends ordered the raw marinated crab and the half-and-half fried chicken, and they really enjoyed both dishes as well. Took a while for the food to come out, but the owner was incredibly sweet, attentive, and helpful throughout our visit. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Raw marinated crab - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Nice chill restaurant to go with family or friends. Not my favorite for spicy marinated crab but the ttokbokki and ramen was so amazing. Great flavor and perfect spicy level. read more

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3.5/5 My friends and I tried the Marinated Raw Crab in Spicy House Sauce. If you've never tried this before, get ready to dig in! It can get messy, but it's delicious and flavorful. We also ordered the Fish Cake Soup and Seafood Pancake. Both were good and average. My favorite dish was the Sweet Spicy Fried Chicken! Of all the dishes, I'd recommend that one. Overall, the food was just good. read more

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Food: Bossam + Combo (Tteokkboki, Seafood Pancake, Clam Soup, Soju) Price: $45 | $73 Overall: I came here with my close friends on a Saturday around 7pm and were the first groups to be seated as there was barely anyone in the pocha. We ordered the Bossam and Set Combo deal as every portion was shareable. The bossam paired great with the radish! The seafood pancake was a bit crispy but overloaded with chives than seafood. Tteokkboki was solid and the clam soup was tasty to wash down all the other food consumed. I wanted to noted that some of the things could have been cleaner in the restaurant - for example the lettuce that was given to us was a bit dirty in some spots and the spoons were somewhat sticky. Maybe I went on their off-day hygiene wise, but overall; pochas are great to spend some time and drink with friends. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Enjoyed coming here for the drinks and food. I do wish the tteok in tteokbokki was a bit chewier/aldente. The egg was also a bit rubbery. It was very soft. The sausage and tteok skewer were delicious. The soy chicken was delicious as well! read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Sausage and tteok skewers - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Fun place to eat and drink with friends! Came randomly for dinner and thought it would be a fun place to come back with friends so we did just that! No wait for a group of ten on a Saturday night. They have a tablet at the table which makes ordering food and drinks a breeze. There's also a button to ask for the bill at the end. Servers are super nice and our fave foods were the bossom, rose tteokboki, and the garlic fries to snack on while we drank. Personally, I liked the rose tteokboki more than the spicy tteokboki. read more

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We came here after hearing about how Pocha is like Korean bar or street food. Now I will caveat that Pocha is not like a traditional Korean restaurant - there is no banchan :( and the food is a heavier variety that is best suited for drinking soju or beer. We ordered - fried chicken half regular half sweet. A great texture but the plain didn't taste like much and the other was one note - beef short rib: pretty good, but I've had better - corn cheese: a little artificial butter-y - steamed egg: a little dryer than what I'm used to - rice cakes and ramen: this was a nice balance of textures and gochujang sauce I do appreciate how late it's open in the sleepy South Bay next time we want something other than Taco Bell open late! Logistics: - indoor seating only - strip mall parking out front - limited vegetarian options read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Rice cakes with ramen, corn cheese, beef short rib - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Pretty big place so great for large groups. Service is pretty fast and you can now order for yourself on the tablet. Menu is pretty big so it can get expensive but the galbi and raw marinated crab is sooo good. The steamed egg was okay but there are better and cheaper ones around. It can get pretty loud but parking is really easy. Overall it's a good and fun place for late night get togethers. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Steamed egg, galbi, teobokki, fried chicken and pork belly - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

First time here and loved the service here. They even have open mic if you want to karaoke. The restrooms are very clean. The food here was so delicious and flavorful. We got one of the combo that came with Soju, chicken, soup and cheese corn. I don't know what sauce they put on the chicken but it was delicious and flavorful even crispy. Soups was kind of spicy but taste will good. The fries here were so crispy with a little hint of garlic on them. The short ribs were perfectly cooked with onions and some green onions on top. One of the workers overheard us talking about the movie "KPop Demon Hunters" and proceeded to put on some music from the movie. That made our day. I will definitely come back. read more

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I love the vibe in here! I went here yesterday for dinner with a friend and the food really hit the spot. I got the bossam which was amazing!! The fat meat ratio made it so good and it was tasty to eat with the lettuce, chili sauce, radish, jalapeños and garlic. I wish they gave more jalapeños and garlic because it ran out quick, especially when sharing. Also didn't expect there to be octopus inside of the radish bowl and I don't really like the texture. But otherwise I would get this dish again! I also got the teubokki rice cakes and they actually came with a good amount of stuff so there wasn't a need to add ramen or anything. It came with an egg (hard boiled), dish cakes, onions and I really loved the sauce because it was actually spicy! Inside has two big tvs running k-pop music videos and songs playing. But they aren't matched up which was kinda funny. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Bossam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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The food was all very good and service was good. It was loud but not too loud and I liked the lights inside. read more

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Giving 4 stars because bossam was 10/10 but steam egg was a little overcooked for me. Overall great service and fun place. My bf and I love to have late night date spots. Can also come here with big groups of ppl! read more

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I was recommended this pocha location for the quality of their food, and I was not disappointed. My friend and I were seated immediately on a weekday evening. There are TVs displaying Korean variety shows and music performances, and multicolored twinkle lights surround the high wall of the restaurant. My friend and I ordered their Seafood Pancake and Half Fried & Sweet Spicy Chicken. The Seafood Pancake was slightly crunchy at the beginning, and the pairing sauce was a good complement to the pancake! I enjoyed the fried chicken out of the two chicken options more, but both were well done & tasteful. Service was great, and they replaced our sauce without hesitation when a fly flew into our original sauce. I would love to try their other dishes in the future, including their spicy tteok-bokki and any one of their soups! read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Seafood Pancake - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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My friends and I came here for a late dinner. Located on the corner in a plaza. There is parking but it can get crowded. I've had the chance to go to a few pochas in the Bay Area and I find them so fun. Great casual place to eat good food and drink. There were plenty of tables inside and the service was quick. You can order Ala carte but they also offer combos that include a beer or soju. Our favorites were the corn cheese, short ribs, seafood pancake, and soy sauce marinated crab!! They give you so much crab for the price and the flavor is outstanding. Not super fishy at all. The only item we wouldn't get again was the fried chicken. It was good but it just didn't stand out compared to the other dishes. Wish that the chicken came with sauce! read more

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Just came here on a double date at 9:45pm and it was pretty empty but the food was super good! We had the raw marinated crab, kalbi, chicken wings, and spicy teokkbokki. Service was super fast. You order on an iPad which was nice since you could add alcohol and food whenever you wanted. Loved it! read more

Came here for the raw marinated crab and although I thought the food was only okay, maybe cause I'm more sensitive to spice, the crab was definitely fresh. Serving is generous and staff is very attentive. read more

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Came here with my friends on New Years Eve for dinner. We ordered many drinks and tasty dishes. When it was close to midnight we did the green grape trend for good luck in the new year. The food was pretty good. We ordered family style where we ordered a dish and shared it amongst the table. The best dishes in my opinion were the cheese corn, bossam, and army stew. I didn't drink but many soju shots were had. The restaurant was a bit crowded but we were still able to have a good time. read more

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I got their chicken and it had a good balance of sweet and savory and the corn cheese is definitely a must as well! We had a big party and got seated quickly on a busy night. We also got our food in an ample amount of time considering we had many orders. This place is great to socialize and have a great time with friends! read more

Some of the best Korean food I've ever had! The Korean fried chicken was so crispy and well-seasoned, the seafood pancake was perfectly cooked and fluffy, and my favorite was the raw marinated crab. It was so delicious felt like such an authentic Korean spot. The ambiance was really nice, good lighting and lots of kpop music! The service was a little bit slow but i think food and ambiance makes up for it. I came here the first time on a whim because it was open late and I return because of the yummy food and ambiance! read more

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Are you... open mindeu?! Came here for lunch recently and absolutely loved it (including the homage to Hongdae). Fortunately we came during a slow Sunday, and my partner and I were the only customers in at the time. This place is definitely poppin' at night by the looks of it; I was really feelin' the high ceilings and the catchy decor featuring the pink Jinro frog and Squid Game doll. Staff were sweet and helpful. I ordered a popsicle soju cocktail and when they told me there was no more Melona, the auntie recommended the screw! (IT WAS DELICIOUS AND REFRESHING -- definitely a dangerous yet fun drink!) Food-wise, we ordered spicy marinated crab and soft tofu soup. Both were super flavorful and the soup had lots of tofu (great for my protein gains!). The best part about this meal was that the rich quality of the taste here was complemented by a fantastic and affordable lunch special... in total we paid less than $50 for the food and drinks! I highly recommend coming here during the daytime for quick service, a good deal, and delicious food! read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Hong Dae Pocha is the perfect Korean food joint for drinking and a social night outing. When we arrived, there was a mixture of duos and party-size groups. Overview: Food: 8/10 Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 9/10 Parking: 9/10 What we ordered: Seafood Pancake - 7/10 Corn Cheese - 9/19 Rice Cake Skewers - 9/10 FOOD: 8/10 The food we ordered was pretty good! I think of Hong Dae Pocha as a place where I was to pair my food with alcoholic drinks but not so much of coming here just for the food itself, if that even makes any sense lol. Seafood Pancake was served lukewarm, however, I appreciate that it was not undercooked which I find common in other Korean food joints. Rice Cake skewers, also known as Sotteok, were very very good. I loved the salad on the side that they had which paired perfectly with the fried rice cakes and plump sausages. The gochujang sauce was not too spicy which I prefer. The corn cheese was served piping hot which I'm glad! SERVICE: 9/10 The two servers running the ground were very attentive and nice. Despite our many requests, they were patient. AMBIANCE: 9/10 Very dark inside but lit up and visible enough by bright neon blue lights and bright contrast visuals of KPOP videos on the screens all around the restaurant lol. PARKING: 9/10 Located inside a plaza, there is guaranteed parking but at night, it can be decently packed. read more

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I really enjoyed this place. It was definitely a great place to hang out, chill, drink, and have some delicious food! I really liked the steamed egg. It was so fluffy, and I think they added garlic. We also had the boneless fried chicken. I'm not really a fan of boneless, but this was pretty good. We were pretty full that night and just wanted to drink, so I definitely want to come back here and try the other dishes! The staff were really nice and checked up on us! read more

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I was pretty unimpressed by Hong Dae Pocha as I've also been to other Korean pochas where the quality is so much better. I came here specifically for their spicy marinated crab, otherwise known as yangnyeom gejang and it wasn't up to par with what I imagined. I've had the premade yangnyeom gejang from Hmart before and that was delicious! Hong Dae Pocha's yangnyeom gejang was hard and tough to squeeze out of the shell unlike the Hmart one. The crab that they marinated was unbelievably sharp too and they didn't use a soft-shell crab. The flavor I would say was good but it didn't feel marinated enough and lacked spiciness. We also got a stir-fried dish since we knew that alone wouldn't fill us up and still left the restaurant unsatisfied. If you are looking for good spicy marinated crab, either go to the store or to another restaurant. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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I came here late at night on a friend's recommendation, and we ended up ordering almost everything on the menu. Everything was good, and it's a huge plus that they're open late. The space is dimly lit, which is easy on the eyes, and the staff were attentive and friendly throughout our visit. I really like that you could order through their touchscreen located at the end of the table. read more

One of my go-tos for late night food! Always a fun vibe for dinner or late night eats/drinks. They have raw marinated crab as well as all the Korean go-tos like Korean Fried Chicken and army stew. They also have fun soju cocktails, my favorite is the yogurt soju that comes in a mini pitcher! read more

The food here is pretty authentic and very flavorful - especially the bossam and the chicken feet! The marinated crab was decent but personally would not get again. The staff are friendly and fast. The vibes are on the lively, kind of hectic side (granted it is a pocha so it's loud and there are a lot of drunk conversations). The floor was a little sticky when we went. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Bossam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Great food and great service. We got seated right away and the food came shortly after. Everything you see in the photo (minus a steamed egg) came out to $172 total, excluding tip. 1 star deduction because the place was way too dark. I had to pull out my phone light to check the menu. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Awesome spot for groups. Detailed breakdown below: **Service, 5/5** Very friendly and efficient staff! We ordered a ton but the food came out quickly, at a consistent rate, and the tables were cleared almost immediately too. **Decor & cleanliness, 3/5** Knocking a few stars here for sticky surfaces and servings utensils/plates with food residue... Decor isn't cohesive either so I wouldn't plan a date here, but totally fine for friends. **Price & portion, 5/5** Solid portion sizes for the price; everything was great for sharing. Highly recommend bringing more people so you can try more dishes. **Taste, 5/5** Honestly, everything was solid! I don't think you can go wrong here. The pork belly bossam with kimchi was delicious and was a very generous portion -- some parts of the pork were more lean and dry though, so I would have preferred fattier cuts of pork. The spam and kimchi fried rice was savory and packed with flavor. The tteokbokki packed a punch with the spice and I liked the contrasting textures within the dish -- also, this dish has crazy cheese pulls! The clam soup was flavorful and not too heavy, but I wish it had some tofu or noodles to help make it more substantive. My favorite dish of the night was definitely the crispy garlic chicken wings. They were soooo juicy, tender, and enveloped in a super crispy breading. You have to order! read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Bossam - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Great for late night and bigger portions to share with your friends but personally food wise, everything is pretty mid. I've been here about 5 times or so and nothing in particular stands out but service is good. Staff is nice and friendly. They didn't kick us out when we yapped for nearly 2 hours lol read more

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You have to be Korean to be seated. My sister was there waiting in line to be seated and no one acknowledged her. A person cut her and got seated. A couple came in and got seated. I came after to join my sister to wait and got no eye contact. Waited and waited and nothing. Went somewhere else. I love this place but come on! Say something! Do we have to be Korean to get attention or something? read more

This was a pretty good meal, just didn't put me over the top if I'm completely honest. I'd recommend getting the korean fried chicken, it's pretty solid: has a good crunch and flavor with a decent portion. It was definitely our favorite part of the meal. read more

*Visited on Sunday 9/29/2024 around 7:30pm :) This is the third time visiting Hong Dae Pocha- it's a great spot for drinks and yummy foods, especially for a late night restaurant. It's a bit dark in the restaurant, so be prepared to adjust to their cool night time ambiance. There's plenty of options on their menu and though it's on the pricier side, their portions are pretty big. The service can be spotty, my first two visits the service was pretty spectacular, our waiter and waitress were very welcoming and checked in on us quite often however during these visits, I had visited closer to midnight. The third visit however, our waitress was quick to have us pick our table and grabbing our orders. We didn't see her much during this visit (I had a party of 4 on the third visit), and we had to flag her down in order to get our check. OKAY THE FOOD: * Raw Marinated Crab: My partner really likes their raw marinated crab here, and usually devours a plate to himself. He highly recommends it, and though I'm not the hugest fan, it's not bad at all and worth a taste! * Bossam: Their bossam is super tasty and though it usually comes with pickled napa cabbage, sometimes it comes with romaine lettuce - both works out very well and pretty filling. * Calamari: pretty tasty and large portion. It goes pretty well with soju and a great appetizer/ entree for everyone if you come with a group. * Fried Garlic Chicken: I genuinely love their portion size here, and their fried chicken is easily one of my favorites here. It's very crispy and not drowning in sauce. 20/10 would recommend!! Happy eating :-) read more

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My party of 3 came right at opening time 5pm on a Friday for a quick dinner. Wasn't too crowded even when we left around 6pm. Ambiance is dimly lit with kpop music playing. Free popcorn appetizer. We shared the raw marinated crab, kimchi bossam, half fried and half sweet spicy fried chicken, and army stew. Raw marinated crab was pretty good. My first time trying. Cold slimy texture. Kimchi bossam was pretty good too. The pork belly wasn't overly fatty and it went well with the cabbage, garlic, and other sides. Unfortunately we couldn't mix and match the Korean fried chicken flavors and they weren't able to do half soy garlic and half sweet spicy. We ended up just doing the half fried and half sweet spicy fried chicken. I liked the half sweet spicy fried chicken a lot better than the regular fried. Army stew was pretty standard, I'm usually just not a fan of this dish personally. Prices are on the higher end but portions are pretty big. Our server was very friendly and attentive. Food came out quickly as well. read more

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Food: We tried their recommended korean fried chicken with the sweet and spicy sauce. It was well breaded, light, and well balanced. The fried eel was seasoned perfectly but I didn't enjoy the fine bones. I typically don't notice those but in this I did. Portions: HUGE... Italian family sized and meant for sharing. I saw some menu options offered a 'S' size or 'Small size' but it was just too much anju food at a higher price. I think it makes sense for parties of four to order whatever and share but not for 2 ppl. Service: The oppa working was very friendly and attentive. He covered the whole restaurant by himself and still held his own. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Such a good and filling meal! We had a party of 8 but was seated immediately. The tteokbokki with ramen was so good and we loved the tempura that was added in as well. The fries were great as well, very good portion size. It tasted a little sweet at times but wasn't too noticeable, I still liked it. Parking is a little bit tight, and ambiance was so cute and very fitting. read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Cheese French Fries, Tteokbokki with Ramen - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Went here on a Saturday night at around 9pm and it was not too busy. Overall a pretty great Pocha. Had ALL the staples like Korean Fried Chicken, Kimchi Pancake, Tteokbokki, corn cheese, etc. The portions are fairly big, we got 3 entrees and did not finish it all except for the chicken! Overall for the food: the chicken was pretty good. Corn cheese was slightly burnt and not as cheesy as I expected. But the tteokbokki was my FAV! There was egg, sweet potato, and fishcake, yum! I would give the food a solid 6/10. Can't complain on the service. If you like Korean food, late night vibes, kpop music -- this is your place. read more

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Cam here on a Friday night w/ the boys for food and dranks. 7pm and it was already a lot of people. You've came to the right spot if you see a lot of Koreans at this Kbar. We got the spicy crab. The marinate was well balanced with spice that my tongue started questioning all its past relationships with bland food. The crab's texture was soft, succulent, and just spicy enough to remind you that you're alive. As the soju flowed, next came the cheese fries, KFC, which was fried perfectly and a HUGE platter of pork which was nice for 4 guys. We ended it with clam soup. The clam soup was very comforting after all the soju we had. Its a must GET at the end to clean your palate and let your weekly work filled stress dissolve back to the ocean from which it came. Hong Dae Pocha isn't just a place to eat--it's a place to eat good authentic KBAR food done right and drink the night away. The service was spectacular and our server was very friendly and cool guy to get to know. Will be coming back more as long as I have a 9-5 work week. read more

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Best spicy marinated raw crab in town. Big ass plate and I devoured it alone, maybe shared a tiny piece (not by choice). We ordered so much food so they just kept coming along with bottles and bottles of soju. Parking can be difficult but not impossible read more

Hong Dae Pocha - Spicy marinated raw crab - Korean Near Me - Santa Clara, California