Nonhyeon Station pub where clam broth becomes pasta: Boktae Pocha

Why I picked Boktae Pocha for a second round near Nonhyeon Station

Boktae Pocha (복태포차) is known near Nonhyeon Station for its tasty snacks to go with drinks, so I looked it up in advance as the second-round spot with my juniors. Everyone had already filled up a bit at the first place, but we wanted one more drink with some good food.

When we got to the front, the white sign had cute little pictures of dishes and the phrase "a late-night diner where tasty snacks call for drinks," so I knew we'd come to the right place.

Can you park at Boktae Pocha?

There are parking spaces right in front of the building, but when I asked the owner, he said they can't be used. We were drinking anyway and came by public transport, so it didn't matter at all. If you're planning to bring a car, it's best to check for a nearby public parking lot beforehand.

What's the atmosphere inside Boktae Pocha like?

Inside, it's dark wood tones and soft lighting, much cozier and warmer than it looked from outside. It was exactly the kind of atmospheric Nonhyeon-dong bar that's perfect for drinking.

One side is an open kitchen, where you catch glimpses of the chef cooking, which made me trust how clean it is. The tables are spaced fairly wide and the room doesn't feel stuffy, so it was a great fit for a group of four like ours.

What we ordered for the second round

At Boktae Pocha we ordered the best-seller steamed clams in wine broth (술찜) and the cheese potato pancake, plus the Boktae egg soup from the sides. The menu had quite a variety of snacks, from mains to sides, but since this was a second round we decided on one soupy dish and one crispy pancake, with a light egg soup to sip in between.

The menu said spaghetti noodles can be added to the steamed clams, so I made up my mind that we were absolutely turning it into pasta partway through.

Steamed clams in wine broth: a buttery-scented broth

The steamed clams came out first, on a blue oval plate. A milky, rich broth with clams piled up like a mountain, loaded with red cherry tomatoes, zucchini and garlic. It passed on looks alone.

One spoonful of the broth and the deep, refreshing savoriness of the clams spread out with the richness of butter. I couldn't help exclaiming. The shallow broth is a fantastic match for soju, and everyone kept praising it as a broth worth coming for. It really lived up to the Nonhyeon-dong reputation. The clams were well purged of grit too, so picking out the meat was a lot of fun.

Cheese potato pancake: shredded potato, crisp like a snack

The cheese potato pancake wasn't made with grated potato; it was thinly shredded and pan-fried until crisp. The outside is crunchy like a chip, and the inside is full of melted, nutty cheese. The harmony of texture and flavor was incredible.

The cheese and fried-style potato could have felt heavy, but the sliced scallions on top kept it clean. It was quite big too, so the four of us could each tear off a generous piece. It's great with beer and works surprisingly well with soju too, a hearty dish.

Boktae egg soup: a thick side like crab soup

The Boktae egg soup we ordered as a side came in a unique black triangular bowl. It's not an ordinary clear egg soup; a little starch makes the broth slightly thick and smooth, like a Chinese-style crab soup.

Fluffy eggs, carrot and scallion came together to soothe the stomach. It tasted soft and mild enough to sober you up from the first round, which made it a perfect choice to eat between the main dishes.

Is adding spaghetti noodles to the steamed clams a must?

If you add spaghetti noodles to the steamed clams at Boktae Pocha, they take the leftover broth and the bowl into the kitchen and bring it back as a plate of vongole pasta. After we'd eaten a fair share of the clams, we finally asked for the long-awaited spaghetti noodles, and a little while later it came back as a lovely vongole pasta.

The rich savoriness of the leftover clam broth soaked into the springy spaghetti, and it tasted as good as many pasta restaurants. Everyone said they were full but couldn't put their forks down and scraped the plate clean. If you order the steamed clams, I'd say adding noodles isn't optional, it's a must.

Would I go back to Boktae Pocha for a Nonhyeon-dong second round?

Boktae Pocha, where we went with my juniors for a second round, was more satisfying than I expected. Every dish felt made with care rather than thrown together, and the food was so good that the drinks went down easily.

The mood isn't loud and is just right for chatting quietly, so it's easy to recommend as a place for a get-together. Thanks to the tasty food and cozy atmosphere, we had a great drinking session with my juniors without noticing the time pass. I plan to come back for the second round at my next Nonhyeon-dong gathering.