Mapo burger shop: hot mozza and shrimp burgers split, Quokka Bite

Today I took my burger-fanatic friend to Quokka Bite (쿼카바이트), a handmade burger place in Gongdeok. It looks like a great date spot, right by Gyeongui Line Forest Park.

Quokka Bite location, closing day and parking

Quokka Bite sits in an alley beside Gyeongui Line Forest Park, between Daeheung Station and Gongdeok Station on Line 6. It's closed every Sunday. There's one parking spot in front of the shop, and if you call ahead, the owner will tell you whether it's available!

There are so, so many good restaurants and cafés along Gyeongui Line Forest Park, aren't there?!

What we ordered at Quokka Bite in Mapo

We ordered the Hot Mozzarella Quokka Burger and the Whole Shrimp Quokka Shrimp Burger. The Hot Mozzarella Quokka Burger has no set; it comes as a combo with a Coke Zero.

There's a big, bold menu board at the entrance! We studied the menu before going, haha. We were hungry, so no time to stand there deciding! It's not on the entrance board, but was it the Hot Chili Mozzarella Burger? No, the Hot Mozzarella Quokka Burger!! And the Whole Shrimp Quokka Shrimp Burger, that's what we'd come ready to order~

How kiosk ordering and the self-service bar work at Quokka Bite

You order at the kiosk, and the self-bar has the basics: plastic gloves, wet wipes, ketchup, tissues, fork, knife, straws, hot sauce, blankets and aprons!

These days, finding plastic gloves at a burger or sandwich place really moves me, T_T. You can eat so much more neatly, how nice is that~

Quokka Bite atmosphere and seating

Quokka Bite has tables outside too, so I think the owner put out the blankets as a thoughtful touch for anyone feeling cold. The outdoor tables were spotless and well kept! And isn't the sign that doubles as an umbrella stand adorable? The owner seems to have put a lot of care into the interior.

At the counter there's candy, the owner's business card, and quokka stickers!! Come adopt a quokka~.~

Quokka Bite sells merch too

Oh my! Quokka Bite sells merch as well.

They sell cute caps, aprons and uniforms, haha. You could play Quokka Bite part-timer at home. And there are tiny, adorable quokkas sitting around ⚆_⚆

An open kitchen where you can watch Quokka Bite burgers being made

Quokka Bite has a clean open kitchen where you can watch the whole handmade burger process. The smell of cooking is no joke, and the patties on the grill look unbelievably golden-brown.

There's plenty of room, too! Tables for two are the default, and if four of you come, just push two tables together!

Yesterday was Pepero Day, T_T! My friend brought me Pepero (chocolate-dipped biscuit sticks), I'm so touched. I especially love the almond ones. The older I get, the more I think Pepero is a really good snack *^^*

Burgers from a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef

Does the owner have a degree? Yes.. wow. The shop had an intro like this:

Quokka Bite burgers come from a grilled burger brand in Gongdeok, Mapo, made by a chef with 10 years of experience who trained at Le Cordon Bleu, known as one of the world's top three culinary schools. Back when I worked in Australia, I still remember the small happiness of a burger I'd bite into crouched in a corner of a busy kitchen. I started Quokka Bite Burger to share that happy bite with you.

The owner turned out to be quite something.

How do the Hot Mozza Quokka Burger and Whole Shrimp Quokka Shrimp Burger taste?

On the Hot Mozzarella Quokka Burger, the fried mozzarella was spicy and the cheese chewy. On the Whole Shrimp Quokka Shrimp Burger, the shrimp was springy and smelled amazing. Each had its own character, so much that I couldn't pick a winner.

The burgers arrived: the hot mozzarella burger and the whole shrimp burger. Aaah.. the smell is incredible. I can't wait to dig in!! We decided to cut them in half with a knife and share.

Here's the cross-section of the Quokka Bite burgers. The mozzarella burger had spicy fried coating and chewy cheese (wow, my mouth is watering just writing this), and the shrimp burger had springy shrimp and a scent that was out of this world, T_T. I couldn't pick a winner between the two: each had its own distinct taste and the sauces blended so well. It's really, really, really, really, really good.

Free hash brown review event and onion pickle refills

With the Quokka Bite review event, I also got 1 hash brown! Eat the fries and hash brown with the ketchup from the self-bar.

I asked for a refill of the onion pickles that come as standard, and they cut the richness and left my mouth feeling so fresh, I loved them so much. They bring out the flavor of the burger even more!! A whole dance party in my mouth!

Would I go back to Quokka Bite?

I had a really great meal at Quokka Bite, the handmade burger place near Daeheung Station. I'll definitely be back. The bun smelled properly buttery and was delicious.

Honestly, people say handmade burgers are the kind of food that clogs your arteries. But I think Quokka Bite is healthy and delicious, with really tasty patties, not greasy, perfect as a full meal, a burger place that's just so, so good. Revisit rating: ★★★★★!