Nonhyeon Station gastropub with cheese potato pancake: Boktae Pocha

How to find Boktae Pocha, and where to park

I stopped by Boktae Pocha near Sinnonhyeon Station after work for dinner and a drink. It's located between Nonhyeon and Sinnonhyeon stations, an easy walk from either one. It's on the opposite side from the noisy Nonhyeon Yeongdong Market food alley, which I love 👍🏻 There's parking space in front of the store, but it's a resident-priority zone so parking can be tricky — better to use a nearby public parking lot.

What is the atmosphere like inside Boktae Pocha?

It's called a pocha (Korean-style street bar/pub), but the inside of Boktae Pocha feels very clean and cozy 💖

The tables are spacious and well spread out, so it's easy to have a conversation comfortably.

We went right after opening on a weekday afternoon and were the second table. By the time we left, every table but one was full. Once some time passes after opening, they dim the lights and the mood gets even better. I saw a lot of after-work groups too. Even when it's packed, it never feels like a chaotic market scene, so it seems like a good spot for a calm second-round drink.

The restroom is on the first floor of the building to the right after you exit. It's pretty clean. There's a 4-hour seating limit, and there's a receipt review event too — choose either popcorn or fries.

Boktae Pocha's menu and corkage policy

There are main, side, and seasonal menus. Most of the mains are Korean-style, with some Western dishes mixed in, so there's something for every taste.

Besides soju and beer, there's a wide range of drinks: sake, bokbunja (raspberry wine), makgeolli, non-alcoholic beer, and more. Depending on the type/volume, you can pay a fee for corkage 👏🏻

Free side dishes: soft tofu and cabbage

The complimentary side dish is soft tofu and cabbage.

The sauce on top of the tofu is nutty and tangy. I love a bar that gives you tofu as a free snack 💕

Spicy chives pork belly, 23,000 won — how hot is it really?

• Spicy chives pork belly
• Cheese potato pancake

Spicy chives pork belly, ₩23,000. It comes with pork belly topped with garlic chips, seasoned chives, fries, and ketchup.

The portion of pork belly isn't huge.

The fries come in a generous portion, good for snacking on alongside drinks. They're peppery and salty.

The pork belly has a subtle smoky char. The menu shows three peppers next to it, but it's less spicy than expected, so even people who can't handle spice can eat it comfortably. It was grilled quite crispy, which suited me since I dislike a mushy texture.

Wrapping the pork belly in the seasoned chives with a garlic chip on top makes it not greasy at all and really delicious 🫶🏻

Cheese potato pancake, 22,000 won — enough for two

Cheese potato pancake, ₩22,000. We ordered it without much expectation, but the moment we both tried it — oh, this is good! ✨ Strongly recommended menu ✨

Thinly julienned potato is piled high with cheese. It's grilled nice and crispy.

The dipping sauce for the potato pancake is soy sauce mixed with mayonnaise. Dip it in deep and it's nutty and completely fattening in the best way 🐷

The potato pancake is on the larger side. It was plenty for the two of us.

The potato is grilled nice and crispy, and the cheese on top is gooey 〰️ so you just keep eating it 〰️

Is Boktae Pocha worth a visit?

Since Boktae Pocha's menu is mostly Korean food, it's good for a first-round meal as well as a second-round of drinks. A lot of bars serve snacks that are too sweet or too salty, but everything we ordered here had just the right amount of kick, so we happily cleaned every plate. If you're looking for a clean, calm spot near Nonhyeon or Sinnonhyeon station for a date or an after-work drink, I recommend Boktae Pocha ⭐️

- End of honest review -