Fire-grilled dakbal in fire-chicken spice, after work: Apgujeong

My husband came home from work not wanting to travel far, but figuring we'd earned a little drink after a hard day. There happened to be a new pocha in front of Gaebong Station, so we checked out Sinpocha, known as a Gaebong Station bar.

Here's my honest review after trying it ourselves.

How we found Apgujeong Sinpocha, a Gaebong Station bar

The sign had the character for 'spicy' (辛) written huge, plus a line about the owner's 13 years of spice-blending experience. Just from the sign, you could feel the fire-flavor before even walking in.

The menu was packed with stir-fry dishes

Once we sat down and opened the menu, it lived up to the name Sinpocha — full of stir-fried dishes like jjukkumi (baby octopus) and buldak (fire chicken).

From fire-grilled cheese buldak to fire-grilled boneless dakbal, the menu listed dish after dish cooked over an open flame.

On the side of the menu was an event: order two side dishes and get soju for ₩3,000 or beer for ₩4,000. Such a great deal.

Inside felt lively, just like a proper pocha

Cherry blossom decorations and warm lighting gave the interior that familiar, cozy pocha feel. Looking around, the place was full of neighborhood regulars who clearly knew good food.

I thought — a well-known spot really does earn its reputation.

We started with cold beer and soju

Before ordering, the draft beer machine caught my eye — it looked well-maintained, cold, and appetizing.

We ordered cold Chamisul soju and beer first. One sip confirmed the machine really was well-kept — it was cold and tasty.

We ordered the fire-grilled cheese buldak and boneless dakbal, spicy

You could choose your spice level from the menu, and since I wanted it hot, I went with the fire-chicken flavor. The fire-grilled cheese buldak came piled with cheese over a sauce full of smoky char — just looking at it made my mouth water.

The boneless dakbal was also fire-grilled, deeply infused with that smoky flavor. One bite in, and it was genuinely stress-relieving levels of spicy.

The free basic side dishes were a nice surprise too

Before the main dishes arrived, we got nostalgic jjondegi (chewy grilled snack) as a free side,

and my wife had fun grilling it herself over the flame and taking a bite.

On top of that, a whole bowl of crispy crackers came out, so even the free sides kept us from getting bored.

Who this place is good for

I'd especially recommend this to anyone who wants a simple drink in the neighborhood. Being able to choose your own spice level, plus the 3,000-won soju deal with two side dishes, made it an easy, low-pressure Gaebong Station bar to enjoy.

To sum up

It was genuinely satisfying to have such a tasty drink in the neighborhood after work without having to travel far.

Both the fire-grilled cheese buldak and boneless dakbal had a solid smoky flavor, and my husband and I already agreed we'd try other stir-fry dishes next time. If you're looking for a great side-dish spot near Gaebong Station, Apgujeong Sinpocha near Gaebong Station is worth a visit.