A Colourful Retro Korean Experience Has Just Landed on The Parade

When the Plus 82 group opened its first venue eight years ago, Korean culture in Adelaide was limited to a few traditional barbecue restaurants. But as Korean music, film and television exploded in popularity, the nation’s distinctive cuisine began to spread across the city.

Whether you’re a fan of Squid Game or BTS, Korean fried chicken or bibimbap, the Korean takeover is impossible to escape. In fact, it’s so widespread that Plus 82 Director Steven Lee considered it odd that Norwood was missing out. “It’s not just the food,” he says. “It’s also about relaxing and hanging out until late, but there was nowhere you could buy soju and enjoy it unless you went to the city.”

That’s all changed with 88 Pocha, a deliciously retro restaurant in Parade Central that’s introducing a brand new flavour to Adelaide. The name is a nod to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, and the neon lighting and bar covered in vintage magazine pages capture the vibe perfectly. For those who love Korean pop culture as much as the cuisine, there’s even a photo zone with stage lights and old movie posters.

The menu includes staples like Korean fried chicken, kimchi pancakes and dumplings, along with Korean beer and soju. But the undisputed star of the show is a dish called dak-galbi that comes from Chuncheon in the country’s north. This mix of marinated chicken, gochujang chilli sauce, rice cakes and vegetables is cooked right in front of diners and Steven imported fifteen custom-built tables with a pan in the middle so that 88 Pocha can offer the authentic dak-galbi experience.

That means diners cook the meal themselves (with a little help from the staff), and so far it’s been a hit. “We brought this concept to Adelaide because we want to introduce new Korean foods here,” he says. “Because it’s new, we have to educate the customers a little bit but once they come and give it a try, they love it. We’ve only been open for three weeks, and we’ve already had repeat customers.”

Just as in Korea, the meal includes side dishes like cucumber, kimchi, lettuce, pickled radish and homemade chilli sauce. “I’m not a huge fan of spicy food,” admits Steven, “and with just the chicken and the chilli sauce, it can be overpowering. But when you wrap it in the lettuce with the pickled radish and dip it in the sauce, it balances so well together. And I like the dak-galbi with cheese, which helps to lift the flavour.”

Reach out:

W: www.88pocha.com.au