Korean Street Food Delights at Pojang Macha

I confess I am a sucker for a restaurant with a hint of dive about it. And street food? Oh yes please. This is why I have been eager to check out Pojang Macha, a beacon of bright orange located in an otherwise unassuming strip mall on East Broadway. This place is so thrown together that even the old sign (House of Tofu) still peeks out from behind the orange Pojang Macha glory.



I think Pojang Macha is the coolest and most original restaurant concept Vancouver has seen in a long time. Taking the street food model to the extreme, Pojang Macha (translated “covered wagon”) features stainless steel pan lid dinner menus printed with a Sharpie marker, blue plastic stools for patrons, and walls and ceiling lined with the brightest of bright orange tarps. The orange tarps are meant to replicate typical Korean street vendor tents. Customers are invited to help themselves from a vat of crab and vegetable broth that simmers continuously on an island in the middle of the eight table eatery.

Choosing from the delights on the menu wasn’t easy, especially considering my passion for Korean Seafood Pancakes. So, chicken gizzards or noodles? We were feeling adventurous and went with the Random Dish, $15 per, and a shared bottle of Soju. The banchan came first, a gorgeous mix of nibbles served mess hall style on a metal plate. My favorite was an entire block of soft tofu in a gorgeous lightly spiced soy based chili sauce.



After the banchan, a succession of sweetly spicy meat based dishes. First, tender and perfectly seasoned pork dumplings, then the Pan Fried Kimchi Pork. The second preparation took all the spicy bite out of the kimchi, and it was soft and subtle with the sweet meat. The Chicken Gizzard and Garlic skewers were next, a delight and a surprise. The gizzards were chew and flavorful, and the garlic sweetly roasted. Both were drizzled with a syrupy glaze.



And then, what I thought was the most fabulous dish of the night, Beef Bul gogi. The Bul gogi was a huge plate of thinly sliced beef that had probably been marinating for hours in the most perfect sweet and spicy sauce, sautéed with green onions and garlic. There was definitely some ginger action in there and probably other vegetables too, but I only had eyes for the beef. The last course was an incredible Grilled Eel with carrots, cabbage and bean sprouts. Again, the texture was amazing. I loved the contrast between the tender eel and crunchy cabbage, as well as the sweet and hot components.

An excellent evening, indeed. After we ate, Pojang Macha’s owner Chris came over to say hi and check in about our meal. He admitted that because the place is so small, he caters to the individual taste of the customer. Or rather, what he thinks the customer wants. He said he didn’t cook our food as spicy as he would have for Korean patrons. When I protested he brought me a taste of some incredible hot sauce he imports from Korea. After I downed another shot of Soju to ease the burn, I decided that next time I will ask for my food spicy, Korean style. And I will order that seafood pancake.