Review: Stra Pocha, Strathfield

Someone should have warned me about the ring of fire I was going to get.

...and we didn't even order the famous "Fire Chicken".

A couple of weeks ago we arrived at the doors of Stra Pocha for a last minute surprise dinner for a dear friend who was in need of a bit of Cheerios. Situated on the bend of Everton Street, right across from Strathfield station on the "non-plaza side", this little place was definitely a very convenient place to meet and just settle down for a good time.

On most nights this place is pretty filled, and booking in advance is definitely recommended. One of the perks of the place are the little private dining rooms which they have where everyone gets to sit on the floor and dangle their legs in the the pitch of darkness under the table.

Unfortunately for us, we only got a comfortable little booth tucked in a cozy corner of the restaurant.
Like most Korean restaurants, after orders are taken, individual side dishes such as kimchi and potato salad are quickly distributed. I don't know about you, but these little dishes have often saved me from certain death from starvation.

Kumja Tang-Spicy Pork & Potato Soup - Medium - $42

For the night was had the Kumja Tang-Spicy Pork & Potato soup. I think when we saw the word 'spicy', we really did underestimate just how spicy the soup would be. I mean, c'mon, it was only rated ONE chilli (aka. mild). Little did we know our tongues were soon burning - not that it stopped us from devouring it though - the soup itself was definitely worth the pain, and the meat off the pork bones were certainly to die for.

Whole Chicken Pieces & Baby Octopus on Hot Plate - $40

And well, if we were dying from a ONE chilli rating, then you could probably imagine what it was like trying the Whole Chicken Pieces and Baby Octopus on Hot Plate. If you're wondering, it had a TWO chilli rating.

Ooooooh. Gangster.

Luckily, we soon learned that there is nothing in the world that a glass of Shoju cannot fix. In other news, the rice cakes in this dish was definitely the highlight for me. I'm a sucker for rice cakes.
Ooooh, grill.

Now the reason why I chose Stra Pocha was to relive my memory of its delicious BBQ. FYL originally complained about how Korean BBQ's always make your clothes stinky by the end of the night. To me, that simply interprets into a night of fun in clothes-you-don't-really-care-about-so-you-just-throw-them-into-the-washing-machine-when-you-get-home. The formula in my head is simple.

Clothes vs. Food?

Is that even a question?

Marinated Juicy Pork Ribs - $38

Now where was I...oh right, reliving the memory part. I've been to this place a couple of times before - perhaps a few years ago, and I remember it distinctively for its selection of wonderfully marinated meat and seafood. Alas I could not resist and ordered the Pork Ribs.

A big plus of this place is the huge serving sizes. At $38 per serve, it may seem steep when you first order, especially if you go by the standard sizes served at other restaurants. I would say that for 3 girls and 2 boys, the amount we had satisfied us perfectly. No wastage, no complaints of stinginess.

*Sizzle Sizzle*

So was I disappointed by this visit? No, definitely not. Not by a long shot. I would probably rate this place higher than Suminoya in terms of BBQ alone. Suminoya still kicks major backsides in the realm of unlimited sashimi and awesome salads. (I'm keeping this blog PG rated, for those who are raising their eyebrows at me.)

Please don't start egging my house. Each to their own okay? Just chill.

At least TC's Mr. Smiley Cupcake agrees with me.


Stra Pocha
19-21 Everton Road
Strathfield, NSW 2135
Tel: (02) 9745 5959