ハンシンポチャ 道頓堀店 — Restaurant in Osaka

Ordered the kimchi pancake and kimchi stew, expecting something decent with Paik’s name plastered all over the storefront. Spoiler: it was a letdown.

The kimchi pancake came out warm but soggy—not even a hint of crispiness. It felt like it sat out too long before hitting the table. Easily a 2/10.

The kimchi stew? Also a 2/10. Completely average. Tasted like someone dumped regular kimchi into hot broth and called it a day. No depth, no balance, just your run-of-the-mill stew with zero excitement.

Honestly, I have no idea how this place is so highly rated. I’m convinced most reviewers here haven’t actually eaten proper Korean food before. The giant Paik banner outside is probably doing all the heavy lifting—marketing bait at its finest.

This is definitely not...

Seeing this was a reputable restaurant from a very well known Chef from Korea, I was expecting food of similar quality. I had the shrimp which was severely overcooked to the point I couldn’t make out whether I was having gum or having shrimp. Moreover, we were charged for sides we didn’t even order. On top of that, apparently it’s not possible to split bills in this restaurant! Disappointing visit and has hurt my opinion...

Don’t bother coming here. It’s truly a waste of money and time. There is a ¥300 mandatory charge on appetizer and on top of that there is a mandatory drink order. There is a note to waive the food but you still get charged the ¥300. I’ve eaten at many restaurants in Osaka and this is one of the worst places...