Po Cha Korean BBQ — Restaurant in Ampang Jaya Municipal Council

DO NOT GO TO THIS PLACE! Warning long review

I don't normally post reviews. But due to my strong negative feelings of this place, I felt compelled to write this.

Full disclosure, we had dinner at another Korean place (Soondaeya) right before coming here. We didn't plan on coming here, but we were walking around exploring the area and happened to stumble on this. I remember seeing it posted on Facebook awhile back and it was quite hyped up (by sponsored post). So even though we were quite full, we decided to try it anyways as we are not in this area often.

I'm a Malaysian Chinese and I went with my Korean girlfriend on a weekend around 5pm. The moment we entered the shop, my girlfriend spoke in Korean to the uncle (owner). He looked at me and asked my gf what my nationality was. She answered him, "Malaysian." Then she asked why it matters and added on that I'm not a muslim and therefore have no issues drinking in the place. His response was, "I'm not worried about him (me), I'm more worried about you. We don't serve food that Korean people usually like."

This was the FIRST RED FLAG!

We were then showed to our seats and were given the menu. As we were still quite full from the meal we had earlier, we decided to just order a bottle of soju and some fried dumplings (total was RM37). My girlfriend then handed the order chit to the owner who looked at her and just said "No". Confused again, my girlfriend asked if there was an issue, to which he replied, "this is too little." She then explained we had dinner at Soondaeya and just wanted to try the place out.

The uncle then replied snidely "Why didn't you stay at Soondaeya? They don't get a lot of customers like we do, we get plenty of customers." My girlfriend then said, we could always order more. After a few back and forth of words, he reluctantly allowed us to order.

This was the SECOND RED FLAG! (To be fair, we should have left but my gf really missed Korea and wanted to enjoy the environment.)

Food was served quite fast and it was cheaper compared to the usual Korean shops. Can't comment much on the quality of the food, but I would say it's alright. About 15 minutes into my meal, the uncle entered the room and asked a couple seated to my right to leave as it was already time. We couldn't believe what we heard as they were only just halfway through their meal (we were not sure how long they were seated there, but my guess based on the food remaining was about 45 minutes to an hour). My girlfriend even expressed that she really wanted to apologise to them as this is NOT Korean hospitality.

Either way, we had our fill and left after 30 minutes or so. To my surprise, I saw about 2 or 3 people queueing up outside as we were exiting. The food and price might be decent, but the service overall left a sour taste in my mouth.

Reading the other comments in this site, it seems that I'm not the only one who faced this issues. There are many other reviews here that will corroborate what I faced on that day.

If you are a Korean going here, don't expect to be greeted with welcoming arms. The uncle prefers non-Korean customers as he does not like the dining culture of Koreans where they prioritise more on conversation while slowly enjoying their food and drinks. His greed for money is clear to see from his treatment towards me and the other customers.

My advice is to take a 200m walk to Soondaeya and enjoy a much better hospitality, great food and all for a decent price.

TLDR: Rude uncle and horrible customer service. Will not be returning again even if...

What seems to be an old shoplot, you'll find a little Korean restaurant with not much except the words POCHA on a piece of paper. Inside it gives slight squater vibes. We were quickly seated in a little room.(As shown on photos)

Kimchi (3.5/5) The Kimchi doesn't feel like it's been packaged or preserved so I would assume for it to be made in house. It's served cold for a refreshing bite. It's slightly spicier than other kimchis, but nothing intolerable.

Kimchi soup (2/5) The Kimchi soup was not a star here, but nothing too spectacular. For me, it reminds me of a home ABC soup with some Kimchi and glass noodles for an added hint of kimchi flavour and body to the dish. Overall it's very much more tomato-ey than kimchi. It also has some pork bits inside to complete it having some protien. The portion is really generous, but sadly not good enough for us to finish.

BBQ Pork (2/5) The "BBQ Pork" was pretty much slices of pork belly deep fried. No salt, no pepper. The portions aren't too friendly for RM36 as apparently we got the minimum 2 people portion. As for cooking, it could be a bit more tender if fried at a higher temperature giving it more char and a juicier bite. Sadly, it was a little bit dry, but not inedible.

Japchae (3.5/5) The Japchea was served with loads of cabbage and carrots which made it really refreshing to eat. The noodles were springy but seasoned with too much sugar making the dish very candy like. Slightly on the oily side, but probably necessary with the amount of sugar in the dish. It also had a generous amount of diced pork. If you enjoy a sweeter indomee goreng, probably you may enjoy this. But if sweet noodles are not for you. You can skip this.

Kimchee pancake (4/5) Wonderfully charred pancake. Light on the Kimchi but heavy on carrots, cabbage, and onion. The crispy parts were stunning giving that barbeque char flavour and crisp. Seasoning was on point with a slight spice. Only downside is that it crumbled easily. This is because the vegetables inside were a bit chunky, so there isn't enough batter to hold it together. This dish too had some pork bits inside the pancake.

Cold noodles (5/5) Honestly the best dish of the evening. Super refreshing springy noodles in a heavily umami broth cut with pear vinegar. The ice they used were also made of the same soup. As you drink the soup and slurp the noodles, the flavour of the soup stays in your mouth. Could use some cucumbers or pear, but even without it, it was a wonderful simple dish.

Overall quite a good experience. Ambience is very below standards, but maybe it's their theme. But would come back for a light lunch, but not for anything fancy. It's a good place for dinners who don't mind the lack of comfort and want decent Korean food. Food made with some thought. Food to give you a full stomach after a...

Best korean food I've had so far. Their food are as authentic to korean taste as it can get in KL. For those who do not appreciate the taste, you will learn to love it after a few bite. --------Their budaejjigae (also known as army stew) is huge in serving, enough to feed 3-4 heads. Despite the size, they did not watered it down as it taste very strong with very strong korean, kimchi like flavour. --------Tangsuyuk (Korean version of sweet and sour pork) is absolutely heaven with sizeable chunk of meat in each bite covered with a layer of crispy batter fried to perfection. --------Rabokki (Instant noodles + korean rice cake) is another delight I would recommend. I was extremely doubtful when my friend ordered it as it sounds like a ripoff, however the sauce is paired amazingly with the textured noodles. --------Their samgyeopsal (pork belly) is truly one of the best I had among korean restaurants, however I'm not an avid fan of pork belly so try it at your own risk. --------Overall, it had not disappoint me in terms of taste so far thoughout my 2 visits. It is recommended to make reservations before going, especially on peak dinner time as it only opens for dinner time and til late past midnight. The restaurant itself looks like it's hiding in plain sight or a run down handphone store in a village. Despite how it looks, it's definitely a must try if you're willing to give up...