Gangnam Pocha — Restaurant in Bucharest

Honestly wanted to like this place but its failure in execution coupled with some of the highest prices in Bucharest led me to the opposite.

First major failing is that food is not served in proper vessels for its intended purpose. My fresh kimchi fried rice (25 lei), which still required much manual mixing was overflowing in the much too small bowl, resulting in either spills or using your hands to keep the rice contained in the bowl while you mix the fresh egg.

Hot Pot (95 lei) shouldn't be attempted, first there's the much much too small bowl that surely can't house all the ingredients properly, and if you manage to squish and mix everything, you'll be greeted with constant spills as the flame is a portable tabletop rather than being embedded in the table, thus your food is always elevated above your plate leading to generally messy and impractical eating.

The Korean fried chicken (65 lei) was plentiful and okay.

They have cocktails as well as a few small bottled sodas (12 lei, 230ml) too.

Overall food was generally okay, nothing special. You can eat much better for the same price (or less) in Dorabanti and elsewhere and at least feel you got something in return, whether it be service, decor, or food. In Gangnam Pocha's case you might feel somewhat lackluster after.

Music and decor is pretty okay, and staff tries to be attentive but is definitely more quick service feel. Is nice something like this opened in Lipscani, but will need to improve quite a bit if it hopes to stick around. The part that worries me most is this may be the first hot pot experience for many and may ultimately discourage people from being interested in...

Where can I start? I love Korean food, especially pochas. I remember going to so many interesting restaurants in Korea when I used to live there and now that I live in Bucharest I’ve been on a constant search for that flavor that reminds me of my youth. There were a few restaurants that came close but Gangnam pocha is not one of them. I’ve been to Gangnam pocha a few times in hopes that the food is better but it never gets better. The food is cheaply made and tastes nothing like what authentic Korean food tastes like. I get that it’s a 포차 which means a place that serves drinking food but the food should at least be enjoyable, not just something to fill my stomach up (which it didn’t btw). I ordered spicy stir fried chicken, noodles with vegetables, corn cheese, teokboki and spicy chicken hotpot just to name a few of the items I’ve ordered throughout my times at Gangnam Pocha. And truth be told I was dissapointed with all of them. The food was bland and let me give you an example: corn cheese. The decor was interesting as I saw many writing on the walls and it’s a nice concept but to be honest that’s all it has to it. Like you’d expect something more but the more doesn’t exist. But that being said it’s not the worst thing about the place. The service was also okay and nothing really to be said about it. In conclusion I really think the food is the villain here. I’m really not hating nor do I want anyone to be fired. You know I actually really want this to be good so all I will say is please redo just about everything in the menu and maybe one day I might make my return....

I usually review places I love. I think all my reviews are 5 stars or 4 minimum. But this was not just a bad restaurant it also spoilt my night. I arrived at 1915. They only got our order at 1950 after we went down and asked them (Monday night so not a normally busy night). At 2030 we told them we didn't even get water and the waiter came to yell at me. I asked him three times RESPECTFULLY to stop shouting. I was starving and upset and still spoke calmly. Music too loud. Heard the same song 10 times. (NOTHINGS GONNA CHANGE MY LOVE FOR YOU and something that says you look so beautiful tonight) The staff were screaming at each other too. Worst experience in any restaurant. The food came at 2040. It was OK but not not for 1 and 20 mins delay on monday and please stop screaming at customers when they politely tell you that they wait too long. The waiter told me thatI could go if I didn't like it. (I had already waited more than an hour by then) think I've never written such a long or negative review. I usually prefer small family restaurants over chains. I'm sad to write this but no one needs to be screamed at like that. They don't care about the customers. Upstairs it was freezing. The food was OK paid 60 lei for chicken and plain rice. With the same price or less I ate more during my stay WITHOUT SITTING IN A COLD ROOM FOR 1 H AND 20 MINS WITH LOUD REPETITIVE MUSIC AND AGRESSIVE STAFF. PS at least the waitress was polite and apologised unlike the guy with the longhair who was rude...