A trio of K-pop, drinks and delicious food

With summer, we think of samgyetang, the ginseng chicken soup that is a must when the hot weather arrives in South Korea.

Alas, it seems that the only chicken offered by new Korean restaurants is fried chicken. These days you can find KFC in every neighborhood, but what’s good for a restaurateur’s bottom line isn’t necessarily healthy for my waistline, so I’ve been waiting a long time for the day someone will propose a new representative idea of ​​the country of the morning. Calm.

After all, there’s more to Korean cuisine than fried chicken, but the food I’d like to see requires rare skill and manpower here. So while I may be waiting in vain for the magic to happen, at least Masil Pocha has arrived to resurrect the hip Korean bar mixing food, drink and K-pop.

A stream of Korean R&B music videos provided the backdrop for a fun meal, the work of chef-owner Ryan Kim, who was manager of the upscale yakiniku house Budnamujip before that restaurant closed during the pandemic. Understanding that his long-term future was in his hands, he spent a year in Korea learning to cook before returning to open his own restaurant.

Still with the aim of finding a chef, the menu is likely to grow over time, but what’s there is a fresher, cleaner list of bar favorites, plus a snapshot of the Contemporary Seoul than Honolulu’s old-school Korean dishes.

The pocha occupies a place that over the years has been a revolving door for restaurants Ojiya, Yacchaba, Izakaya Mai and, more recently, the Southeast Indian restaurant and market Sarithra.

In addition to open dining seating, the market area now houses four karaoke rooms, or noraebang, which diners can reserve at no additional cost. (Karaoke is $2 per song.) Sure, you’re expected to order food and drink, but unlike other venues that have minimum room charges, there’s no minimum spend here.

Once set up, the festivities can begin, starting with domestic or Korean beer, raspberry or Korean rice wine or bottles of soju or sweet soju cocktails like a “Very Berry” ($12) mix of soju, strawberries and Sprite, or a pretty red-to-blue ombré “Sea Breeze” ($12), combining soju, cranberry and grapefruit juices.

Each dish is meant to be shared and of course there are the necessary chicken wings. At first glance, the Spicy Wings ($18) immediately reminded me of Chicken Alice from long ago due to its red color and coating of chili flakes, seeds and other ingredients from the marinade. I loved its crunchy texture and the balance between sweetness and sauce.

For something different, there’s Masil’s cinnamon-rich whole yangnyeom chicken ($26). The sweet, dessert flavor may not appeal to those expecting more savory notes, but I enjoyed the unique sauce. I expect it will appeal more to those who like honey chicken than the essence of shoyu and garlic marinades.

Fried dishes such as calamari ($15) and crispy potato pancake ($15) hit the mark. I was particularly taken with the thin hash brown-style crepe with its thin, brittle potato texture, topped with mozzarella and runny, Instagram-ready poached eggs.

Carbohydrate as I am, another of my favorite dishes here is the spicy kimchi fried rice ($16), the best I’ve tasted on this island so far.

While the fried rice was saturated with flavor, meats like kalbi ($25) and roast pork belly ($25) were rarer, in keeping with contemporary Korean tastes. Locals used to more salt and sauce may consider the kalbi to be under-seasoned with its light shoyu marinade, but I tend to enjoy cleaner flavors that allow me to taste more meat than sauce. The pork was also clean and not greasy, with sesame oil and ssamjang adding a touch of flavor.

There was plenty to try, so I avoided particularly Korean specialties such as sea snails ($25) and stewed pupae ($12), usually silkworms, considered one of the most popular foods. exotic from the country and the one I thought I’d try until a Korean friend gave me second thoughts, telling me she can’t eat it.

Those looking for comfort food will find it in the form of hot soups to share, like Spicy Seafood Soup ($32), Kimchi Hot Pot ($32) or Tteokbokki Hot Pot ($18) also filled with cabbage and other vegetables, fish cake and hard-boiled egg. I loved the softness of the tteokbokki, which is too often served hard and soft. I don’t want to work so hard.

I hope this restaurant will have the longevity that has eluded its predecessors. It’s a good sign that of all the tenants this space has seen in a decade, this is the first with a menu that has made me want to come back.

Masil Pocha

1718 Kapiolani Blvd, Honolulu

Food: ****
Service: ***½
Vibe: ***
Assess: ***½
Call: 808-762-3100
Hours: 5:30 p.m.-2:00 a.m. daily
Prices: About $80 for two to three without alcohol

Visits to Nadine Kam’s restaurant are unannounced and paid for by Honolulu featured advertiser. Follow Nadine on Instagram (@nadinekam) or on YouTube (youtube.com/nadinekam).