Variety Is the Spice of Life at K-Pocha

Time to try Korean street food in Traverse City

Who knew Froot Loops were a staple of Korean street food? Well, Phong Nguyen, for one. A Froot Loops-coated corn dog is one of the many popular dishes at his restaurant K-Pocha.

“Kids love Froot Loops. It’s sweet and savory and really pretty,” says Nguyen, the owner of the recently-opened K-Pocha.

As Nguyen explains, the restaurant’s name comes from the Korean term for a type of outdoor food and drink stall, a “pocha.” It’s actually a shortened version of the Korean “pojangmacha,” or covered wagon. (And the K denotes Korean, for those who might not have guessed.)

K-Pocha is located in East Bay Plaza in Traverse City, next to the Verizon store. The unassuming exterior is belied by the scents wafting from the kitchen and the bright menu overhead. It features a few familiar items like bibimbap and tteok-bokki, but those dishes are likely prepared differently than how you might imagine.

Nguyen says that in Korea, most of the street food stands specialize in one product. At K-Pocha, you have choices—lots of them. “In Asia, it’s one dish only. They specialize. That’s hard to do in America. People love the variety,” he says.

On the Menu

And variety there is. Just with the corn dogs alone, you can get your choice of seven other toppings: Signature (ketchup and mustard in a fancy swirl), Ramen, Potato, Sweet Pocheeto, Hot Cheeto, Dorito Cheeto, and Dragon Breath. Potato, Sweet Pocheeto, Hot Cheeto, and Dorito Cheeto are all marked with one fire, denoting spiciness; Dragon Breath, as one might expect, sizzles a bit more, earning it three fires (ouch!).

That’s just the coating. Inside, you have your choice of beef hot dog, chicken hot dog, vegetarian hot dog, mozzarella cheese, half beef-half mozzarella, or half chicken-half mozzarella.

According to Nguyen, Korean food is known for its bold flavors. Others might substitute the word “spicy” or “hot” for bold, as various chili peppers and other spices bring out the umami (his word) of the Sizzling Spicy Galbi (grilled ribs), Beef Skewer, or Spicy Chicken Bao Bun, while lending more familiar dishes such as Chicken Tenders and loaded fries a new zest.

Then there are the classics, though they may not be so “classic” to American taste buds. There’s the Tater-nado (skewered, spiralized potatoes), Cheesy Spicy Tteok-bokki (a simmered rice cake), Black Bean Tteok-bokki, and many, many more.

The fun doesn’t stop there. A full slate of drinks and ice cream treats will no doubt tempt palates. Slushes include strawberry, mango, or oreo, or you can try a flavored limeade with passion fruit or lychee. There’s also Dalgona coffee, matcha milk, matcha strawberry, and taro milk among the choices.

As for dessert, there are various ice creams and toppings. Maybe the staff will be Berry Nice to you, with a bubble waffle cone with strawberry and cherry ice cream, strawberry sauce, berry compote, and chocolate pocky rolls.

You get the idea. As Nguyen says, in America people like choices. So at K-Pocha, which are the most popular choices? He points to BiBimBap with Beef Bulgogi as a favorite, though it’s the Kimchi Fried Rice with Pork Belly he says is the No. 1 choice among customers.

The pork and chicken base for the Japanese Ramen is marinated for 16 hours, before being cooked and mixed with the seasonings. Take that, fast food.

The KFC Fried Rice—or noodles—is not based on the recipe of a famous colonel, but is Nguyen’s take on Korean Fried Chicken. Beyond its bold flavor, Nguyen says he uses a lot of potato flour in the coating. “That makes it crisp and juicy,” he says.

On the Horizon

This is the second K-Pocha restaurant Nguyen has opened. The first was in Grand Rapids, but after friends suggested he visit Traverse City, he decided to sell that location and open here. “K-Pocha was in Byron Center. After two and a half years I relocated to Traverse City,” he says.

Now he has his eyes set on another downstate location. By the time this article is in print, he hopes to have opened K-Pocha in Holland.

“It has been a good concept. It’s a lot of fun,” Nguyen says of the restaurant, for families, young people, and kids. That’s borne out by his young daughter zooming around with a push toy, as well as the fact the restaurant was three-quarters full on a Monday night just prior to closing. College-age people, couples in their 30s or 40s, and others were there to eat or pick up to-go orders.

Nguyen has been shuttling back and forth as he runs one restaurant while readying another. His irrepressible nature and non-stop smile suggest he’s fully capable of doing so. “It’s a labor of love,” he says. Judging from the satisfied expressions and smiles on the faces of his customers, he’s not alone in that thought.

It’s not like Nguyen always had eyes on becoming a chef. He grew up in Vietnam before moving to the U.S., and originally studied business at Ferris State University. But after working in the restaurant industry, he fell hard.

“At 20 I went to America for school and fell in love with cooking,” he says. “Asian food has been really trending. … It made me change my major from business/marketing to food.”

When asked if this is really what Nguyen wants to do when he grows up, he enthusiastically responds in the affirmative. “I always wanted to open a Korean or Japanese [restaurant].”

Find K-Pocha at 720 Munson Ave Suite A in Traverse City. (231) 252-2468; kpochatc.com

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