I would recommend their Kimchi fried rice and their tofu udon. Their beef bugolgi rice was mediocre, I wouldn't recommend. A big issue with this is they don't have AC, I would not come here in the summer time. There's no ventilation and their lowest tipping rate was 18% which is unreasonable for a place with no AC. Their music is VERY loud, even after asking their staff to turn it down, it is still hard to hear other people. For your reference, their music is louder than warehouse. Overall, their food was okay, but I would not come here again when it's >25 celcius outside.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Kongphop Attakowitwitaya
Pocha 1989 offers an authentic Korean pocha (street food & pub) experience right in the heart of Toronto. The vibe is lively and casual, perfect for hanging out with friends over great food and drinks.
I tried their soy sauce fried chicken, which was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, perfectly balanced with a savory-sweet glaze. The tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) came with a creamy twist that was deliciously comforting. Their oden soup was warm and flavorful, great for cooler evenings.
The staff were friendly and attentive, making recommendations without being pushy. The space has a trendy, modern Korean street-style decor that adds to the fun atmosphere.
If you’re craving authentic Korean comfort food with a social, upbeat vibe, Pocha 1989 is a top choice in Toronto!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Army Base Stew, Sweet Soy Fried Chicken
Naqeebul Islam
Went here a while back, can’t find the photos of it anymore. The food is pretty good albeit a little on the pricey feeling side for a lot of items. I remember liking both the Tteokbokki and the Beef Mandu. We just had soju and none of their speciality drinks or cocktails, will do that if I find a chance to visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Spicy Rose Creamy Rice Cake
Rom Nik
Squid tentacles are the best!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lyla Wilson
I had their yummy bulgogi with rice and tried my friend's deep fried garlic chicken. Both super tasty! We had some nice soju afterward (happy hour deal). Service was great and the patio vibes were lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soy Garlic Chicken
Hilary Hoang
Fun place to hang out at late night on Church. Their spicy rose tteok-bokki with peach makgeolli is unbeatable combo 💯💯💯
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Army Base Stew, Spicy Creamy Udon, Spicy Rose Creamy Rice Cake, Korean Style Rice Ball
Sharon
Amazing food, my favourite Korean spot and one of my favourite restaurants in general. The menu is thoughtfully created. The interior and vibes are also great. The owner and the staff, especially Jenny, are super attentive and the service I receive here every time I visit is above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paul Richard
Delicious Korean food (Crispy boneless chicken & Beef bulgoggi with rice) Fast service and friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Veronica Fernandes
The Spicy Creamy Udon is out of this world. I would leave my husband for the spicy creamy udon. The whole table went quiet as we devoured it, that’s how you know it’s good.
Had a great time at 포차 POCHA 1989! The vibe is super cozy and feels like a true Korean late-night spot. We ordered the spicy fried chicken topped with sliced almonds and scallions, it was crispy, flavorful. The odeng hot pot was comforting and warm, great for sharing. Service was friendly, and food came out pretty fast. Definitely worth checking out if you’re craving Korean comfort food!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Phil Huynh
POCHA 1989 is an okay spot. It was packed when we went, with people sitting both inside and out. True to the classic pocha style, the space is tight, with tables and chairs crammed together. The interior has that signature dim lighting with lots of small lights scattered around. Service was fast, but don’t expect anyone to check in on your table because it is just too busy.
We got the Budae Jjigae, Rose Tteokbokki, Rose Udon, and a side order of french fries.
The Budae Jjigae came on a stove top so you could heat it up if it started getting cold which was nice. The flavour was nice and simple but not spicy. Budae Jjigae 7/10.
The Spicy Rose Tteokbokki was alright as well. The tteokbokki sauce was very creamy and not spicy. The rice cakes were nicely cooked, mildly chewy, and the odeng was standard 5/10.
The Rose Udon tasted the exact same as the tteokbokki 5/10. Absolutely no difference in both dishes other than one had rice cake and the other had udon. Which kind of sucked but not sure what we would have expected if we got rose sauce for both.
The french fries were delicious, crispy, and lightly salted 10/10.
Its a nice spot for friends to drink and eat, but the drinks are overpriced to take advantage of the youngbloods that seek a trendy mediocre time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Shikha Kansal
This place is exceptional. Absolutely loved their spicy creamy Udon and Army base stew. Thankyou for amazing service and food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
정건우 (Ben)
Garlic cream chicken and kimchi stew, there are enough reasons to eat here, must visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Emily Lashkhia
I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place already.
I’ve been here multiple times over the years and can say that it’s a great place to go drinking with friends. It’s open relatively late (for Toronto) and the food is delicious!
I’d post more photos but google maps physically won’t let me scroll far enough to access them. ;(
I usually end up getting the chicken, tteokbokki, or creamy udon, as well as soju. The price is a little steep but is kinda average for Toronto.
Service is usually really good! I love the environment as well- although one thing is that it gets REALLY hot in the summer- make sure to drink plenty of water guys.
I would recommend their Kimchi fried rice and their tofu udon. Their beef bugolgi rice was mediocre, I wouldn't recommend. A big issue with this is they don't have AC, I would not come here in the summer time. There's no ventilation and their lowest tipping rate was 18% which is unreasonable for a place with no AC. Their music is VERY loud, even after asking their staff to turn it down, it is still hard to hear other people. For your reference, their music is louder than warehouse. Overall, their food was okay, but I would not come here again when it's >25 celcius outside.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 3
Pocha 1989 offers an authentic Korean pocha (street food & pub) experience right in the heart of Toronto. The vibe is lively and casual, perfect for hanging out with friends over great food and drinks.
I tried their soy sauce fried chicken, which was crispy on the outside and juicy inside, perfectly balanced with a savory-sweet glaze. The tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes) came with a creamy twist that was deliciously comforting. Their oden soup was warm and flavorful, great for cooler evenings.
The staff were friendly and attentive, making recommendations without being pushy. The space has a trendy, modern Korean street-style decor that adds to the fun atmosphere.
If you’re craving authentic Korean comfort food with a social, upbeat vibe, Pocha 1989 is a top choice in Toronto!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Army Base Stew, Sweet Soy Fried Chicken
Went here a while back, can’t find the photos of it anymore. The food is pretty good albeit a little on the pricey feeling side for a lot of items. I remember liking both the Tteokbokki and the Beef Mandu.
We just had soju and none of their speciality drinks or cocktails, will do that if I find a chance to visit again.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Spicy Rose Creamy Rice Cake
Squid tentacles are the best!!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I had their yummy bulgogi with rice and tried my friend's deep fried garlic chicken. Both super tasty! We had some nice soju afterward (happy hour deal). Service was great and the patio vibes were lovely.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Soy Garlic Chicken
Fun place to hang out at late night on Church.
Their spicy rose tteok-bokki with peach makgeolli is unbeatable combo 💯💯💯
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Army Base Stew, Spicy Creamy Udon, Spicy Rose Creamy Rice Cake, Korean Style Rice Ball
Amazing food, my favourite Korean spot and one of my favourite restaurants in general. The menu is thoughtfully created. The interior and vibes are also great. The owner and the staff, especially Jenny, are super attentive and the service I receive here every time I visit is above and beyond!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Delicious Korean food (Crispy boneless chicken & Beef bulgoggi with rice) Fast service and friendly staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The Spicy Creamy Udon is out of this world. I would leave my husband for the spicy creamy udon. The whole table went quiet as we devoured it, that’s how you know it’s good.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pretty good chill spot to order Korean food
Restaurantji Recommends
Had a great time at 포차 POCHA 1989! The vibe is super cozy and feels like a true Korean late-night spot. We ordered the spicy fried chicken topped with sliced almonds and scallions, it was crispy, flavorful. The odeng hot pot was comforting and warm, great for sharing. Service was friendly, and food came out pretty fast. Definitely worth checking out if you’re craving Korean comfort food!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
POCHA 1989 is an okay spot. It was packed when we went, with people sitting both inside and out. True to the classic pocha style, the space is tight, with tables and chairs crammed together. The interior has that signature dim lighting with lots of small lights scattered around. Service was fast, but don’t expect anyone to check in on your table because it is just too busy.
We got the Budae Jjigae, Rose Tteokbokki, Rose Udon, and a side order of french fries.
The Budae Jjigae came on a stove top so you could heat it up if it started getting cold which was nice. The flavour was nice and simple but not spicy. Budae Jjigae 7/10.
The Spicy Rose Tteokbokki was alright as well. The tteokbokki sauce was very creamy and not spicy. The rice cakes were nicely cooked, mildly chewy, and the odeng was standard 5/10.
The Rose Udon tasted the exact same as the tteokbokki 5/10. Absolutely no difference in both dishes other than one had rice cake and the other had udon. Which kind of sucked but not sure what we would have expected if we got rose sauce for both.
The french fries were delicious, crispy, and lightly salted 10/10.
Its a nice spot for friends to drink and eat, but the drinks are overpriced to take advantage of the youngbloods that seek a trendy mediocre time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
This place is exceptional. Absolutely loved their spicy creamy Udon and Army base stew. Thankyou for amazing service and food
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Garlic cream chicken and kimchi stew, there are enough reasons to eat here, must visit.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this place already.
I’ve been here multiple times over the years and can say that it’s a great place to go drinking with friends. It’s open relatively late (for Toronto) and the food is delicious!
I’d post more photos but google maps physically won’t let me scroll far enough to access them. ;(
I usually end up getting the chicken, tteokbokki, or creamy udon, as well as soju. The price is a little steep but is kinda average for Toronto.
Service is usually really good! I love the environment as well- although one thing is that it gets REALLY hot in the summer- make sure to drink plenty of water guys.
Will definitely be back, thank you!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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