A couple years back I went to this restaurant in Strathfield which is known for their chilli chicken. When I say chilli chicken – I mean marinated in chilli, cooked in chilli and served with chilli on a hotplate. I still have horrid memories of this place because of that dish destroying all my taste buds in seconds but somehow my friends convinced me to go back.
Stra Pocha is on the quieter side of Strathfield (the non-froyo crazy side) and has two entrances right next to each other, making it look like two restaurants. It has a choice of outdoor, indoor and booth seating and we get placed in a room hidden at the back. Today we’re eating in a party of three and I’ve managed to convince my friends to steer clear of the chilli chicken.
Sliced Pork Belly with Fresh Veggies – $30
First up is the sliced pork belly which is served hot and cut thickly. It is soft and delicious and you can eat this by wrapping it in the lettuce leaves with the side of cold chilli radish. The dish also comes with sheets of raw cabbage which I thought was weird, but if you pile the meat and chilli radish on top of the cabbage, it actually tastes quite good! The cabbage is cool and crunchy, much like the texture of a cracker.
Fried Chicken with Melted Cheese on a Hot Plate – $35
Next up is the fried chicken. Despite having an indication of ‘one chilli’ of spiciness on the menu, the chicken is not spicy at all and only hot in temperature. The chicken tastes sweet as it is drizzled in honey, and the cheese adds extra flavour, however I find if the batter falls off and you only get the chicken inside, then there isn’t that much flavour after all. At the end of the dish, we discover a piece of bread at the bottom which has soaked up all the oils and cheese if you’re brave enough to eat it! I took a bite of it – it tasted like extremely cheesy and juicy toast.
Stir Fried Cellophane Noodles in Sesame Oil with Assorted Veggies and Beef – $20
Our last dish was the noodles commonly known as ‘jap chae’. These are chewy in consistency with a sweet flavour. It’s actually one of the better ones I’ve had in Sydney because there is a good proportion of sauce. It is not soggy and drowning in sauce unlike others. The serving is also very large and we struggled to finish it.
If you’re looking for a dinner at Strathfield away from all the teenage craziness, this side of train station featuring Stra Pocha is a good choice. If you’re a heavy weight chilli fan, I would recommend the chilli chicken even though I didn’t review it, but otherwise there is a range of dishes to please Korean food lovers.
Stra Pocha
19-21 Everton Rd, Sydney, NSW 2135
Ph: (02) 9745 5959
I super love Korean cuisine and those fried chicken with cheese is a new sight for me! definitely checking this place. thanks for the review! 🙂
No worries, thanks for stopping by! If you can do chilli, I suggest you get the chilli chicken 🙂
Yum, everything looks delicious. Strathfield is not that far away from home, I’ll pay them a visit soon.
This is probably my most favourite Korean place. It’s ridiculously chilly. The hot pot is just a bowl full of chilli and comes out boiling hot. The chicken feet is pretty amazing too! and yes, get the chilli chicken. blows your head off! =)
They have chicken feet here?!?!?! Is it like the yum cha one?
Looks delicious! I really enjoy Korean food though haven’t indulged in enough of it – I also love love chilli so this seems like a perfect haven for me 🙂
x
Definitely for any chilli lover!