Hong Dae Pocha: The Ultimate Korean Bar Experience in Santa Clara

Excellent food and service with some of the latest hours available in the area! A friend was visiting and performing nearby, and Hong Dae Pocha was one of the only places we could find that was open! We were actually referred by a hot pot spot that rejected us because of the late hour Service at Hong Dae Pocha was great, the food was delicious, and the kitchen was fast. It’s been hard for me to find decent Korean food in Northern California, especially spots that are open late, and I’ll definitely be recommending this place to friends. I can’t wait to come back and try more than just the chicken wings and bulgogi, both of which were delicious! We also maybe had three bottles of mango soju, which was also tasty!

Happened upon this place by accident. Noticed the grand opening sign and decided to give it a try. Very simple decor, with a few TV screens scattered about playing k-pop videos. Food was good, especially liked the rice cakes and fried chicken was outstanding. Service was helpful, albeit a little slow.

We order a few things and they let you chat without rushing you. We like that! The garlic fried chicken was yummy.

A cozy little restaurant with pretty good Korean food. We came here for the raw marinated crab which is hard to find. Definitely not as fresh and tasty as what you'd get in Korea and maybe even LA but overall pretty good. The tteokbokki side and fish cake soup were pretty good. The fried chicken was not as good as some other places in the area though.

One of the newest Korean restaurants in Sunnyvale. Looks like it is a family-run business. Inside is pretty cozy. Some of the items on the menu are unique like spicy chicken feet. The are plenty items in the menu. It is good if you go with a group so you can try many items. The kimchi bossam is really good. The meat is tender. The kimchi has oyster. Pricewise it is a bit high. The service is good.

TLDR: Pricey but worth it for delicious Korean food. Service can be hit or miss, ambiance varies, but the dishes are flavorful. Favorites include the Kimchi Bossam and Tteokbokki. I’ll be honest, this place is on the pricey side, but the food is consistently delicious every time I visit. The only downside is I can’t come as often as I’d like since the cost is higher than most Korean spots. Still, it’s worth it, so just a heads-up if you’re planning to come. The service can be hit or miss. Sometimes attentive, other times you’ll need to flag someone down. The ambiance is usually laid back, though it depends on the day and crowd size. Here’s what I’ve tried: Kimchi Bossam (19 or 21) – Hell yes! Seasoned Raw Crab in Spicy House Sauce (25) – Messy and complicated, but not the main event. Tteokbokki – Delicious.

We had their spicy topokki, clam soup, seafood pancake, grilled squid and fried whole chicken. Every dish was done well, impressed with their seafood pancake, crispy outside and moist inside. Perfectly seasoned. They don't provide banchan at the table. Slight disappointment.

The word "pocha" in Korean means a late-night alcohol plus comfort food on the street. You do not go to a pocha for proper meals. You go there for food that goes well with beer and soju. And that is exactly what Hong Dae Pocha delivers in Santa Clara. "Hong Dae" itself refers to a famous area in Seoul near Hongik University where there are plenty of nightlife, bars, and food and is an iconic tourist attraction. So the owners calling their store Hong Dae Pocha sets it up for a high standard to be authentic to serve the late night crowd. HDP (Hong Dae Pocha) has a great lineup of food that you'd commonly expect with draft beer and soju. Keep in mind that this is a bar before restaurant. So whatever you order, you shouldn't be expecting dining-first Korean cuisine. What you should expect is a diverse selection of "tapas" that can be enjoyed with a group of friends over drinks. We have chicken gangjung - phenomenal I would say, as well as corn-cheese, and a few other dishes. Most were exceptional and went well with the draft beer we had. Some, like komjanguh, was quite "off" and we didn't know what to make of it. But as you can imagine, between good friends, and beer, everything is jolly and forgiven. Service was pretty poor - they seldom took notice of us despite we being seated in the center of the restaurant. And notably, they forgot a couple dishes. But again, compared to other Korean bars and nightlife here in South Bay (which isn't much), HDP truly is outstanding. Will absolutely return.