88 Pocha

The Parade in Norwood runs on a genial suburban rhythm, and this Korean street-food room adds a jolt of Seoul-after-dark energy to it. The format is pocha, the tented late-night drinking-and-snacking culture of Korean cities, translated into a bright, sociable dining room built for groups and celebrations. Dakgalbi anchors the kitchen: spicy stir-fried chicken tumbled with cabbage, rice cakes and vegetables over a hot plate, offered in a run of variations from a mild soy version to a fiery buldak with molten cheese, plus a seafood rendition for the table. Around it sit the reliable pillars of the genre, Korean fried chicken lacquered and crisp, chewy tteokbokki, bubbling hotpots, and kimchi and seafood pancakes to share. Soju does much of the social heavy lifting, poured with a sense of theatre, and birthdays are met with a small surprise as the mood tilts easily toward the raucous. Three hours of complimentary parking and a long run of near-perfect local reviews have made it a fixture for a certain kind of Adelaide night out, one measured in shared plates, refilled glasses and the sizzle of the grill. Come with a crowd and an appetite.