Watermelon soju at Pocha 32
posted July 28, 2010 7:06 AM   RSS | iCal | +googleCal

Sat August 14 at 6:30 PM, Pocha 32
15 W 32nd St, New York, NY, USA (Map & Directions)
Come hang out and enjoy some Korean bar/drinking food and alcoholic beverages.
posted by kkokkodalk to Meetup (52 comments total) 2 users marked this as a favorite

This is a busy weekend for me, but I'm going to try to make it!
posted by Brainy at 9:00 PM on August 1, 2010


I'll be there!
posted by hermitosis at 8:25 AM on August 2, 2010


Hrm... I'm gonna be in ATL... Miss you guys!
posted by functionequalsform at 3:11 AM on August 3, 2010


This sounds like such fantastic fun. I am up for this. One thing though. How should I dress? Jacket and tie? Just the tie? I'm so nervous.
posted by Splunge at 7:09 PM on August 6, 2010


Shoot, can't make it -- I have a wedding to go to on Long Island.

And I doubt they will have liquor-soaked watermelon.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 9:30 PM on August 6, 2010


I totally forgot about the last meetup, so hopefully I will be vindicated by this one! And liquorated!
posted by Juicy Avenger at 12:56 PM on August 7, 2010


The word is liquidated
posted by grobstein at 3:40 PM on August 7, 2010


....Oh, wait, this is NEXT weekend.

Arg, I have a show to review, though. Dammit. I'm still a no.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on August 8, 2010


...Wait, I may be able to make it after the fact. lemme check and mark myself as "maybe."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 10:32 AM on August 8, 2010


I don't think I will be able to make this meetup, but I should be free on the 15th. My goal is to attend at least one more NYC meetup before college starts!
posted by yaymukund at 6:06 PM on August 8, 2010


Holy shit, 21 maybes.

All right, since the definite list seems to waver between 8-9, I'm going to see how this shakes up this week until, say, Tuesday. I'll call to see if a reservation is possible for a group of about 10. If not, hopefully the group that does show up can commandeer two tables next to each other. I don't know how trickling in or out will work at this place to be honest, so my apologies ahead of time. Stay tuned!
posted by kkokkodalk at 11:32 PM on August 8, 2010


I'm going to switch myself from "maybe" to "yes" since I'll almost certainly be there. Hopefully that will make for a more accurate reservation count.
posted by twirlip at 11:40 PM on August 8, 2010


Is this the kind of place where you can come LATE? I have a show to review that starts at 7:30 and wouldn't be done until 9:30 or so. Would I be able to come after that? Or are people heading somewhere afterward?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:51 AM on August 9, 2010


Honestly? I'd just prefer that everyone who wants to come to try to come in as close to 6:30 as possible. I'm only looking into reservation as a maybe. We can monopolize tables with a little elbow room, but if you're planning on coming 2+ hours late, I'd discourage it because a) we can't guarantee seats and b) it's communal drinking and dining. I was OK with a little wiggle room back when the maybes were like 4-5 people, but now that we're in the double digits, I'm unfortunately going to have to put my foot down mainly because I'd hate for people to show up at 9 and we're done eating/drinking or there aren't any seats.

Since some people might be looking at this meetup without having seen the original MeTa thread first, here's the lowdown one more time:

It's not a sit-down restaurant type of place, it's sorta dive-y. But this isn't like a typical American bar where you can just sidle up to the bar for your own order. So just to reiterate the caveats of enjoying fine Korean-style drinking and eating: As I said in the original post, it's more of a communal thing and that's going to also affect the tab, which will probably be by table. The portions aren't made for single serving. You will be poking around the same plate everyone's poking their utensils in. That's just how we do in the R.O.K. Even if you show up later and manage to grab a seat, be sure to chip in if you partake in any drinking or eating. It'd be much appreciated and nobody's mellow gets harshed.
posted by kkokkodalk at 11:23 AM on August 9, 2010


Given that this is communal, what's the approximate amount one person's share is likely to be?
posted by Karmakaze at 8:19 AM on August 11, 2010


Ugh, I hate to cancel in the middle of the week when you went and made reservations, but my list of stuff to do has increased ten-fold. So sorry :( Give my love to the watermelon
posted by zoomorphic at 12:34 PM on August 11, 2010


I'll be there at 6:30!
posted by hermitosis at 12:37 PM on August 11, 2010


....Okay, let me try asking one more time -- Is there a chance you will all still be there as late as 9:30? Should I get a number from someone so I can call ahead to see if you're still there or if you've moved on to another place or need bailing out or something?
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 4:04 AM on August 12, 2010


As late as 9:30? No, probably not.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:19 AM on August 12, 2010


I don't think I can make it afterall... I am so bummed!
posted by khaaaaa at 12:55 PM on August 12, 2010


Was a maybe, now a definite no as I will instead be going to visit my boyfriend in his exile in New Jersey.
posted by ocherdraco at 4:10 PM on August 12, 2010


Work and life in general got in the way for me to monitor this thread.

EC: I have no idea if we'll be there as late as 9:30. I can't speak for anybody else that's coming (obviously everyone can stay as long as they want to) but I probably won't be staying that late, so the answer is a no from me.

Everybody else, don't let the talk of reservations scare you off. In fact, I was just talking to the Pocha folks yesterday and they assured me that if people show up at 6:30 on a Saturday, it won't be hard to find seats. So again, everyone try to show up as close to the start time as possible if you want to sit with us.
posted by kkokkodalk at 4:48 PM on August 12, 2010


Oh, and it looks like there's no information link, so here's the Yelp entry for the place again.
posted by kkokkodalk at 4:48 PM on August 12, 2010


I'll rescind my maybe since I'd hafta scoot out early for a show anyway and wouldn't wanna miss the full meet up/soju fun so I'll catch the next meet up and bring some ghetto vodka watermelon or something. Hey whatever happened to the possible 11th mefi-bday shindig?
posted by Juicy Avenger at 11:40 PM on August 12, 2010


Changed my "maybe" to a "No". Can't break away from my show.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 2:42 AM on August 13, 2010


If it helps, I'm feeling likely.
posted by Karmakaze at 8:31 AM on August 13, 2010


Oh I wanna come :)
posted by xbeautychicx at 4:55 PM on August 13, 2010


The more the merrier!
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 8:44 PM on August 13, 2010


Oh I'm still a maybe.
posted by fuq at 9:35 AM on August 14, 2010


Leaving home now. See you all soon.
posted by Splunge at 2:19 PM on August 14, 2010


Also on my way in the next couple of minutes. I'll meet everyone outside at 6:30, since the place is on the second floor. And maybe hang around for about 5-10 minutes outside for stragglers before heading in.
posted by kkokkodalk at 2:25 PM on August 14, 2010


We're seated, but there are plenty of empty tables still, if any of the maybe's feel like straggling in.
posted by oh yeah! at 3:51 PM on August 14, 2010


Anyone mind if I show up in 15? I'm ...deciding on clothing
posted by The Whelk at 4:12 PM on August 14, 2010


Yay my first meeetup , i am so full now! Nice to meet everyone!
posted by metafus at 5:54 PM on August 14, 2010


Thanks for showing up everyone. I'm going to go lie down right now to let the food digest for a bit.
posted by kkokkodalk at 7:07 PM on August 14, 2010


I enjoyed so much rice cake.
posted by The Whelk at 7:31 PM on August 14, 2010


So good! Thank you, kkokkodalk, for organizing and ordering all of our food. Next time, we start the meetup at The Face Shop.
posted by ThePinkSuperhero at 7:41 PM on August 14, 2010


IT WON'T COST MUCH. JUST YOUR FACE.
posted by The Whelk at 7:45 PM on August 14, 2010


Wow, I had such a good time and enjoyed everything I ate.
posted by hermitosis at 8:10 PM on August 14, 2010


kkokkodalk you are my new BFF! This meet was perfect. Spicy food, good people and kick ass deserts. I am still in heaven. And I have a story to tell about when I got near home.

On my way down the stairs at my subway stop, my right knee went out. People that don't have this problem won't understand. Let's just say that three steps from the bottom it went POP. And I fell on my face.

So there I am sort of curled up on the landing and people walking over me. And this old man (who I later found out was from Bangladesh) came up to me and asked if I was okay.

I said I was fine but he wouldn't hear of it. This short little fellow helped me up and insisted that I sit down for a bit. I told him that I was fine, but I wasn't. My right knee was throbbing like a bad tooth.

He walked with me, insisting that I lean on him, right up to my door. He said that he was only in the US for a year. But this was something that anyone from his country would do. It was only right to help another.

What can I say? I could have made it home. I might have taken a bit longer without Said (Sayeed, Sayid?) his help. But it was just amazing to me that this older guy helped a big fat me home.

I asked him what one would say to someone who wished another well at this point. He smiled and said, "Alahu Ackbar." I said, "May God bless you." He said, "Same thing."

We shook hands and wished each other peace and all sorts of prosperity and happiness. He lives about a block away from me around the corner.

I sit here now and wonder what I could make at a barbecue for him and his family. I guess no pork right? Maybe I can find out where he gets his Halal meat from.
posted by Splunge at 9:21 PM on August 14, 2010 [55 favorites]


Holy crow. A sidebar-worthy meetup update if ever I read one.
posted by hermitosis at 10:18 PM on August 14, 2010 [1 favorite]


Splunge, next time you see that guy, please tell him that strangers on the Internet think he's TOTALLY AWESOME.
posted by twirlip at 11:00 PM on August 14, 2010 [6 favorites]


Just had a couple of those pills karmakaze was talking about. I am feeling better. My knee looks like an overtuffed sausage.

bed time. nite all.
posted by Splunge at 11:14 PM on August 14, 2010


Dang, I wish I could have come. Take care of yourself Splunge - that sounds painful.
posted by allkindsoftime at 11:22 PM on August 15, 2010


QUICK WHEN IS THE NEXT NYC MEETUP
posted by Eideteker at 9:09 AM on August 16, 2010


Spicy food, good people and kick ass deserts.

There are deserts in NYC? Kick ass deserts? I mean, I know there's not a lot of vegetation outside of that rectangular oasis, but surely the rainfall must count for something.
posted by Sys Rq at 9:06 AM on August 17, 2010


Kick ass deserts?

Some people really like Queens.
posted by grobstein at 1:15 PM on August 17, 2010 [1 favorite]


s^
posted by Splunge at 2:45 PM on August 17, 2010


Well, we can always start planning to schedule another Pocha meet up if people who missed this time around want to try the place out (I also require more unmixed soju and makkuli drinking at the next one). Either that or it's Korean bbq buffet in Flushing.
posted by kkokkodalk at 8:43 AM on August 18, 2010


oooOO korean bbq buffet... wow splunge i hope you are ok..
posted by metafus at 9:17 AM on August 19, 2010


He's probably right about anyone where he is from feeling like helping a fellow human, or it may simply his way of being modest. He proved he was truly your neighbor, as in the parable of the Good Samaritan. The fact that this is considered such an outstanding act of kindness that it merits MeFi sidebar treatment is more of an indictment about how un-awesome most Americans have become in showing (what should be) ordinary kindnesses their neighbors these days. (The point of the parable is that we are all neighbors, or rather that we make ourselves someone's neighbor by such considerate acts, even at personal expense.

I hope you will not let your thank you gift be the end of your relationship with Sayeed and his family in the year that he is allowed to grace America with his presence and good manners.
posted by spock at 10:01 PM on September 2, 2010


Saeed Sahib is being overly modest, in that, not just anyone would do it. But, not as modest as if he were an American and said the same thing. Because lots of people would. :)
posted by bardophile at 5:00 AM on September 8, 2010



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