ace666 Clawson's Noori Pocha named to New York Times' list of best restaurants
Updated:2024-09-28 05:25 Views:186
Noori Pocha, a downtown Clawson restaurant known for its menu of authentic Korean dishes, was the only Michigan restaurant earning accolades as a top favorite restaurant on a new list released Tuesday.
The New York Times on Tuesday released its list of top restaurants across the country and Noori Pocha was the only Michigan restaurant on the list.
Noori Pocha, for its variety of Korean dishes, made the Times' list of "50 favorite places in America right now" annual feature.
Reached Tuesday afternoon, Noori Pocha co-owner Nali Kwon said being on the list is "very overwhelming" and they are "very happy about being on the list."
Kwon said that she and its chef Salang Hwan Bak developed the pocha-style recipes at Noori Pocha.
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"We worked very hard in the development of the concept and design of the space. Youjin Kim designed the whole space and collected all the vintage items from Korea."
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For the list, New York Times reporters and editors traveled over the last 12 months to nearly every state checking out places.
"Walk through the door of Noori Pocha, and you’ll wonder if you’ve found a portal to South Korea without the jet lag," the Times' Sara Bonisteel wrote.
Family-owned Noori Pocha is no stranger to accolades and landed at No. 2 on the Detroit Free Press/Metro Detroit Chevy Dealers Top 10 New Restaurants & Dining Experiences list.
Of Noori Pocha, Bonisteel raved about platters heaping with "steaming plates of bulgogi, chicken buldak and jokbal."
On Main Street in Clawson, Noori Pocha is attached to Noori Chicken, a fast-growing Korean fried chicken chain with several Michigan locations and others in the U.S. While both places are attached, each has a different menu.
The Kwon family owns both places and saw the potential for recreating the "pocha" trend, known in Korea where street food is served out of small, tented outdoor areas, to metro Detroit.
"It’s rare for a restaurant to be this transporting, and rarer still to have a meal that’s this much fun," Bonisteel wrote.Detroit Free Press dining critic Lyndsay C. Green named Noori Pocha to the Top 10 Best New Restaurant list, noted their "authentic Korean dishes, familial cultural details, and uniquely designed dining room.
Contact Detroit Free Press food and restaurant writer Susan Selasky and send food and restaurant news and tips to: [email protected]. Follow @SusanMariecooks on Twitter. Subscribe to the Free Press.ace666
