Clawson, MI –My first foodie adventure to downtown Clawson last summer was quite the discovery. I found a trove of foodie destinations covering an array of cuisines from tacos to sushi, Mexican, barbecue, Japanese, classic diners, and more.
One of the first establishments that caught my eye was Noori Pocha, which appeared to be an extension of Noori Chicken at the southeast corner of 14 Mile Road and Main Street. At the time, Noori Pocha appeared to still be under development and wasn’t open to the public yet. The eatery it was connected to, Noori Chicken, was quite busy. Folks were walking out with takeout orders, and a long line of people were waiting to place or pick up orders. The line even extended outside past the front entrance. I stated then that I would eventually circle back to check out this Korean chicken joint.
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Fast forward a year and dozens of foodie adventures later: I have successfully checked out Noori Chicken AND Pocha! Noori Pocha, the retro gastropub side, held a soft opening earlier this year and to rave reviews from local food journalists and bloggers. My first adventure to Noori focused on the chicken establishment, while the second and most recent adventure was to Pocha.
Back in mid-July, I arranged to meet up with a foodie associate of mine, Dave Benjamin, at Noori Chicken. Dave is a Media and Marketing Consultant and represents one of my favorite eateries, 88 Banh Mi & Bowl, in Warren. Like myself, Dave had heard great things about Noori Chicken and had been meaning to give it a try. We met for lunch to check out the popular chicken spot and catch up on the latest happenings with 88 Banh Mi.
I walked in a few minutes after 11:30 a.m. and spotted Dave at one of the small dining tables off to the left of the counter. Recalling the long line from my first time witnessing the popularity of Noori Chicken, I had suggested to Dave that we meet up a bit before the lunch rush hit. Dave and I didn’t waste any time marching right up to the open counter to order, as several people were already waiting for takeout orders flanked to our left and right of the entrance. Dave placed his order as I visually absorbed and captured photos of the interior and observed the menu. I eventually approached and took my turn ordering, asking several questions about the food and popular menu items from the friendly front desk employee and another woman who turned out to be one of the co-owners, Nali Kwon.
Several years ago, Nali and her brother, Yeol “Andy” Kwon, happened upon a Noori Chicken during a visit to Grand Rapids. The Kwons felt that the taste of the fried chicken and experience reminded them of the chicken they ate in Korea during their youth. So, they enlisted into the Noori Chicken franchise, expanding the operation to the east side of the Mitten, nestled in a quiet but serene Metro Detroit suburb community. It didn’t take long for the crispy and saucy Korean chicken sensation to go viral and bring some serious foot traffic to this tucked-away foodie paradise — and we thank the Kwons’ for it!
Nali and her employees were incredibly helpful in explaining the various sauces and the heat levels, breaking down the different sides, and explaining what menu items were most popular with customers. I went with one of the lunch combos and ordered the 4-piece bone-in wing, side, and a drink. I went safe heat-wise with the sauce and ordered the soy garlic, but I also got the sauce on the side (I know, it was a bold decision, but I wanted to try at least one wing sauceless to gain a fuller experience of the chicken itself). I selected the fries for my side but went with the crowd favorite: Magic Sprinkle Fries. And then, because Nali is incredibly kind and wanted Dave and me to get a more encompassing first Noori Chicken experience, she tossed in an order of Soy Garlic Dumplings for us to try!
In hindsight, I should have had the wings tossed in the sauce. Not because the wings were dull or not desirable served plain, but because I didn’t get to enjoy the phenomenal soy garlic sauce as much as I could have! I strategically drizzled the sauce down from the side cup as evenly across my wings as possible. The sauce was sensational, and I learned my lesson for next time (as you’ll read further below) in terms of getting the sauce ON the wings!
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The chicken was perfectly fried and had an excellent crisp and crackle when biting into the wing. The soy garlic had a thicker consistency, so it stuck to the wings well and added that pungent soy kick with a slight underlying garlic aftertaste. I really enjoyed these wings!
The Soy Garlic Dumplings maintained that same flavor profile described above regarding the savory sauce, but it was lightly saturated into the dumplings and more controlled/subtle this time. The veggie interior was rather tasty, and I was pleased that these dumplings came quite stuffed! Even the little chives gave that nice, finishing garnished touch. These dumplings make the perfect little side dish to share with another person!
I started snagging and popping the frosted, soft fries into my mouth one by one after initially opening my combo box. The fries were cooked perfectly and had the perfect mash consistency, as one will often do with a small handful of 3-5 fries at a time. The “magic dust” seasoning that was cheesy and sweet, with a hint of garlic, made these fries stand out even more. The powder seasoning was fricken awesome, and I was obviously a fan since parm cheese was evidently involved in the concoction! While I try to be mindful of my caloric intake during meals, these fries made it challenging as I grabbed away at them throughout the luncheon while catching up with Dave.
Overall, it was a fantastic meal, and I was really grateful for Nali and her staff’s hospitality. I began eagerly looking forward to my next adventure: to check out the Noori Pocha side of the establishment, which is described as a retro Korean gastropub.
Fortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for that second adventure (a there and back again, if you will) to come around. A few weeks later, one of my longtime best friends, Vince, married his best friend, Kara, in downtown Detroit at the Gem Theatre. Nearly all of our OG best friend group from growing up came into town for the occasion, including our friend James, who has lived in Berlin for the past seven years. The last time we had seen James was when our other bestie Ben was married in Philadelphia about two years ago. Since we don’t get to see James very often, I took it upon myself to ensure he got top-tier foodie experiences while back in Michigan.
During the wedding reception, after a truly phenomenal and wonderful ceremony, I coordinated a dinner outing to Noori Pocha the following day for James and me, along with our friends Adam and Hope. Adam and Hope were already huge fans of Noori Pocha and had been prior, so they were enthusiastically down to accompany us on this foodie adventure.
James and I arrived at Noori Pocha a few minutes after Adam and Hope, who quickly grabbed the first available table. Before this adventure, I had seen several photos of the gastropub interior from reviewers on Google and Yelp and knew I would dig the vibes. Sure enough, I was quickly enamored by the bright, neon environment of Noori Pocha. From all the cool signage, lights, furnishings, and decor, I felt like I was transported to a pub in Seoul! I loved the projector playing a looped POV walkthrough of Seoul and other scenic Korean sites. Although it is a smaller space, I think the Kwons utilize it well and provide diners with a unique, genuine Korean experience.
James and I looked over the menu and coordinated a large meal to share with Adam and Hope, who eagerly suggested we both try the Spicy Rice Cakes as we debated what to order. Every table gets an order right out of the gate for free, alongside a pitcher of water, which is awesome since this little starter course is a delicious kick-off and introduction to the cuisine of Noori Pocha!
Had I not just had my first experience with spicy rice cakes two weeks before this during an adventure to Los Angeles, I would have been pleasantly surprised once the chewing began. My first time trying rice cakes was at a wonderful place in Koreatown called Dan Sung Sa with my friend Sam, who was a wonderful host and foodie adventurer. Even though this wasn’t my first time biting into a rice cake, I still somehow managed to enjoy it just as much as the first time I tried these delicious little spongy delights. They are actually chewy, but in a fun sort of way, like a spicy marshmallow! The sauce and dash of spice provide the nice heat, which packs quite the punch and afterheat in a controlled manner. These little bites are fun, tasty, and a great way to warm up the tastebuds for the main courses!
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Our server was very kind and helpful and explained that most of the entrées on the menu serve enough for at least two people. So James and I ordered the Spicy Pork on our tab while Adam and Hope ordered the Bulgogi. To cap off the meal, we also ordered eight Noori chicken wings with supreme sauce. We all agreed to split the entrées equally, with everyone being allocated two chicken wings. We were ready to feast!
Reeeaallly let those photos above sink in, and believe me when I say, there wasn’t a shred of anything left on either plate by time we were all finished — no prisoners! The succulent Spicy Pork had an incredibly controlled heat factor and was so tender it should have been a crime. The grilled peppers and vegetables were also exceptional, adding different textures to the mix and complementing the meat, similar to a fajita mixture. The sauce glaze was also a nice touch, keeping the pork moist and even more enhanced on the flavor scale.
I enjoyed chopsticking bites of pork with the white rice served on the side. As you’ll notice on the plate above with Spicy Pork, we added the Jumeok-Bap (rice balls) to our order. Jumeok-Bap is a rolled-up rice ball, sometimes with other things rolled in like seaweed flakes or sesame seeds, and is often served alongside spicier dishes. This rice was superior to the white rice, which held its own and was solid in its own right, but the Jumeok-Bap came loaded with so many additional flavors that I realized I ate my rice ball way too fast!
The bulgogi comes served with a mixture of grilled veggies paired well with the sweet and savory meat. The thin marinated beef strips were grilled perfectly, with some strips along the bottom even having slight searings. This dish includes a bowl of white rice, a cup of lettuce wraps, and small cups of extra garnishes like kimchi. Adam and Hope put the pedal to the medal and loaded little lettuce boats with rice, meat, veggies, and kimchi for the whole experience. James and I were far more savage in our approach, simply stuffing our faces with copious amounts of juicy bulgogi between bites of Spicy Pork.
After a few minutes of enjoying our meats, the pièce de résistance of the meal arrived: the Noori Chicken Wings, drenched in mouth-watering supreme sauce.
Following my recent discovery of Celina’s, a gem of an eatery with the best chicken wings I’ve ever had in Michigan, the bar was already pretty high heading into this meal. After my last mistake in getting the sauce on the side, I conferred with my friends to ensure that we would get the wings tossed in the supreme sauce.
The chicken was cooked even more perfectly than my first adventure, with all the pieces still visibly steaming after being placed at our table. We all one-by-one eventually grabbed our first respective wing, careful to hold it only the slightest from end-to-end since it was still very hot. A nice hearty bite of chicken and the sticky, zesty sauce turned my mouth into the Fourth of July, a blitz of sweet chili garlic and lingering heat in the background. The chicken was nice and crispy, and the wings were smothered in the sauce. My best guess was that the extra white sauce styled across the Noori Chicken was mayo; regardless, it worked with the sweet chili garlic sauce.
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Even though we barely finished the Spicy Pork and Bulgogi, we all managed to find enough room to devour two massive chicken wings each. Regardless of how full any of us were, we all would have rallied and found the will to push on as if the visual presentation of these wings weren’t already inspiration enough! The crispy textures, tender and juicy meat, and sensational house sauces all score high across the board at Noori Pocha. Although a different type of chicken wing when compared to Celina’s, these Noori Fried Wings are a close second for my wing adventures so far in Michigan!
After only two adventures, Noori Pocha/Chicken has already found a home in my main restaurant rotation. The food was excellent both times, maintaining outstanding quality and consistency. The attentive servers rapidly respond if you tap your call button, which sends a loud and prominent ping to their host desk. The staff are fast and proficient from front of house to back; running a small kitchen for a gastropub and booming takeout business simultaneously is impressive. The Kwons have certainly cracked the code on chicken, paying homage to their youth and sharing that connection with the folks of Clawson and the surrounding area. If you’ve yet to experience Korean cuisine or need an excuse to get out and try something new, find your way over to Noori Pocha/Chicken in Clawson, and you won’t be disappointed!
For more information on Noori Pocha/Chicken in downtown Clawson, click here.
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