I almost never eat meat, but I must admit I was tempted when we watched FYI recently (the TV show is on Channel 6 Saturdays at 7 p.m.), and one of the show's hosts was literally in ecstasy over a chicken sandwich at Mokja, a new, small, unpretentious restaurant at 9 N. Main St., just off Butler Pike in Ambler, one block before coming to the Ambler train station. She said it was the best tasting chicken she had ever eaten, so we just had to check it out.

I am well aware, of course, that many people, especially elderly folks like us, are terrified to go out to any restaurant, indoors or outdoors, because of Covid-19. We have been going out to restaurants regularly, however, following the rules on mask wearing and social distancing, of course. In the case of Mokja, tables are more than six feet from each other, and there are a few tables outdoors next to heaters. We felt completely safe.

Mokja, which means “Let's eat” in Korean, opened on April 20 of this year, right after the coronavirus lockdown went into effect, in a property previously occupied by a fast casual Vietnamese hoagie operation. Owner Daniel An, 38, who grew up in Cherry Hill, NJ, but now lives in Ambler, is the son of immigrants who came here from South Korea 40 years ago and supported Daniel and his two siblings with a dry-cleaning establishment.

“I always wanted to be a chef,” said Daniel, who is the can of Red Bull (so to speak) you will appreciate if you like food that is a flavor blockbuster. “I watched Julia Child and other TV cooking shows when I was young. I'm the youngest in my family, and I cooked for them.”

Daniel majored in hospitality at Drexel University. His first job after graduation was at the long-gone Shula Steak House in center city for a few years. Then it was off to New York, where Daniel was a cafe manager; he was later at an airport restaurant for a few years and became the executive chef at Ko in Newtown, Bucks County. He also worked at five highly regarded center city restaurants — Sampan, Double Knot, Zama, Royal Sushi and Southgate, where he was the executive chef.

But almost every chef eventually wants a restaurant of his/her own. They work such crazy hours that they usually feel they should at least get to call the shots regarding the menu and other issues, and reap the benefits of those interminable hours. “People romanticize chefs,” said Daniel. “They don't realize what it's like to work in a restaurant kitchen. All the long hours and hard work. But I love seeing people enjoy my food. It is very gratifying.”

Of all the dishes we tried at Mokja, there wasn't a joker in the deck. A rice gnocchi stir fry was a perfect suite of enticing flavors with a traditional Korean rice cake, stir-fried in a glorious ginger/garlic sauce with onions and a choice of chicken or tofu ($13).

The chicken sandwich seen on FYI is served with daikon slaw, house pickles, a brioche bun, fries and a sublime spicy sauce that should be bottled and sold in jars everywhere. At $13, it is a gold medal bargain. Another entree, a ramen yaki stir-fry, is also drool-worthy, with the best ramen noodles and tofu (with the crunch of a candy shell) I have ever tasted, accompanied by veggies, a boiled egg and kimchi, another virtual steal at $13.

Mokja is BYOB. The spicier dishes go very well with beer. You can have the spiciness adjusted from mild to a two-alarm blaze. Prices are very reasonable for what you get, and portions are quite ample. We had enough food left over for two more complete dinner portions at home, so we basically had four dinners for $40.

“This community has been very supportive,” said Daniel. “It has been very hard during the pandemic, but I have been able to pay my bills. We still do a lot of takeout.” (When we were there, quite a few people came in to pick up takeout.).

Daniel's wanted to mention his fiancee, Lucy Gmitter, a high school teacher who grew up on a farm. “Without her help, I would not be here now,” he said. “She has a very good eye for décor. We brought in these church pews and brick wall panels, for example, because of her.”

For more information, visit mokjaambler.com. Len Lear can be reached at lenlear@chestnuthilllocal.com