Songdo pork cutlet, fish cutlet and hamburg steak set: Ogong Donkatsu

What is Ogong Donkatsu in Songdo Smart Square?

Ogong Donkatsu (오공돈까스) is a pork cutlet restaurant in the Smart Square building in Songdo. I was looking for a decent place to have lunch in Songdo and found Ogong Donkatsu in the Smart Square building.

I like donkatsu (breaded cutlet) anyway, and I'd been wondering what I could eat easily on my own, so I dropped in.

Inside the building, the place looked neat and clean, and since it was lunchtime it was already packed with people.

When I sat down and looked around, there were seats set up for solo diners too, so I could settle in without any awkwardness.

Ogong Donkatsu menu and prices

Ordering is done on a self-order payment kiosk at each table, which was convenient. Looking through the menu, it starts with the basic Ogong Donkatsu and goes on to a wide range of cutlets.

The basic Ogong Donkatsu is ₩12,000, and the large portion for big eaters is ₩14,000. The cheese cutlet, packed with rich cheese, was ₩14,000, and the sweet pumpkin cutlet and sweet potato cutlet, which have a charming sweetness, were ₩13,000 each. The fish cutlet was ₩11,000, so I thought the choice of menu was pretty wide.

I swiped the screen to check the set menu. The Ogong set, which lets you taste a pork cutlet, fish cutlet and hamburg steak all at once, was ₩14,000.

Spicy garlic tteokbokki (chewy rice cakes in chili sauce) was also on offer for ₩4,000, and I figured it would go well with greasy fried food, so I decided to order it too.

On the drinks menu, Coca-Cola, Coke Zero and cider (a Sprite-style soda) were ₩2,000 each.

What is Ogong Donkatsu like at lunchtime?

At lunchtime, Ogong Donkatsu never ran out of customers, but tables turned over quickly. While I waited for my food after ordering, people who looked like office workers and local residents kept coming in and filling the place, and I became convinced this is a spot with real word of mouth in Songdo. Turnover is fast, so it felt perfectly fine to come alone, eat quickly and leave.

What comes on the Ogong set plate?

The Ogong set comes on one big plate with a pork cutlet, fish cutlet and hamburg steak, plus rice and salad. The food was neatly arranged on a tray and served one dish after another. On the large plate were rice, fresh cabbage salad and macaroni salad, and the main dishes, the pork cutlet, fish cutlet and hamburg steak, were piled on so full that there was hardly any room left. A hot soup came out too, along with kkakdugi (cubed radish kimchi) and pickles to cut the richness, so my impression was of a generous, filling spread for one person. Everything on the plate looked so appetizing that just seeing it made me deeply satisfied.

Ogong set pork cutlet: still crispy under the sauce

The pork cutlet in the Ogong set comes with the dark brown house sauce already poured on, yet the breading stays crispy. I tried the pork cutlet first. It was generously covered in a smooth, dark brown special sauce. Cut into bite-size pieces, the coating was nicely crunchy and the pork inside was tender with no gamey smell, so it was great to chew. The sauce's gentle sweetness and savory depth brought out the plain, clean flavor of the meat, a crowd-pleasing but well-made taste you can keep eating without getting tired of it. I especially liked that, even though it comes pre-sauced, the crispy texture holds up to a good degree.

Ogong set hamburg steak: moist inside, topped with cheddar

The hamburg steak in the Ogong set is topped with cheddar and is juicy, at the quality of a standalone dish. Next I tried the hamburg steak, prettily topped with yellow cheddar cheese. The thick, well-minced patty was hot enough that the cheese had melted slightly and gave off a nutty aroma. When I gently split it with a spoon it was holding its juices, so the cross-section was moist, and in the mouth it had a soft, melt-away texture. The salty richness of the cheese and the sweetness of the hamburg sauce blended well, a flavor I think adults and kids alike would love. Even though it's part of a set, the quality was good enough to be served as a single dish on its own.

Ogong set fish cutlet: thick fish with plenty of tartar sauce

The fish cutlet in the Ogong set comes with plenty of tartar sauce, and the fish is thick. The last of the main dishes, the fish cutlet, was fried and served with white tartar sauce generously piled on top. The sight of creamy sauce settling over the crispy fried fish whetted my appetite. The fish was very thick and tender, making a perfect textural contrast with the crunchy coating outside. The fresh, nutty tartar sauce went well with the fish cutlet's clean, mild flavor and neatly cut through anything that might have felt greasy, balancing the whole Ogong set perfectly. Alternating between the three kinds of cutlet, the meal was never boring and was a lot of fun.

Is Ogong Donkatsu's garlic tteokbokki worth adding to the set?

Ogong Donkatsu's garlic tteokbokki (₩4,000) works well as a side that cuts the richness of the fried food. The garlic tteokbokki I ordered as a side was an excellent supporting actor too. The deep red, intense sauce had soaked into the chewy rice cakes, and a faint garlic aroma added savory depth, making it very addictive.

When you're eating pork cutlet and fish cutlet, a little greasiness can build up in your mouth, and a bite of spicy tteokbokki at that moment refreshes it nicely. The rice cakes were soft and chewy, and there was plenty of fish cake too, so it was a treat that's good dipped in the cutlet sauce or eaten with rice.

Would I go back to Ogong Donkatsu for lunch in Songdo?

Visiting alone at lunchtime in Songdo, I got a quick, hearty meal, and it was a very satisfying day. After eating the food myself, I fully understood why the place was so crowded. With its clean flavors, generous portions and the convenience of table payment, I think I'll come back whenever I want lunch alone near Songdo or a craving for good donkatsu hits. I'd strongly recommend it to anyone who likes the combination of a hearty set meal and spicy tteokbokki. Next time I'd like to try other single dishes too, like the cheese cutlet and the sweet potato cutlet.