Restaurant Review: Donkey Mo’s

Consistency issues plague this popular Korean fried chicken joint

Reviewed by Melanie Haupt, Fri., Aug. 9, 2024

Jumbo tenders (photos by John Anderson)

There’s KFC, courtesy of Colonel Sanders, and then there’s KFC, Korean fried chicken. The former is associated with the South and is served with mashed potatoes while the latter is served in Korean soap operas and is a critical component of hallyu, or the “Korean wave” of pop culture that has swept our cultural consciousness in recent years.

Unlike Southern-style fried chicken, which is usually brined and battered with a mixture of buttermilk and flour before being fried in oil, Korean fried chicken is lighter and crispier, double-fried for a super-juicy interior and crispy-crunchy crust. It’s been something of a sleeper dish in these parts, with only a few restaurants here and there offering it, from Pocha Is Back in Crestview to Hi Wings in Northcross to the national chain b.bq Chicken, with locations in Highland Village and Cedar Park. One of Austin’s most popular purveyors of KFC is Donkey Mo’s, helmed by chef-owner Youngmin Noh.

The wings are fried perfectly, crispy and crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside.

Donkey Mo’s entered Austin’s Korean chicken market in 2018, first with a stall in the H-Mart food court and a subsequent one in Lakeline Mall. Both locations closed in 2021, though, due to disagreements with H-Mart’s management and the COVID-19 pandemic. In spring of 2024, Donkey Mo’s resurfaced with two brick-and-mortar locations, one on Airport Boulevard in the North Loop neighborhood and the other in Lamar Union on South Lamar. Noh has already announced the imminent closure of the South Lamar location, stating that he needs to focus on the North Loop location.

This is a very smart move on Noh’s part.

Let’s start with what Donkey Mo’s is doing well, and that’s the chicken, which is to be hoped given that it’s primarily a fried chicken joint. The wings, both drums and flats, are plump and generously portioned. They are fried perfectly, crispy and crunchy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. Choose from an order of six or 10 wings; depending on your appetite, an order of six wings could potentially serve as two meals. (I’ve never been able to finish more than three of these wings in a sitting, but your mileage may vary.) Similarly, the tenders are utterly bodacious; we’re talking thick, juicy, white meat tenders that are crisp and flavorful. Order three and you’ll be satisfied; order six for sharing (or for a Leaving Las Vegas-style fried chicken blowout; you do you!). There are also thigh nuggets on offer, as a 12- or 20-piece portion.

Spicy fried rice cakes

I’m less impressed with the sauces that accompany the wings and tenders. The traditional soy garlic and sweet & spicy sauces are fine; the former treads lightly and doesn’t overpower the chicken, while the latter leans slightly more sweet than spicy. The Holy Donkey, which purports to be the spiciest sauce on the menu, also leans sweet, and I didn’t find it particularly spicy. I also wish that they would have brushed the sauce onto the chicken or tossed the wings in it so that they would have been evenly coated rather than sitting in a pool of sauce poured on top of them before serving. Honestly, you could order the wings or tenders naked and enjoy a perfectly fine chicken dinner.

From the “Snacks” portion of the menu, we tried the Brussels sprouts, spicy fried rice cakes, and the chicken dumplings. The sprouts are plentiful, flavorful, and oily. Split these with at least two other people for your arteries’ sake. The rice cakes (tteokbokki), a popular Korean street food, are typically stewed in the chili sauce, but Donkey Mo’s drenches a mound of them in a palate-blasting spicy sauce that is sure to be divisive. I enjoyed a few bites of the chewy bars of fried rice flour drenched in the scorching-hot chili sauce, but my spouse didn’t care for the texture. These are also portioned for sharing among friends, so find someone who loves Korean rice cakes. The chicken dumplings come six to an order; I found them a little dry and dull, and they didn’t seem very fresh.

Even fast-casual concepts with a strong signature dish need to demonstrate attention to detail.

We tried a few of the sides: the fries and onion rings are tasteless and uninspiring. The creamed corn is fine; if you’ve ever had (and swooned over) the creamed corn at Rudy’s Barbecue, you’ll feel very seen here. Save your money and belly space and just stick to the chicken. The same holds true for dessert. The churros are just plain bad; two pale, spindly sticks of cinnamon-coated dough are served drenched in a cloying caramel sauce and wrapped in foil. Ours were lukewarm, tough, and chewy. In a game of dessert smash or pass, pass on these with extreme prejudice.

It might seem nitpicky to call out the drink selection at Donkey Mo’s, but the lack of attractive drink options affected my dining experiences there, so I’m going to pick those nits. Korean fried chicken is typically served with draft beer, and Donkey Mo’s has about a half-dozen options on tap including Pinthouse Brewing’s Electric Jellyfish for a reasonable $7 per pint. However, there’s very little else for non-beer drinkers seeking an adult beverage, apart from one flavor each of Austin Eastciders and White Claw. There’s Pepsi in the soda fountain, which feels aggressive smack-dab in the middle of Texas. There’s no Rambler or Topo Chico. If you’re not drinking beer or Pepsi (as if), you’re stuck with water in Styrofoam cups. Styrofoam cups! Straight to jail. Next time, I’m just going to bring my reusable water bottle from home, or order takeout so I can have the mixed drink or chilled wine of my choice to accompany my wings.

Listen, growing is hard. I imagine it’s doubly so when a business starts out as a grocery-store food stall and expands into a brick-and-mortar. I think diners are willing to forgive shortcuts and sloppiness when they are dining in the über-casual grocery store context, but those same shortcuts are brought into stark relief when your business is the only name on the door. Even fast-casual concepts with a strong signature dish need to demonstrate attention to detail, from ensuring consistency of quality across the menu to anticipating customers’ needs and desires. While Donkey Mo’s is cranking out delicious Korean fried chicken, it ultimately falls short as a complete dining experience.