Our First Time at Donwoori. Not the Last.
We'd been meaning to get to Donwoori for a while, and last week we finally made good on that plan.
The restaurant sits on the rotary in Winooski, in the space that locals will recognize as the former home of Mandarin. We always thought it was a lovely room, and it suits Donwoori well. It’s run by a sister Summer Cao and her brother, Khoi, who opened the restaurant in 2023 and relocated here late last year. We chatted with Summer, and she mentioned working at Mandarin before striking out on her own…it makes the whole thing feel like a serendipitous full circle.
The menu is Korean-focused with serious range: Korean fried chicken, rice bowls, noodles, soups, tteokbokki, entrees, and a cocktail program built largely around soju. Prices are reasonable across the board.
We ordered more than we probably needed to, which seems to be our M.O. when we go out and is the ideal approach for a menu like this. Luckily, we were hungry.
We kicked things off with the Snow Cheese with Truffle Mayo, which sounds like a bar snack...we mostly ordered it because we were intrigued by the name and description. Crinkle-cut fries arrive under a fine, cloud-like snow of grated cheese blend, accompanied by a side of truffle mayo that stopped us mid-conversation. We both agreed: they should be selling that mayo by the jar. Someone please make this happen.
The Korean fried chicken section of the menu is its own event. They offer it in four sizes, from small to jumbo. We went with the small, still wanting to try many different dishes, and they ended up arriving as five or six very large wings (a few made it home for lunch the next day).
The flavor options alone will have you pondering…Golden Original, Honey Butter, Gochujang, Maple-Gochujang, Mango Sriracha, and Soy Garlic. We landed on the Maple-Gochujang because, well, it's Vermont. The menu describes it as “a perfect balance of smoky spice and maple sweetness,” and that's exactly what shows up on the plate. Crispy on the outside, juicy inside, with real heat that’s not over the top. Highly recommended.
The rice bowls alone could consume your visit…there is a long list of them, and all sound interesting. We went with the Surf & Turf Fried Rice, and it was loaded with good-sized shrimp and beef bulgogi…a flame-grilled marinated beef that is sweet and savory and will appeal to anyone who loves teriyaki. It was also nice that neither protein felt like an afterthought…there were generous helpings of both throughout, and the rice held it all together without overpowering anything.
We rounded things out with the Wokfire Spicy Squid, and I'll give you fair warning: this one brings serious heat, noticeably more than the wings. The squid is tender and the sauce is bold and full of flavor. If you’re a fan of big heat, it's excellent. If it isn't…well, plan accordingly.
On the beverage side, the cocktail menu is creative and worth exploring. I had the Hot Crush…soju, tequila, triple sec, strawberry, and sriracha. It sounds like it could be weird, but the combination absolutely works. Mike had the Lychee Mojito…light and refreshing and a fine complement when the food is bringing the fire.
Also notable…there's a Scorpion Bowl on the menu, available for one, two, or three. Feels like fun for a future visit. We’d have liked to explore more of the drink list, but it was a school night.
We still have a lot of menu left to work through, if for no other reason than to do a deeper dive into what some of these items are…the tteokbokki, the Dolsot Bibimbap, the soondubu, the Army Stew. We suggest you get over there soon, and when you do, bring people you like to share with…you’re going to want to try A LOT.
