The best food in the Hongdae University area seems to be either cheap comfort food or wacky snacks. 돈까스대왕전’s HUMONGOUS slab of donkatsu( 돈까스) fits the bill for both.

In the entryway up the stairs is the wall of fame, where photos of all the winners are framed. All of these champs were able to chow down the giant deep-fried pork cutlet in 9 minutes or less. The first place winner was able to do it in 5 minutes, 14 seconds. There were many petite women on the wall (some with pink frames), so ladies shouldn’t be discouraged! I was not feeling particularly competitive that day so I decided to wait until next time.

The menu had a few different types of donkatsu but I was obviously intrigued by the giant one. We ordered the 20,000 Won “King of Pork Cutlet Set,” which comes with a soda, rice, and some side dishes. There is a choice between mild, hot, and super spicy gravy and we chose the spicy one.

The man working the register told me I had to sit on the first floor because the plate was too big to carry up the stairs.

Fortunately, my eyes are precisely as big as my stomach. The donkatsu was delicious but the super-size aspect is what really made a visit here worthwhile (go big or go home!).

After splitting, Jessye and I were both pretty full of both pork and self-pity. I look forward to coming back and trying the food challenge in the future —  stay tuned.