Locals and visitors are part of the consistent bustle of busy Denver Union Station. A new restaurant there, however, gives reason to make a stop. OGO Kitchen, in the space formerly occupied by Stoic & Genuine for years and years, provides a concise menu that can be ordered ahead, ordered on-site, taken away or eaten in (both inside and on the umbrella-shaded patio overlooking the splashpad fountains). And it does it all with reasonable prices.
With quickness and convenience at the forefront of the concept, OGO Kitchen is a great, new offering for commuters, office workers and downtown residents as well as those just looking for a reasonably-priced place to eat downtown.
Chef Jackie Cho (pictured above) created OGO Kitchen to share the flavors she grew up with in her Korean-American home. She brings more than two decades of culinary experience to this blending of her family’s heritage in a fast-casual atmosphere.
The OGO Kitchen menu consists of:
- Korean BBQ Bento or Bibimbap Bowls with fire-grilled protein of choice plus veggie side dishes that vary by the day plus rice or noodles and house-made sauces.
- Grab-and-go Sushi Rolls and Nigiri including salmon and tuna and Korean BBQ meats.
- Kimbap with bulgogi, veggies and a sunny egg on top
When a friend and I went to check out OGO Kitchen, she ordered salmon sushi, already made and available in a cooler. As one who loves compartmentalized anything, I went for the Korean BBQ Bento.
When I’m at a new place, I like to ask the staff for their recommendations. The friendly guy at the ordering/cashier counter (there isn’t table service) said he really likes the Spicy Pork for the protein option (ribeye, spicy chicken, chicken bulgogi and vegan bulgogi are the other choices) and Japchae noodles for the base (rice or greens are the other options). I went with his suggestions and was really glad I had.
I got to meet co-owner YeeLing Ng and asked if the various side dishes were always the same. She said that they could vary by day depending on what’s available and the chef’s whim. The day I was there, sides included edamame, a cucumber-kimchi salad and tossed greens salad. All were a good counter to the hot meat (in temperature – it wasn’t overly spicy) and delicious noodles (I could have made a meal out of those alone). As a fun surprise, the bento includes three chilled mini-cream puffs – the perfect little treat at the end of the meal. The Bento Your Way boxes cost $15.95 and take at least 20 minutes to prepare so allow for that time when dining in or order it in advance to have it ready to pick up and go.
Bibimbap is served with warm rice topped with vegetables and an egg and house gochujang. On its own, like that, it’s $9.95 but you can add proteins such as ribeye, chicken or vegan bulgogi, tuna, salmon, egg, spicy chicken or spicy pork for $3-$5.
Because the Bibimbap is presented with the various toppings in groupings, Chef Jackie said a lot of people eat one thing at a time. There are plenty of people who love to eat their meals one item at a time, even in a certain order (you know who you are). Or in compartmentalized ways (thus, me and the Bento). But Bibimbap is meant to be mixed all together to get the warm base combining with the cooler toppings and to spread the egg’s creamy yolk throughout. You do you, diners but I can attest from having Bibimbap other places over the years, that going to town mixing it up is a delicious way to appreciate all the different textures and flavors together.
Under the Sushi heading of the menu, there are:
- Rolls (spicy tuna, rainbow, shrimp tempura, etc.) for $9.95-$11.95.
- Nigiri (hand-pressed rice topped with fresh fish available in unagi, salmon, tuna and combo) for $11.95. There’s also a Nigiri Combo for $11.95.
- Donburi (rice bowls topped with salmon, tuna or unagi plus veggies) for $13.95.
- Inari (sweet tofu pockets filled with seasoned rice and spicy tuna, spicy salmon, inari bulgogi, spicy pork, Inari seaweed salad or a combo) for $9.95.
- Kimbap (grab-and-go rolls with rice, veggies and fillings like bulgogi ribeye or chicken, spicy pork or chicken and vegan bulgogi) for $6.95-$7.95. There is no raw fish in Kimbap.
OGO Kitchen offers a big variety of cold drinks and snacks. There are soft drinks, green tea, Red Bull, Izze sodas, Snapple and even Calpico Lychee Drink. There are also a couple of alcoholic drinks like a Grapefruit Highball.
For snacks, there are Pocky’s, Mochi, Dorayaki (honey cakes filled with sweet red bean paste) and those tasty little cream puffs.
How to get the goods at OGO Kitchen
Except for what may be already made and in the refrigerated cooler ready to go, all of the sushi menu items require a 2-hour lead time. And Kimbap and Bento Boxes require some time to prepare. Pre-order meals or reserve limited-quantity sushi online at the OGOKitchen.com website.
In addition to stopping in for a meal, whether dining in or picking up an order, OGO Kitchen can also do catering for meetings, parties or other larger events. They can even accommodate dietary preferences within those requests. For catering, contact WeCater@ogoKitchen.com or call 720-710‑0502.
Chef Jackie told us that lunch business has been great and more and more people who work and live downtown are ordering food to go. But, at the time we visited, she was hoping to build up dinner business (OGO Kitchen is open from 11am-8pm daily). I’d absolutely consider it a great option for dinner, especially in conjunction with going to a show at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts or to a Colorado Symphony concert. We’re always looking for something on the fast side that’s still healthy and delicious when we’re going downtown for the evening. If you dine in, be sure to look up for a very zen scene.
With reasonable prices, a location that couldn’t be more convenient for those of us who regularly take the RTD Light Rail, and very good food, OGO Kitchen is just the latest thing enhancing downtown Denver, just in time for summer.
OGO Kitchen is located at 1701 Wynkoop Street inside Denver Union Station. Visit their website, here.
– By Courtney Drake-McDonough, Publisher & Managing Editor, InGoodTasteDenver.com
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