Hot Dog Heaven

Did you ever get to see an episode in Travel and Living about Hot Dog Heaven?  Man, it was something which was this close --> <-- to make me go out and grab myself a hotdog from the nearest hotdog stall at some 7-Eleven anywhere near my house.  It was very tantalizing to watch that on an empty stomach at 2.30am.  Well, I had a hotdog earlier, 1901 at Low Yat after an hour's worth of walking around and finally purchasing a Belkin WiFi router for my office (yup, now I can be connected anywhere in the office without having to tug that LAN cable PLUS, I got the super duper range model, the of course more expensive version that can go up to 300m!!  Which means, I should be able to get connected even if I'm at the next building or prolly at the popular basement coffee shop that I we go to for breakfast and after work drinks.  Hrmm...makes me think of getting a PDA then..ehehe.  Nah, gotta save money for..for..eer...the future *grin*.

Okay back on track, Hot Dogs.  You've had them, you've seen them and in Malaysia, hotdogs are cooked in almost the same way, if they're from Ramli lah.  What I meant was that its fried over the flat pan.  Well thats different in the States.  Everytime the host mentions a place, I looked it up under Google and guess what?  At least 3/4 of the places the host mentioned, has a website.  Yup, selling hotdogs can get you a website.  Its funny though I thought.  Here in Malaysia, some established commercial companies don't even have a website and here in the States, restaurants selling hot dogs have their own website.  I mean c'monlah...they sell hotdogs man!  I bet if nasi lemak was popular in the States, you'd prolly get nasi lemak websites too. 

Some of the hotdogs places that was shown was pretty unique I might add.  Let me go through some of those that was shown:

1. Puka Dog in Hawaii.  What a name for hotdog restaurant.  The name Puka comes from the Hawaiian word 'hole'.  The one piece hotdog bun is cooked inside out by poking it thru a stainless steel stake called a puka stake.  This stainless steel stake makes a hole in the hotdog bun and toasts the inside of it.  Then, a cooked hotdog is placed inside this hole and the relish is then put inside it too.  Now what makes it different and since its in Hawaii, is that the relish is made from fruits.  Instead of your usual relish or garnish of mustard, ketchup, onions, tomatoes or cucumbers like in Malaysia, they have mango, coconut, papaya and banana relishes.  They do have the usual onions and mustard combo but what makes this place unique are those fruity relishes.  Customers find it very tasty and the combination of spicy dog plus sweet relish is explosive.  Now that is something I would just love to try.

2. Papaya King Hot Dogs in New York.  What a funny name for a hotdog restaurant and especially in New York right?  Papaya King has been selling hotdogs since 1939!  Yup, longer than what any Malaysian would know what a hot dog is back then.  Can you imagine, they have been selling hotdogs since 1939.  The place started off as a fruit stall and later introduced fruit drinks and later hot dogs.  Well, thats a nice humble start.  One thing about these hotdog places, they have nice names for their hotdog menus.  Let's take this place for example, they have the 'Home Run', 'Slaw Dog' and '100% All Beef Spicy' hot dogs.  It seems that this hot dog restaurant is one of the most popular ones in New York city.  So if you are there, don't forget to try some of this stuff and let me know k?

3. Snack Nook in Las Vegas.  This little place, a snack bar at the Slots-A-Fun Casino in Las Vegas serves the cheapest and largest hotdog.  Their 1/2lb hotdog sells for only 99cents.  Believe it or not.  Yup, that is half-a-pound of meat for only 99cents.  Read my lips..I meant type written words, 99cents.  Are these guys nuts?  How can you make money by selling a 1/2lb sausage for just 99 cents?  This seems to be the speciality food for Slots-A-Fun casino.  People would go there and order 1 and some even share it with 2 or 3 people.  They just cut it in 3 pieces and share it because, it is so much longer and thicker than the footlong (ladies, stop grinning ok!).  If you think that people will get fed up of that hotdog well think again.  According to its owner, they serve an about 800 1/2lb dogs a day, thats 400lbs of sausages.  Amazing! I guess you do work up and appetite when you gamble but also according to the owner again, "Even if you lose your money at the slots or tables, you won't go hungry".  At 99 cents for a 1/2lb hotdog, who would?

4.  Ted's Hotdogs at Amherst.  This chain of hotdog restaurants have been around since 1927.   What?!  1927 also got hotdog?  Well, can't complaint since I had 1901 just now...heeee.  Okay, so whats so famous about Ted's that according to the host, some people actually flew all the way across America to taste Ted's hotdogs?  Well, first, its charcoal broiled.  Now when you have it charcoal broiled, you will definitely know that cooking a hotdog that way, seals all the juicyness and flavour inside the hotdog but yet cook it nicely all around PLUS you get that charcoal bbq pit taste with its smoke.  Second, Ted's hotdogs are famous for its home made secret sauce which makes it very popular amongst people who dined there.  Now, this secret sauce is actually their chilli sauce dogs. Well, it looks a lot like Coney Dogs from A&W but as you know, chilli dogs are more spicy and delish. It looked mighty potent on the tv screen when they showed it cooking in this pressure cooker filled with chilli gravy.  Now, the chilli is a 'family' secret and tradition.  Thats why Ted's is very popular for its Chilli Dogs.  So much so, they even have bottled Chilli's for those who miss the taste so much and would love to bring the taste back home.

5.  Rutt's Hut in Clifton New Jersey.  Now this hot dog restaurant is different from any other hot dog restaurants.  This restaurant features its deep fried hotdogs.  Thats right, anyother hot dogs would either be boiled, charbroiled or at least fried on a flat pan (like what our Ramli burger stalls do here in Malaysia).  This place, Rutt's Hut has been doing deep fried hot dogs and thats the way their guest just love it.  Its crunchy and greasy.  It may even be the ugliest looking hot dogs you have ever seen (guess they haven't seen Malaysia's Sloppy Joe's dogs that I reviewed before..hehehe).  Their famous dogs in Rutt's Hut is called the 'Ripper'.  Now the 'Ripper' means to have your hot dog deep friend until the skin of the hot dog breaks and rips apart exposing the meaty interior.  When it rips, is when you know that the hot dog is done to perfection.  If you're adventurous person, you'd prolly want to take their 'Cremator' a try.  Do you remember the time when you left a hot dog on the barbie and forgot about it?  Yup, thats the 'Cremator' and its dark brownish almost black super well done hot dog.  It is very crunchy and its an aquired taste to handle the overcooked hot dog.  Same like the rest, Rutt's Hut has a special relish that is made out of several different types of vegetables smothered on top of the hot dog.  This special relish, looks a lot like the stuff you get at Indian banana leaf rice shops, you know, that one vege where they plonk it on the banana leaf.  This special relish is also another 'secret family recipe'.

6.  Pink's Chili Dogs in Los Angeles.  This hot dog restaurant I remember it being showcased in Anthony Bourdain's A Cook's Tour when Tony visited LA.  This restaurant has been serving hot dogs since 1939 and its location is what made it famous.  Just a stone's throw away from all the film studios, it gets it patronage from films stars as well as the general public.  The owner said that it was the place where Bruce Willis proposed to Demi Moore (back then lah).  This hot dog restaurant serves the most varieties of hot dogs and that the dogs there, just don't look like your normal everyday hot dog.  Its toppings and relishes are just to unbelievable to believe.  Just click on the link and you'll see the numerous varieties of hot dogs that they have.  You can hardly fit the hot dog in your mouth if you order one of their speciality hot dogs...its that large with all the toppings on top.  As the restaurant name suggests, I guess it would be an attraction to some people who just loves the color pink *wink* and oh yeah, the restaurant was featured in dozens of newspapers and magazines in Los Angeles.  Make sure to try it out if you are in LA the next time you're there.

7. Nu-Way Weiners in Georgia.  Way out in Georgia is where you will find the best hot dog in the state, the Nu-Way Weiners.  What makes this weiner or hot dog different from the rest?  Its the hot dog itself...its RED in color.  Yup, the hot dog has been dyed red in color to give it the authentic red weiner look.  The restaurant has been there since 1916 and the restaurant hasn't changed since.  Some of its staff is on their 4th generation of family and that Nu-Way restaurant has gone far since those days.  Their famous red weiners comes with different types of  relishes but most would go 'All The Way' which means, everything on it and many of their customers would swear by it.  To follow their red hot dogs, the staff of Nu-Way restaurant even has bright red t-shirts as their uniforms.  Many of the signage are still in their 40's and so are their customers too.  Now, Nu-Way has gone a long way than just selling hot dogs, they have expanded to selling Nu-Way merchandise even.  You can check it out at their website.

Now just look at all these hot dog restaurants and where their history lies and where they are now.  Almost all the restaurants featured in Travel and Living have their own websites. One thing I realised what makes all these hot dog restaurants last and have their loyalty of customers is their history and of course, their 'secret family recipe' for their relish or sauce.  In order for a hot dog restaurant to be different from the rest, they have to come out with their own special sauce.  That is what makes the difference.  I guess, its very much like our nasi lemak stalls.  Why some are more popular than the other, the differentiator is always the sambal.  Different stalls have their own unique secret recipe for their sambal and that is what makes you remember it.  Contrary to the fact, did you know that the hot dog 1901 that you see all around shopping malls is actually NOT from the United States?  It is actually a Malaysian franchising company that uses the look and feel of American hot dog restaurants.  It fooled me until my sister told me that its not one of those US hot dog restaurants making its way into Malaysia but infact is a 100% Malaysian company.  So next time when you gobble down on a Texas Ted or Chicago hot dog of 1901, just imagine yourself having an American dog somewhere in Chicago or New York.

Hope you had a pleasant read.

Comments

[Saiful]

Who asked you to read my blog late at night. Baca siang2 lah..at least can go makan something..muahahah.

[Lil' DeViL]

Apa ni....asik makan je...Don't laa, bro...I'm hungry and it's now waaay too late at nite for having hot dogs, ok. Hate u for tht.