hotdoghelsinki

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You shouldn’t play with your food but these hot dog beauties are awesome, right?

[hotdoghelsinki]

Nice Hot Dog selection chart. Which one is your favourite?

[hotdoghelsinki]

Hollywood hot dogs

6.8.2014 Pink's, Los Angeles

K: Your faithful reviewer of dogs of this universe recently found himself in California and couldn't resist the temptation to visit the most legendary of all hot dog places in this state: Pink's Hot Dog stand on the corner of La Brea and Melrose Ave. They claim themselves to be a Hollywood legend and at least the impressive array of star-studded pictures on their wall seems to prove that. Also the hefty queue outside of the moderate stand on a regular afternoon is a good indication that something dogtastic is happening inside.

The portions looked huge, which is of course a standard in America and the menu is deniably inventive with all kinds of variations ranging from Millennium dog to Martha Stewart dog available. 

I went for a a Guadalajara Dog which was simple offering of a basic but tasty dog inside the boring standard wheat bun. Toppings were very fresh and succulent: tomato, relish and onions tasted great. The sour cream added on top wasn't to my taste and sort of decreased the value of the portion. All in all an acceptable but not mind-blowing experience. The menu however contains such a tantalizing selection of dogs that this place must be visited again.

In a bit of a surprise move, I was lucky enough to have another LA dog later that day. The quiet One World lounge at LAX  had along it's usual airline lounge food fare, a special offer: hot dog stand with South American Chorizo dogs. The bun was a darker and thicker than your average wheat treat and the lady behind the counter topped the halved sausage with relish and slightly spicy chopped jalapeños. Delicious and meaty sausage made it worthwhile. So a very positive surprise there. Go grab one if you can.

[hotdoghelsinki]

4.7.2014 Martinsillan Grilli, Turku.

J: So they say that Martinsillan Grilli is a legendary spot for latenight cravings in Turku? I say: not bad, not bad at all! Had a chili cheese dog and it WAS good. For one that’s eaten in such a place late late late at night, drunk. Recommended!

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This book, Haute Dogs, looks like something that everyone hot dog connoisseur should have in their bookshelf... or better yet, on their kitchen table wide open. Maybe we here at Hot Dog Helsinki should do a book review, it looks so tasty...

Here's what how they describe the book themselves: "Haute Dogs" gives the classic cookout staple a fresh and tasty twist, with recipes inspired by everything from south-of-the-border BBQ to Japanese fusion to modern food-cart cuisine. Handcraft your own top-notch dogs, buns, and condiments with step-by-step from-scratch instructions, and brush up on your hot dog history with an in-depth look at tasty traditions from the U.S. and beyond. 

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New dogtastic flavors

7.5.2014 Hodari ja Hummeri, Helsinki

K: We went to celebrate the beginning of May and ended up ordering organic champagne (pinot blanc) to gulp down the hot dogs. Not a bad choice.

My hot dog of the day was called Coney Island and boy oh boy, it tasted like Italy and America at the same time. Snappy and not too spicy chorizo dog was completely (and I mean completely) covered with bolognese sauce, chopped fresh onion and mayo. A very fulfilling experience as the bolognese sauce was thick and meaty, not oily at all. Rather than a snack, this hot dog was worthy of the word "meal". Taste was, as always at Hodari ja Hummeri, satisfying and rich.

J: My choice, La Coupole, was an excellent mix of succulent lamb braised in red wine, accompanied by red onions and crispy onions. The whole glorious dog was seasoned with a hint of ginger! Mmmmm... loved the combination! My choice for the side was parmesan fries, and I have to admit, those were my favorite part of the meas. Don't get me wrong - La Coupole was very tasty, it's just that the fries were DIVINE.

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Beloved hot dog stand closes for good. Freakout ensues.

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Hotdogs love lobsters

28.2.2014 Hodari & Hummeri, Helsinki

K: I went for the Basic Dog and it certainly didn't disappoint. Probably one of the best so far, if not the best in Helsinki. Bun was fluffy and fresh, made with their own recipe, result of a development process with a local bakery. The condiments included a mighty tasty sauce with tomatoes, cucumbers and crispy onions. 

  J: I ate the day's lunch dog, and man it was great! Mexican style spicy sausage, re fried beans, queso fresco ... I just had to accompany this sweet lunch with a beer. I want to try all the dogs on this menu, I guess I'll be a regular here from now on. Highly recommend Hodari & Hummeri to all doggie lovers!

[hotdoghelsinki]

Airport dogs

16.2.2014 Richie's Gourmet Hot Dogs, Helsinki airport

K: After an eventful trip, it was a pleasant surprise to be welcomed by a hot dog stand at the Helsinki airport upon arrival at Terminal 2. 

I took the Original Hot Dog. The mustard was tasty and richly flavoured, much more than expected. The bun was pretty standard fare, soft but not that gourmet. Wiener was pretty OK which in a place boasting themselves as "gourmet" leaves a bit to hope for. Extra points for the crispy fried onion. There were other, more exotic dogs available too, have to save them for another time.

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Stockholm syndrome II

15.2.2014 Günter's Korv, Stockholm

K: Filled with excitement we finally found the legendary hot dog kiosk of Vasastan standing in the cold drizzle of the evening. Günter's was totally worth the hype: amazing array of special dogs, Thüringer, Chorizo, Krakauer, Merquez, Alpen wurst to name a few.

I went for the Kabanoss dog. A proud 42 centimeter dog that was cut in half after frying to accommodate the holding cell, a carved long baguette. According to the menu, this is Günter's most popular dog. Kabanoss was heavily spiced sausage full of taste, maybe even too much. The spicy tomato based sauce, ample scoop of soft sauerkraut and some herb condiments which filled the tunnel housing the sausage made one amazing taste experience. The bun was much harder, french baguette which was also lightly grilled.

After this set, you don't need a second hot dog to fill your stomach. But you're yearning for the next one already.

[hotdoghelsinki]

Stockholm syndrome I

14.2. 2014 Hot dog stand at Mariatorget, Södermalm, Stockholm

K: Hot Dog Helsinki did an excursion to the Swedish capital and found some exhilarating dog experiences. First stop was the hipster mecca of Stockholm, Södermalm. Unknown hot dog stand is located right next to the zebra crossing at Mariatorget and serves a variety of late night snack classics.

I went for the hot dog called "Stockholmare", which means Stockholm-citizen, it seemed appropiate at the time. Quite long wiener was grilled nicely but it lacked any special qualities or meatness. The mustard was surprisingly good, tangy and thick. Bun was standard fare, very soft.

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Railway food

12.2.2014 Aseman Wursti, Helsinki

K: Railway station is the most central location you can find in Helsinki. Bustling crowds make their way in and out and in the midst of it, a hot dog restaurant stands the test of time. Unfortunately, not the test of Hot Dog Helsinki.

The regular hot dog is really a plain white bread, and the wiener as equally regular, in other words boring. I tried also the Balkan dog version, called Konnarin eväs. Same bun but the dog is thicker and meatier version. At least some value for your money. Condiments are the standard industry fare, so unless you're on a bad hurry to the train, I'd walk away and find a better deal. Hey, they even have a Burger King in the bulding! (Opening on 21st February)

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Multiple choice

7.2.2014 Foodlab, Helsinki

K: Choosing one dog turned out to be too difficult this time so I opted for trying two different styles: traditional Original Bacon Dog and calzone style Camel Dog. Bacon dog was superb, tasty, fresh with a proper wiener. No mustard or ketchup, just thick mayo, which never was my favorite but in this combo, I'm willing to allow it. 

Camel Dog was fresh as hell, mint and pineapple mixture bringing almost salad-like feelings. The bread tasted like Pizza Hut's pan pizza dough with parmesan stripes as topping. Not a bad choice either for the adventurous type.

J: I ate the “Smokey BBQ Dog” with a side of Kimchi. Mmmmmm… Very good, hot stuff!

[hotdoghelsinki]

Hot dogs are hot right now!

In the few recent months, the hot dog phenomenon has hit Helsinki like a meteor shower. Traditionally there's been hot dogs stands here and there usually at weekend nights, serving the hungry club punters after hours but now, a new generation of hot dog joints have surged. There was 100 Dogs and Bourbon, a great concept of pop-up restaurant serving a very limited menu of few dogs and bourbon based cocktails. 

Now we hear that a new Kaartin Hodari & Hummeri is opening soon in (February 18) Pikku-Roba. Also SOK has been tapping on the trend at the Food Lab experimental concept restaurant. They are serving fresh smoothies and premium dogs at their Smoothdog Machine restaurant at Citykäytävä.

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Who would have known that sausage is one of the oldest forms of processed food, having been mentioned in Homer's Odyssey as far back as the 9th Century B.C.