Move Over, Corn Dogs

Korean-style hot dogs are the new star of the show

BY LYDIA MARTINEZ

K-Pop, K-Dramas and now…KDogs! Far from being a passing trend, Korean-style street food is addictive and delicious. SanFran Burritos

N Fryz is one of several Korean eateries located inside Chinatown Supermarket. They specialize in K-style street food, including the ever famous fluffy-breaded hotdogs on a stick.

Richard Kim, the owner SanFran Burritos N Fryz, is newer to Salt Lake City but is no stranger to restaurants. He owned a Mexican restaurant with some Asianfusion touches in San Francisco, as the name might suggest. Eventually, he says, “We tried to retire but realized we weren’t ready.” He and his wife bounced around a bit before landing in Utah.

When they opened their restaurant inside the Chinatown Supermarket, they started serving Mexican-style burritos with some Korean flair. Then, inspiration hit. “Six months after we opened, I noticed that K-food was booming everywhere, in the whole world,” he says. “So I asked my wife, who is a good cook and has a good sense of the taste of food, ‘Hey, maybe we can add a hot dog to the menu, but not an Americanstyle hot dog.’ Everybody likes hot dogs, but I wanted to do something different.”

THE HOT DOG, K-STYLE

Korean-style hot dogs, or gamja hot dogs, are different. They are dipped in batter and fried, but it’s not a corn dog. Most Korean hot dogs are coated in a slightly sweet yeasted dough or rice flour dough, then rolled in panko-style breadcrumbs, before taking a turn in the fryer for extra crunch. The outside is extra crisp and crunchy as a result, and the batter is almost pillowy once cooked.

Corn dogs originally made their way to Korea and landed in the street food scene sometime in the ’80s. Then, in the mid-2010s, K-dogs started cropping up in Korea's food halls and night markets, with flavorful new toppings and extra crispy exteriors. Once they began making appearances in K-dramas >>>

The Dodo

1355 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-4862473. thedodorestaurant.com. It’s hard even to update the review of this venerable bistro. So much stays the same. But, like I always say, it’s nice to know where to get quiche. And our raspberry crepes were great. Yes, I said crepes.

Epicure –707 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801-748-1300. epicureslc.com. American food here borrows from other cuisines. Save room for pineapple sorbet with stewed fresh pineapple.

Hub & Spoke Diner

1291 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-487-0698. hubandspokediner.com. This contemporary diner serves the traditional three a day with an untraditional inventiveness applied to traditional recipes. Like, artisanal grilled cheese with spiked milkshakes. And mac and cheese made with spaetzle. Breakfast is king here—expect a line.

Left Fork Grill– 68 W. 3900 South, SLC, 801266-4322. leftforkgrill.ipower.com. Every booth comes with its own dedicated pie shelf. Because no matter what you’re eating—liver and onions, raspberry pancakes, meatloaf or a reuben—you’ll want to save room for pie. Tip: Order your favorite pie first, in case they run out. Now serving beer and wine.

Little America Coffee Shop –

500 S. Main St., SLC, 801-596-5708. saltlake.littleamerica. com. Little America has been the favorite gathering place for generations of native Salt Lakers. Weekdays, you’ll find the city power players breakfasting in the coffee shop.

London Belle Supper Club – and YouTube videos, it was inevitable that they would migrate back in their new and improved form.

321 S. Main St., SLC, 801-363-8888. londonbelleslc.com. It’s a combo deal—restaurant and bar. That means you have to be over 21 to enter but it also means that you can stay in one place all evening. Their kitchen serves up everything from duck confit nachos to their signature 12-ounce Niman Ranch ribeye.

Moochie’s meatballs–232 E. 800 South, SLC, 801-596-1350; 2121 S. State St., South Salt Lake, 801-487-2121; 7725 S. State St., Midvale, 801-5621500. moochiesmeatballs.com. This itty-bitty eatery/ take-out joint is the place to go for authentic cheesesteaks made with thinly sliced steak and griddled onions glued together with good ol’ American cheese and wrapped in a big, soft so-called French roll.

Nomad East –1675 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801883-9791. nomad-east.com. Nomad East is cousin to the original, now-closed Nomad Eatery. It’s in the charmed location on 1300 South where Eggs in the City used to be. Everything here is cooked in a pizza oven, even the roasted chicken (a must-have.) Chef Justin is a salad wizard. Fun and excellence combined.

Oasis Cafe –151 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-3220404. oasiscafeslc.com. Oasis has a New Age vibe, but the food’s only agenda is taste. Lots of veg options, but meat, too. The German pancakes are wonderful, but its evening menu suits the space —being both imaginative and refreshing.

Oquirrh– 368 E. 100 South, SLC 801-359-0426. oquirrhslc.com. Little and original chef-owned bistro offers a menu of inventive and delicious dishes— whole curried lamb leg, chicken confit pot pie, milkbraised potatoes—it’s all excellent.

"We didn't get a recipe from anyone," explains Richard. "We tried this way, that way and we wasted lots of flour. Then fi nally, we got the recipe right for the pastry.”

Also unique to SanFran Burritos N Fryz are the additions of cheddar cheese or jalapeño cheddar cheese sausage choices. And, you can get BOTH a hot dog and a mozzarella cheese stick stuffed into the same battered goodness. The cheese melts to gooey perfection and stays melted through some kind of magic.

You Want Fries With That

Another uniquely Korean-style street food? The cheesy potato. Picture a generous baton of cheese wrapped in that sweet, fluff y dough. Now, embed that dough with cubed French fries right before you pop it in the hot oil. It comes out looking like cubist art and tastes like deep-fried heaven. "Some places use pre-made French fries," says Richard. "But we tried that a couple of times and didn't like how it turned out. So we decided to buy fresh potatoes. People love it."

DON’T FORGET THE SAUCE

There’s a wide swath of sauces and toppings to go along with K-dogs. Basic ketchup is in the lineup, but it’s joined by spicy mayo, honey mustard, sweet mayo, parmesan cheese and sugar. (Yes, sugar.) Combining several toppings is the norm. When your order arrives, Richard will ask you which sauces you want and will custom-dress your dog to your taste. I went for the spicy mayo, mustard, and sugar on my cheesy potato, and my entire palate was happy with my choices.

PRO TIP: Get the sugar, if nothing else. Something about a dusting of simple white sugar over deep fried, crispy, savory hot dog promotes everything up to master level street-food.

If You Go

SanFran Burritos N Fryz is located inside Chinatown Supermarket at 3390 S. State St., South SL, 801-368-2018

The Park Cafe

604 E. 1300 South, SLC, 801-487-1670. theparkcafeslc.com. The Park Cafe has been serving up breakfast to the Liberty Wells neighborhood since 1982. Right next to Liberty Park, the cafe’s location is hard to beat.

Pig & A Jelly Jar– 401 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-202-7366; 227 25th St., Ogden, 801-605-8400; 1968 E. Murray Holladay Rd., Holladay, 385-6955148. pigandajellyjar.com. Great chicken and waffles, local eggs, and other breakfasts are served all day, with homestyle additions at lunch Sunday-Thursday and supper on Friday and Saturday.

Porch–11274 S. Kestrel Rise Rd., Bldg. G, South Jordan, 801-679-1066. porchutah.com. A chef-owned restaurant in the new urban community of Daybreak, this sleek little cafe was conceived by Meditrina owner Jen Gilroy and focuses on locally-sourced cuisine with southern touches.

Porcupine Pub and Grille – 3698 E. Fort Union Blvd., Cottonwood Heights, 801-942-5555. porcupinepub.com. With 24 beers on tap available for only $2 every Tuesday, Porcupine has practically created its own holiday. Chicken noodle soup has homemade noodles and lots of chicken. Burgers and chile verde burritos are good, too.

Roots Café – 3474 S. 2300 East, Millcreek, 801277-6499. rootscafeslc.com. A charming little daytime cafe in Millcreek with a wholesome, granola vibe.

Ruth’s Diner– 4160 Emigration Canyon Rd., SLC, 801-582-5807. ruthsdiner. com. The original funky trolley car is almost buried by the beer garden in fine weather, but Ruth’s still serves up diner food in a low-key setting, and the patio is one of the best. Collegiate fare like burgers, BLTs and enchiladas rule here. The giant biscuits come with every meal, and the chocolate pudding should.

The Salt Republic–170 S. West Temple, SLC, 385-433-6650. exploretock.com/the-saltrepublic-salt-lake-city A modern eatery with a focus on healthful and hearty dishes from local ingredients, prepared in the kitchen’s rotisserie and wood-fired oven, for breakfast, lunch or dinner at the Salt Lake City Hyatt Regency hotel.

Silver Fork Lodge –11332 E. Big Cottonwood Canyon Rd., Brighton, 801-533-9977. silverforklodge.com. Silver Fork’s kitchen handles three daily meals beautifully. Try pancakes made with a 50-yearold sourdough starter. Don’t miss the smoked trout and brie appetizer.

Stella Grill– 4291 S. 900 East, SLC, 801-2880051. stellagrill.com. A cool little arts-and-crafts-style café, Stella is balanced between trendy and triedand-true. The careful cooking comes with moderate prices. Great for lunch.

Tiburon– 8256 S. 700 East, Sandy, 801-2551200. tiburonfinedining.com. Servings at Tiburon are large and rich: elk tenderloin was enriched with mushrooms and demi-glace; a big, creamy wedge of St. Andre came with pork belly. In summer, tomatoes come from the garden.

Tradition

501 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-2027167. traditionslc.com. Plan your meal knowing there will be pie at the end of it. Then snack on pigs-inblankets (sausage from artisan butcher Beltex) and funeral potatoes. Fried chicken, braised pork, chicken and dumplings are equally homey. Then, pie.

Vessel Kitchen–905 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-810-1950; 1146 E. Fort Union Blvd., Midvale, 801337-5055; 11052 S. State St., Sandy, 801-349-2544; 1784 Uinta Way, #E1, Park City, 435-200-8864. vesselkitchen.com. Each of Vessel’s four locations is in an area of Utah they feel they can engage with the local populace through straight-forward, fast, casual cuisine that’s also healthy. Online ordering and curbside takeout are available at every Vessel restaurant.

Bakeries

The Baking Hive – 3362 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801-419-0187. bakinghive.com. Tucked behind Provisions restaurant, this homespun bakery uses real butter and cream. Classes allow kids to ice and decorate their own cakes and they offer gluten-free options, too.

The Bagel Project –779 S. 500 East, SLC, 801-906-0698, bagelproject.com. “Real” bagels are the whole story here, made by a homesick East Coaster. Of course, there’s no New York water to make them with, but other than that, these are as authentic as SLC can get.

Biscotts Bakery & Cafe –1098 W. Jordan Pkwy. #10, South Jordan, 801-890-0659; 6172 W. Lake Ave., South Jordan, 801-295-7930. biscotts. com. An Anglo-Indian teahouse, Lavanya Mahate’s (Saffron Valley) latest eatery draws from intertwined cultures, serving tea and chai, English treats and French pastries with a hint of subcontinental spice.

Carlucci’s Bakery– 314 W. 300 South, SLC, 801-366-4484. carluccisbakery.com. Plus a few hot dishes make this a fave morning stop. For lunch, try the herbed goat cheese on a chewy baguette.

City Cakes & Cafe –1860 S. 300 West, D, SLC, 801-359-2239. 192 E. 12300 South, Ste. A, Draper, 801-572-5500. citycakescafe.com. Glutenfree that is so good you’ll never miss it. Or the dairy— City Cakes has vegan goodies, too. And epic vegan mac ‘n’ chezah.

Chip Cookies — 155 E 900 S #101, SLC, 801-889-2412. chipcookies.co. Probably the only gourmet cookie delivery company that began out of pregnancy cravings. Try the weekly specialty cookies or one of the original flavors. Delivery, pick-up and catering available.

Eva’s Bakery–155 S. Main St., SLC, 801355-3942. evasbakeryslc.com. A smart French-style cafe and bakery in the heart of downtown. Different bakers are behind the patisserie and the boulangerie, meaning sweet and daily breads get the attention they deserve. Go for classics like onion soup and croque monsieur, but don’t ignore other specials and always leave with at least one loaf of bread.

Fillings & Emulsions –1475 S. Main St., SLC, 385-229-4228. fillingsandemulsions.com. This at our Topgolf Swing Suite, a fun, lively atmosphere spotlighting virtual real games and a platter-s le menu.

K-STYLE SWEET BITES AND SIPS

Don’t miss out on these small, shareable bites for dessert

HODU-GWAJA—’WALNUT’ COOKIES

Named for their walnut shape, the exterior is crispy and almost buttery, and the interior is stuffed with a sweet paste. It is debated whether it qualifies as a cookie, a mini cake, or a pastry. SanFran’s version, Ok-Hodu, is stuffed with red bean or sweet potatoes. Red bean paste is made with adzuki beans that are boiled, mashed, and lightly sweetened. They taste almost like a sweet crepe.

BUNGEO-PPANG

Fish-shaped pastries made with a wafflelike batter, the name means “carp bread.” They seem to have originated in Japan as Taiyaki and are sold in both countries as street food. They are filled with a sweet paste, usually red bean or sweet potato but sometimes custard or chocolate. San Fran’s Mini Taiyaki are smaller bite-sized versions of the original, and they fill them with red bean paste or custard.

HOUSE-MADE PERSIMMON PUNCH

Korean persimmon punch (Sujeonggwa) is made by simmering fresh ginger, cinnamon sticks, black sugar and dried persimmons together for several hours. It comes out sweet, without being sticky or overpowering, with a hint of spice. It makes for a perfect digestif to end your meal. Get the punch.

little West-side bakery is worth finding—its unusual pastries find their way into many of Salt Lake’s fine restaurants. Pastry Chef Adalberto Diaz combines his classical French training with the tropical flavors of his homeland. The results are startlingly good and different.

Granary Bakehouse –1050 E. 900 South, SLC, 801-810-0296. granarybakehouse.com The classic bakery sells beautifully lamenated baked goods, does not skimp on the quality of the baked artisan breads and sources local ingredients.

Gourmandise –250 S. 300 East, SLC, 801328-3330, 725 E. 12300 South, Draper, 801-5711500. gourmandise.com. This downtown mainstay has cheesecakes, cannoli, napoleons, pies, cookies, muffins and flaky croissants. And don’t forget breads and rolls to take home.

La Bonne Vie – 555 S. Main St., SLC, 801-2586708. grandamerica.com. Cuter than a cupcake, Grand America’s pastry shop has all the charm of Paris. The pretty windows alone are worth a visit.

Mrs. Backer’s Pastry

Shop – 434 E. South Temple, SLC, 801532-2022. mrsbackers.com. A Salt Lake tradition, Mrs. Backer’s is a butter cream fantasy. Fantastic colors, explosions of flowers, most keyed to the current holiday created from Americanstyle butter cream icing, fill this old-fashioned shop.

Passion Flour Patisserie –165 E. 900 South, SLC, 385-242-7040. passionflourslc.com. A vegan-friendly cafe located in an up-and-coming neighborhood. They offer coffee and tea lattes and a variety of croissants: the crust is flaky and buttery (despite the lack of butter). They also bake up some deliciously moist custom vegan cakes for any occasion.

Ruby Snap Fresh Cookies –770 S. 300 West, SLC, 801-834-6111. rubysnap.com. The Trudy, Ruby Snap’s classic chocolate-chip cookie. But it’s just a gateway into the menu of delicious fresh cookies behind the counter at Ruby Snap’s retro-chic shop on Salt Lake’s west side.

So Cupcake – 4002 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801274-8300. socupcake.com. Choose a mini or a full cake, mix and match cakes and icings, or try a house creation, like Hanky Panky Red Velvet.

Tulie Bakery– 863 E. 700 South, SLC, 801883-9741; 1510 S. 1500 East, SLC, 801-410-4217. tuilebakery.com. You can get a little spiritual about pastries this good on a Sunday morning, but at Tulie you can be just as uplifted by a Wednesday lunch.

Vosen’s Bread Paradise – 328 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-322-2424. vosen.com. This Germanstyle bakery’s cases are full of Eifelbrot, Schwarzbrot, Krustenbrot and lots of other Brots as well as sweet pastries and fantastic Berliners.

Barbecue & Southern Food

Pat’s Barbecue –155 W. Commonwealth Ave., SLC, 801-484-5963; 2929 S. State St., SLC, 385-528-0548. patsbbq.com. One of Salt Lake

City’s best, Pat’s brisket, pork and ribs deserve the spotlight but sides are notable here, too. Don’t miss “Burnt End Fridays.”

R&R BBQ – 307 W. 600 South, SLC, 801-3640443. Other locations. randrbbq.com. Tasty, reliable and award-winning barbecue define R&R. The Ribs and brisket are the stars, but fried okra steals the show.

The SugarHouse Barbecue Company– 880 E. 2100 South, SLC, 801-463-4800. sugarhousebbq.com. This place is a winner for pulled pork, Texas brisket or Memphis ribs. Plus killer sides, like Greek potatoes.

Bar Grub & Brewpubs

(Also check bar listings, page 111)

Avenues Proper Publick House – 376 8th Ave., SLC, 385-227-8628. avenuesproper.com. It’s a restaurant and brewpub, with the emphasis on small plates and late hours. The food is inventive, the beer is good and—big plus—they serve cocktails as well as brew at this neighborhood hot spot.

Bohemian Brewery–94 E. 7200 South., Midvale, 801-566-5474. bohemianbrewery.com

Bohemian keeps a firm connection to its cultural history—so to go with the wonderful Czech beer, you can nosh on potato pancakes, pork chops and goulash. There’s also plenty of American beer fare.

Desert Edge Brewery–273 S. Trolley Square, SLC, 801-521-8917. desertedgebrewery. com. Good pub fare and freshly brewed beer make this a hot spot for shoppers, the business crowd and ski bums.

Red Rock Brewing–254 S. 200 West, SLC, 801-521-7446; 6227 State St., Murray, 801-2622337; 1640 Redstone Center Dr., Park City, 435-5750295. redrockbrewing.com. Red Rock proves the pleasure of beer on its own and as a complement to pizzas, rotisserie chicken and chile polenta. Not to mention brunch. Also in the Fashion Place Mall.

Squatters Pub Brewery–147 W. Broadway, SLC, 801-363-2739; 1763 S. saltlakebrewingco.com. One of the “greenest” restaurants in town, Squatters brews award-winning beers and pairs them with everything from wings to ahi tacos.

Wasatch BrewPub –2110 S. Highland Dr., SLC, 801-783-1127. saltlakebrewingco.com. Part of the same mega “boutique” group that produces Squatters and Wasatch beers and runs the pubs in Salt Lake City and Park City with those names, this extension is everything you expect a brewpub to be—hearty food, convivial atmosphere, lots of beer and a great late-ish option.

Breakfast/Lunch Only

The Daily–222 S. Main St., Ste. 140, SLC, 801297-1660. thedailyslc.com. Chef Ryan Lowder’s only non-Copper restaurant (Onion, Commons, Kitchen) is open all day for breakfast, lunch and noshing. Call in and pick up lunch, stop in and linger over Stumptown coffee, take some pastries to go and don’t miss the biscuits.

Eggs in the City–2795 S. 2300 East, SLC, 801-581-0809. eggsinthecityslc.com. A familiar face in a whole new space—the favored breakfast joint has moved to Millcreek. Hip and homey, all at once.

Finn’s Cafe –1624 S. 1100 East, SLC, 801-4674000. finnscafe.net. The Scandinavian vibe comes from the heritage of owner Finn Gurholt. At lunch, try the Nordic sandwiches, but Finn’s is most famous for breakfast (best pancakes in town), served until the doors close at 2:30 p.m.

Millcreek Café & EggWorks – 3084

E. 3300 South, SLC, 801-485-1134. millcreekcafeandeggworks.com. This spiffy neighborhood place is open for lunch, but breakfast is the game. Items like a chile verde-smothered breakfast wrap and the pancakes offer serious sustenance.

Burgers, Sandwiches & Delis

Diversion– 535 N. 300 West, SLC, 801-6577326. diversioneatery.com. Much-needed neighborhood eatery serving burgers, dogs, chili and fries. Try the “burger bowl”—just what it sounds like and twice as messy.

Feldman’s Deli–2005 E. 2700 South, SLC, 801-906-0369. feldmansdeli.com. Finally, SLC has a Jewish deli worthy of the name. Stop by for your hot pastrami fix or to satisfy your latke craving or your yen for knishes.

Pretty Bird Chicken–146 S. Regent St., SLC; 675 E. 2100 South, SLC. prettybirdchicken.com

Chances are you’ll still have to wait in line for Chef Viet Pham’s Nashville hot chicken. There is really only one thing on the menu—spicy fried chicken on a bun or on a plate. Go early—Pretty Bird closes when the kitchen runs out of chicken.

Proper Burger and Proper Brewing– 865 S. Main St., SLC, 801-906-8604. properburgerslc.com. Sibling to Avenues Proper, the new place has expanded brewing and burger capacity, two big shared patios. And ski-ball.

Shake Shack–11020 State St., Ste. B, Sandy, 385-276-3910; 6123 S. State St., Murray, 801-4489707; shakeshack.com. The national favorite has landed in Utah and surely there will be more to come. Danny Meyer’s all-American favorite serves burgers, mediocre fries and milkshakes, along with other fast food faves. Play board games and try one of their super cool shake flavors.

Siegfried’s Delicatessen–

20 W. 200 South, SLC, 801-355-3891. siegfriedsdelicatessen. com. The only German deli in town is packed with customers ordering bratwurst, wiener schnitzel, sauerkraut and spaetzle.

Tonyburgers

613 E. 400 South, SLC, 801419-0531; Other Utah locations. tonyburgers.com This home-grown burger house serves fresh-ground beef, toasted buns, twice-fried potatoes and milkshakes made with real scoops of ice cream.