I've had this infamous hotdog before but I needed an excuse to go back and what better than the fact I wanted to do a write up. Plus after some reading about Dan Hong, I'm keen on doing a write up about him too.
Dan Hong started his career in his family's Vietnamese chain Thanh Binh in Sydney. I actually went out to try the one in Cabramatta and it's woeful Vietnamese food... the same way I feel about Luke Nguyen's Fat Noodle. Overpriced food that just doesn't taste that great... and in both cases it tasted bland.
In April 2011, after a ten day research trip around Mexico and the US, Dan opened Merivale’s first Mexican cantina, El Loco at the Excelsior Hotel, Surry Hills. El Loco quickly established a reputation for its mouth-watering tacos, fun atmosphere and brilliant cocktails. Since its popularity El loco has opened up another at Slip Inn in the city.
I recommend trying this at lunch times if possible. You'll save yourself the crowds and long waits. I paid my $10 at the bar and waited patiently for the hotdog. I noticed that on the table it had three bottles of habernero to pair up with my food. I'm definitely loving this place more and more.
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The hotdog looks withered when it arrives as if its been sitting out for a few days and my cheese looks all funny. Don't judge a book by its cover. The cheese is actually light as air, so fluffy and just melts as it hits your tongue. It helps break down the crunchy texture of the sausage and the spicy pickled that were sparingly placed in the bun. The bun itself is well just normal. It felt like there was n sauce in the hotdog, but there's a thin layer of mayo, mustard and salsa hidden between the sausage and cheese. Normally I'd prefer to drench my hotdogs with sauce to enhance the taste but this was absolutely perfect the way it was.
It looks just like a simple hotdog but what an amazing tasting experience behind it.
