Asian Fusion does it again, takes Hot Dogs to another level

When I'm studying for exams, it's inevitable that I succumb to stress and start a search for some good eats to calm my nerves and provide what little comfort that can be had during cram time.

I was at a friend's house again so I took to my yelp app and Buldogis came up.  Something I always meant to try but never actually knew where it was.  Less than 2 miles away, the decision became really easy.

When it comes to fusion dishes, Korean cuisine does a really good job of adding great flavor and flair to other cuisines.  When I came upon Buldogis Gourmet Hot Dogs, I knew instantly that the relationship between plain gourmet hot dogs and Korean food would be nothing less than exciting.  This was very apparent when looking at the specials board.

It's hard to stay objective and try a regular item off the menu with such great choices in your face but cooler heads prevailed and we ordered the Beef Bulgogi Dog and Angry Dog.

 

When I usually order Korean food, I get Bulgogi, a thinly sliced marinated beef.  This becomes my gauge as to the quality of the food to come, so getting the Beef Bulgogi Dog would of course be my measure of the quality at Buldogis.  The dog itself had all the qualities I crave, great casing for bite with a well seasoned filling that was slightly spicy.  It really lived up to the 100% all-beef gourmet description.  The slaw was hidden somewhere in between the meat but can be classified somewhere between filler and vegetable contrast to the flavorful meat.  The next layer was the Bulgogi.  The meat was well marinated and had great flavor, maintaining a tenderness that stood it's own on the jam-packed hotdog.  Although I stuck to a regular fusion item, I couldn't help but add Pork Belly Bacon.  Call it my weakness.  The pork belly were cut into squares with a good amount of thickness and had a slightly smoky flavor.  I'll admit it was a little out of place, but I will never admit regret :)

 The next dog I tried was the Angry Dog.  Why soo angry you ask? Well it must be the spice, which coincidentally made ME soo happy.  My personal favorite Korean meat to order is the Daeji-Bulgogi, a thinly sliced marinated pork.  Again the 100% all-beef gourmet dog was perfect.  The Daeji-Bulgogi was no different from the beef Bulgogi, marinated well with great flavor and tender meat.  The slaw was again lost in the awesome flavors of meat but that's ok, we've gotta get all the food groups in after all!  What I found different was that the spice from the Bulgogi and the spice from the beef dog actually played off each other and made the whole thing even more cohesive and spicy.  Because I added the pork belly to the beef bulgogi, there was no doubt that I also wanted to add it to the spicy pork.  You might think that it was too much pork but luckily they paired well together, two kinds of pork, one adding a little bit of fatty meat and the other lean marinated flavor.  The spicy mayo and fresh jalapeno slices made an excellent addition over top, adding another kick of spice and  contrast to the meat.

What are hot dogs without fries right? So we decided to order the angry kimchi fries.  They were sweet potato fries covered in spicy bulgogi, kimchi, five cheese blend, a fried egg and fresh sliced jalapenos.  As much as I loved each component of the dish, as a whole it never really came together.  The sweet potato fries were a little soggy but overall were a nice change over the plain potato fries.  The spicy pork was as good as on the angry dog and the cheese had great flavor.  The Kimchi was a little more fresh than I prefer, but not everyone likes that sour taste you get from an older Kimchi, so that was understandable.  On top the egg was a nice addition, I mean who doesn't like a little golden yolk mixed in here and there for some added richness?  The elements of each layer kind of blended into a big mess, although a flavorful mess.  Overall this wasn't a failure for me, maybe a bit disappointing after such amazing hot dogs...definitely ambitious though.  They also have a Euro special with pork belly bacon, fresh herbs, cheddar cheese and garlic mayo.  I will be more than happy to give that one a try next time!

If served alone, I would be happy to order a plain hot dog at any hot dog stand or marinated meat at any Korean restaurant.  The fact someone thought of combining the two and presenting them in such a unique way with such great flavor just knocks it out of the park for me.  Buldogis doesn't stop there either, they have a Vietnamese Banh Mi dog, and a Teriyaki dog, even a more traditional chili cheese dog, plenty of fusion to choose from.  For less than $5 most items, you won't be break the bank and the servings are more than generous.   I will definitely be back for more, mixing and matching meats, toppings and one of their many house-made condiments.  A place I would be more than happy to Nurse that craving.

Buldogis Gourmet Hot Dogs

2291 S. FORT APACHE RD. #102 
LAS VEGAS, NV 89117
(702)570-7560

Roast Pork Belly, Roast Duck and Char Siu BBQ...Need I say more?

Doing my usual browsing on Yelp, I came across Asian BBQ and Noodles, specializing in Hong Kong style BBQ at affordable prices.  What really caught my eye was the menu of roast pork belly and duck, and yes with simply that, I made plans to make a visit.   The restaurant itself is very low-key and under normal conditions I'd probably just pass it by.  When you walk in you're relieved to see it full of Chinese customers.  I'm a huge believer in judging restaurants by the amount of people from the culture choosing to eat there.

The menu is small with various BBQ choices, side dishes and noodle soups, but with all the raving about the roast pork belly, we ordered the 3-combination BBQ special(Char Siu pork, Roast Duck, Roast Pork Belly,) for $12.95.  It's served with a bit of pickled white radish (daicon,) and carrots but make sure you order your rice on the side!

With all the wonderful meat, I added pickled mustard greens to the side ($3).  I'm a fan of mustard greens on their own as they add a nice bite and contrast of flavor to meat, but pickled you just get that extra dimension that plays well with Chinese bbq.  The pickling is sour from the vinegar base with hints of sweetness from the added sugars.  The greens themselves are slightly bitter and they maintain a nice green vegetable element to the food.

The First thing I try is the Char Siu BBQ pork.  The flavors were all there, a sweet honey and hoison glaze on slices of pork that had hints of five-spice.  Even though the flavors were all there, the meat itself was a little dry, I'm not sure if that was because the meat was soo lean or simply overcooked.   Either way, the pickled veggies were necessary in adding that extra bite to the meat, distracting away from the dryness.

The next to try was the roast duck, and the experience was a lot better than the char siu pork.  The meat was tender, and you can tell the duck was roasted well as the skin was slightly crisp but softened up by the natural fat during the slow roast.  Again the flavor of five-spice was there along with a nice soy-sauce finish.  I used the hoison sauce and chili oil as a dip on the side to round out the flavors the way I like it.  This was really good and a must order.

Last but not least, my favorite part of the plate, roast pork belly.  Although throughout the dishes, five-spice was the major seasoning, when put with the pork belly it creates a really deep flavor.  Pork always takes on flavors really well, and this case is no different.  Along with the great flavor you definitely notice that the pork meat is tender,  with a small layer of fat before you get to the pork skin.  A lot of the time when I order Chinese roast pork, I get a soggy skin and you can tell if it was cooked quite a while ago.  Here at Asian BBQ and Noodles, the pork is made recently and served often.  This equates to a nice layer of crispy skin, my personal requirement for a successful roast pork belly.  I can't say this enough, this is a must order, if you decide to just get one thing here, this should be it!

I may be biased by my love for pork and crispy skin, but if you share this affinity, you definitely need to make a trip if you're in the Las Vegas Chinatown area.  Ordered alone, each meat with rice is under $8 and that just can't be beat, especially when the meat has quality exceeding the cost.  I'll even give the char siu a scratch.  The flavors were all there, it may have just been an off day for the cooking so I might give it another shot.  With the low cost and great flavors this place is a no-brainer, I'll definitely be back to nurse that craving.

Asian BBQ and Noodles
3400 S Jones Blvd
Ste 5C
Las Vegas, NV 89146
(702) 202-3636


 

A Near Miss, Catching the End of Pulled Pork-O-Rama

Today's post is bittersweet.  Following food trucks on facebook, I always catch event flyers on the news feed and today's event really caught my eye. Pulled Pork-O-Rama featuring food trucks like Grouchy John's Coffee, Slidin' Thru, The Rusty Pickle, Ben's BBQ & Smokehouse and Haulin' Balls.  Being my usual forgetful self, by the time I realized this event ended at 2pm it was already half past one~!  I booked it to the other side of town in hopes they decided to stay a little later.  When I finally parked, most of the trucks had already started packing up but wait a minute, what luck!  Haulin' Balls is still serving??

Oh most of the menu is sold out...hmm...they still have pulled pork nachos? Well pulled pork, that's the whole reason I came here! 

I've never actually had anything from Haulin' Balls, and even though pulled pork is a normal part of their menu, this little plate of goodness was "pulled," out for the event.  The pulled pork is smoked for 12 hours served over tortilla chips then smothered in nacho cheese and bbq sauce.  The pulled pork was tender with it's own profile of spices and just a hint of smoky flavor.  The bbq sauce was very sweet and actually mixed well with the nacho cheese.  Jalapenos on top with green onions and cilantro added that extra bite to the heap of pork and cheese.  The flavors are familiar but the presentation and fusion is exactly what you'd like from a popular food truck, and for $5 this was a pretty good deal.

Although I basically missed the event, it's nice to know these events are going on and I will be keeping an eye out.  Next time I'll try and be on time to nurse that craving!


Follow them on facebook!
or Follow all Las Vegas Food Trucks!