Chinatown is not the place you would normally associated with hot dogs. When I used to work in Chinatown, back in the day, my co-workers and I would venture out to munch on lobster sauce, Vietnamese soups, Korean barbecue sandwiches, Dim Sum, and just about any other Asian delicacy you could imagine.
But not hot dogs- until now. The other day, Drew Bennet from the
Benspark blog and I went down to Chinatown in Boston in search of hot dogs.
Boston's Chinatown has undergone some serious transformations since the Big Dig was finished. There is now a big, open plaza surrounding the arch symbolizing the entrance to the six block neighborhood which is crammed with eateries, Asian markets, small businesses, and apartments.
Drew and I were looking for the Avana marketplace, a sort of "mini mall" containing several businesses.
Located right in the heart of Boston's Chinatown at 42 Beach Street, the Avana Market is home to several businesses.
We were here for Fei Fan Eatery, Boston's home of Japanese style hot dogs!
JapaDog, a Vancouver based HDJ specializing in Japanese style hot dogs, has become quite popular on the west coast and even recently opened a New York location. Fei Fan Eatery is Boston's answer to JapaDog. Unfortunately, Drew and I were a bit early due to the irregularity of the train schedule and Fei Fan was closed when we arrived.
We spent our time browsing around Chinatown and perusing the menu while waiting for the 11 AM opening.
It was well worth the wait! Owner Leko (don't ask me to spell her last name) treated us to three house specialties. She grills up a split, quarter pound, Kayem all beef frank, serves it on a fresh baked roll with a WILD variety of toppings.
Here's an Avana Dog- topped with cheese, their special hot sauce and sushi grade seaweed. This dog had a nice, back end spicy kick and was Drew's favorite.
This next one is the Fei Fan "signature dog," The Crazy Dog. It has pickled cabbage, teriyaki sauce, mayonaise (apologies to George Yankowski) and seaweed.
My favorite was the Angry Dog which had kim chi, spicy salsa and sesame seeds.
Leko also served us her Takiyaki (sp), an octopus "puff" that was surprisingly tender and delicate.
We chowed down and had a wonderful time! If you are looking for a hot dog with a unique twist, Fei Fan Eatery is the place! It was hot and fresh and loaded with flavor.
