Chanoma Japanese Hot Dogs

What's next in fast food? Has the KFC release of the Double Down Dog - fried chicken hot dog (yep, you read right - the fried chicken replaces the hot dog bun) - in the Philippines taken fast food too far? KFC apparently, have no plans to bring the Double Down Dog to Australia. That could be a good thing we reckon.

Hot dogs were one of our first fast foods in Sydney, following hand in hand with meat pies, sausage rolls, milk bar hamburgers and the Aussie BBQ sausage on a roll. Hot dogs were one of our first concessions to post-war American culture, handed over the counter of the original Sydney food trucks, at the footie in the arvo or by the road side on the way home from a big night out.

Lately, we've seen a hot dog renaissance of sorts. Sometimes with fancy buns, some host fancy sausages, but there are plenty of examples of the traditional white soft bun around a good old fashioned frankfurter. We like ours old school, topped with tomato sauce, maybe mustard, sometimes melted cheese or fried onions. The trick to a good hot dog is to warm the bun, as well as the frankfurter. Sadly, we've been burdened by a couple of indifferent bar versions recently, cold sausage, cold bun and overpriced at twenty bucks.

There's an old food truck in a small park in Gladesville, on the main drag, next to the Bayview Hotel, that does an old fashioned hot dog well. The bun is served just before toasty. And the hot dog is cheap, just a few bucks. But the kiosk is not open at night to soak up the pub booze.

Our winner in the fancy stakes though, has to be the Japa-dogs at Chanoma Café in the city. Varieties like Chanoma Cheese Dog, are matched with the likes of Teriyaki Chicken Dog, Creamy Shrimp Dog and Sweet Azuki Dog. At the dessert end, there's also soft serve and naturally it comes in the green tea flavour for which Chanoma as a matcha house is known. As well as hot ceremonial grade matcha, we like the Chanoma Iced Yuzu Green Tea, the Matcha Floats and the Matcha Frappes.

Did we mentioned the Shaked Fries? Top pick is with wasabi salt. You know you want 'em.

Right near the George Street cinemas, Chanoma hot dogs make a terrific before or after movie snack. Eat in or take away.