Korean Hot Dog Mega Chain Coming to Convoy

Replacing The Churreria Cafe on Convoy Street is a Korean snack shop that will also fry up treats to order, this time on the savory spectrum. Restaurateur Alex Sung, who runs 356 Korean BBQ and Onami in San Diego, is bringing Chungchun Ssal Hot Dog to the United States for the first time. The company was founded four years ago in Seoul, Korea and has 300 stores around the globe; after launching the brand in Kearny Mesa, Sung plans to bring locations to Los Angeles, New York, Utah, and Arizona. After the Convoy store debuts in April, he’ll look to open least one more branch in the San Diego area.

Ssal means rice in Korean, and Chungchun’s recipe features a rice flour batter into which sticks of savory snacks are dipped; guests can choose from eight selections, ranging in price from $1.99 to $4.99, that will include cheddar-wrapped hot dogs, spicy sausages, and an option that’s half hot dog and half mozzarella cheese. The batter-dipped sticks are coated with optional toppings, from diced potato to breadcrumbs, and freshly fried on the spot. The resulting treats are crispy on the outside with a chewy, mochi-like interior and can be sauced with everything from Korean barbecue sauce to mayonnaise and sriracha.