Korean Hot Dog at Kona Cape Dogs
Kailua-Kona has a new hero, and he wears a yellow cape.
Kona Cape Dogs is a hot dog stand on Kuakini Hwy, easy to spot by the blue and white umbrellas. The logo is a hot dog with hands on hips and a cape in the wind, which tells you the place doesn't take itself too seriously. The dogs are Eisenberg Gourmet 100% beef, though, and the menu takes them seriously: a 24-hour beef chili, a Chicago with poppy seeds and sport pepper, and a Big Island Mac, which the menu sums up as "think Big Mac but a hot dog."
I went Korean. Kimchi, sriracha aioli, cucumber, onion, green onion, cilantro, and sesame seeds, all piled on a toasted bun. It's $15, and it arrives in a yellow plastic basket, wrapped in foil, on a teal picnic table. Somehow the setting feels right for it.
It was very tasty. The kimchi brings the funk, the sriracha aioli adds creamy heat, and the cucumber and cilantro keep it bright. I like that the bun was toasted so it gave the hotdog more structure. But, it was also very messy. This is a fork-and-napkin dog, and the plastic fork in the corner of my photo was no accident. Don't plan on eating it one-handed while driving.
If Korean isn't your thing, bacon-wrap any dog for $3, or swap in a vegan Loma Linda Big Frank for $2. You can also order ahead at konacapedogs.cloveronline.com.
Kona Cape Dogs
75-5629 Kuakini Hwy, Kailua-Kona
@konacapedogs
