Lexington bites into new food trend: Korean corn dogs are both sweet and savory

“National Geographic” proclaimed them one of the 11 biggest food trends for 2023 — and the eye-catching, tongue tantalizing, unconventional treats are now popping up on menus in several locations around Lexington.

But don’t think of them as just some new gimmicky overnight food sensation.

They are far from it.

Korean corn dogs, or hasdogeu, as they are known in Korea, are a fun fusion of flavors and varying ingredients that are certainly not trying to rival traditional American cornmeal battered corn dogs from the county fair.

Often associated with the legendary night markets of Seoul, South Korea, the peculiar in appearance appetizer or snack item first became popular in the 1980s and many attribute their growing popularity in America to the Myungrang Hot Dog Company — a South Korean chain who expanded into the U.S. in 2016.

Street food in Asia is wildly popular and often quite creative — and Korean-style corn dogs are definitely imaginative and inventive.

“Bon Appétit” also named 2021 “the year of the Korean Corn Dog” and social media influencers far and wide posted videos on Instagram and TikTok of themselves trying various versions for followers to copy.

The hashtag #koreancorndog soon went viral.

What exactly are Korean corn dogs?

Like the American version, Korean-style corn dogs are also often filled a sausage or hot dog, but Korean corn dogs are lightly battered using yeasted bread dough or panko breadcrumbs to ultimately produce a delightful crunch and then stuffed with mozzarella cheese before being deep-fried, to create an enticing gooey stringy pull from the cheese when you bite into it. Sometimes the whole thing is rolled in a light layer of sugar.

(Some may prefer their Korean corn dog to be meatless and instead only filled with cheese or to be half-meat/half-cheese.)

It is frequently rolled in a delicious topping that might include ramen, rice, cornflakes, potato pieces, Fruity Pebbles, or Doritos, or even Flamin’ Hot Cheetos dust.

The possibilities are virtually endless.

For even more added flavor, it may also be drizzled with ketchup, sriracha, yellow mustard, gochujang (red chili paste), or some other condiment.

The result is unlike any conventional corn dog you have ever tasted. Often something sweet, savory, chewy, and crispy all in one.

Hot dog meets mozzarella stick meets doughnut.

You might call it corn dog paradise.

It is a ready-to-eat treat on a stick that has taken social media by storm and now they have arrived in Lexington.

On my recent visit to Arirang Korean BBQ to check out their version, seemingly everyone seated around me was ordering one.

Alexandra Ison, a student from Berea College noted that it was her first time experiencing a Korean corn dog.

“It was really good. It tasted like a doughnut … and the cheese was really stretchy. The hot dog was good, too,” she said with a smile.

Rylan Toland and Jiana Flores, both from Lexington, expressed that they were regular diners at Arirang and decided to order the corn dog for their table on the occasion as Rylan said, because it sounded interesting.

“It tasted like a pastry and like a mozzarella stick and sort of like a cannoli. You cannot stop eating it,” Jiana remarked after trying one for the first time.

Where to find Korean Corn Dogs in Lexington

If you are ready to see what the Korean corn dog craze is all about for yourself, you can check it out at the following locations (listed alphabetically):

Arirang Korean BBQ

109 Mt. Tabor Rd., 859-269-8273, arirangky.com

Hours: Tuesday, 5-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-9 p.m.; Saturday- Sunday: noon-9 p.m.

Arirang has been serving up authentic Korean BBQ since 2002 and they offer their made from scratch corn dog on the appetizer menu, made with mozzarella, beef sausage, and fried with panko breadcrumbs, and then coated with sugar. A cheese-only version is also available upon request. $6.

According to server Henny Garland, Arirang receives a lot of to-go orders for their popular corn dog — which tends to appeal to 20-somethings and teenagers — but a lot of older regulars are known to order it too, she adds.

Han Woo Ri on the UK Campus

111 Avenue of Champions – U.K. Dining

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m-7 p.m.; closed Sundays.

Han Woo Ri has been a local Lexington favorite since 2006 and is family-owned and operated, now with a second location that is part of the University of Kentucky dining scene. Location #2 is at the corner of Avenue of Champions at South Limestone, not far from the original location.

Frequented often by students, it is also open and easily accessible to the public and the menu includes six different varieties of Korean-style corn dogs: Original Sausage, $4.99; Mozzarella and Sausage, $5.99; All Mozzarella, $5.99; Potato and Sausage, $6.99; Potato and Mozzarella, $6,99; and Potato and Sausage and Mozzarella, $6.99. Your choice of ketchup, mustard, or spicy mayo. A Korean special spicy gochujang sauce is also available.

The original off-campus Han Woo Ri location at 371 S. Limestone does not offer Korean corn dogs, only the on-campus location.

DongYangMarket

3101 Clays Mill Road, Suite 102; 859-224-0088; Facebook.com/DongYangMarket

Hours: Monday-Tuesday 10 a.m.-7 p.m; Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

DongYangMarket is a bustling small Asian grocery store tucked away in the Stonewall Shopping Center that has a seating area in the rear of the market for dining after you place your order at the front counter. Here you will find the largest selection of Korean Corn Dogs in town with ten options.

DongYangMarket features ChungChunRiceHotDogs.

Choose from the original Beef Sausage, $5.99; Mozzarella, $6.99; Half Mozzarella/Half Sausage, $6.99; Cheddar Sausage, $6.99; Cheddar Mozzarella, $6.99; Ramen Chips, $7.99; Potato, $7.99 (sausage, whole mozzarella, or half/half); Hot Cheetos, $7.99 (sausage, whole mozzarella, cheddar sausage, cheddar mozzarella, or half/half); or their two newest flavors: Fruity Pebbles, $7.99; or Doritos Nacho Cheese, $7.99.

For the novelty, I had to try the Hot Cheetos and the Fruity Pebbles and both were enjoyable.

Add house dipping sauces with choice of honey mustard, Hawaiian, Sweet Chili, Ranch, ketchup, or spicy ketchup, for 50-cents each.

Tsaocha

1080 South Broadway, Suite 201; 859-797-1451; tsaochaky.com

Hours: Monday-Sunday noon-8 pm

With locations in 19 states across the U.S., Tsaocha has one store in Lexington that concentrates on a variety of specialty teas (tsao-cha “Cha” in Chinese means tea) and slushies.

They have a limited food menu which includes one Korean-style corn dog made with a fish hot dog (mild in flavor), and mozzarella, covered with potato bits and seaweed flakes, and is drizzled with Japanese Kewpie mayonnaise. (Kewpie mayo has a richer, sweeter, tangier taste.) $6.50.

I paired it with a Pineapple Coconut Slushie and it was an enjoyable snack.

Yu Yu Asian Supermarket

393 Waller Ave., Suite 1; 859-275-1288; Facebook.com/yuyuasianmarket/

Hours: Sunday-Tuesday 10 a.m.-8 p.m.; Wednesday-Saturday 10 a.m.-9 p.m.

Yu Yu Asian Supermarket carries a variety of frozen Wang Korea brand Korean Corn Dogs sold in a package of 4, each individually wrapped, in the freezer case. Suitable for preparing in an air-fryer.

Options that were available upon my recent visit included “Cheddar Mozzarella Cheese & Fish Sausage Corn-Dog,” “Potato & Fish Sausage Corn-Dog,” “Mozzarella Cheese & Rice Cake Corn-Dog” and more. $9.99 each. Check the freezer case for availability. Quantities are limited.

Rob Bolson is a freelance writer residing in Lexington, Kentucky, who writes about food and culture. Follow him on Instagram at @robbiebolson.