Fusion-food guru Dinah Koo is set to unveil Fusia Dog on Duncan Street in the Entertainment District.
Famous for its hot dog stands, the Entertainment District will soon have a new resto hoping to capitalize on Toronto’s love for glorious street meat.
Opening next month in the former Quick Pita site at 65 Duncan Street (between Queen and Richmond), Fusia Dog will be selling “multi-cultural hot dogs, wraps & more.” The brainchild of uptown fusion-food guru Dinah Koo, the wiener purveyor has dreamed up inventive concoctions like the Boston Dog, with baked beans and cheddar, and a Mediterranean frank with grilled vegetables, feta and black olives. “Nowadays you have a lot of places doing gourmet burgers with multicultural toppings,” Koo says. “We’re trying to take the hot dog to new highs.”
Using all-beef, kosher, gluten-free franks, the hot dogs are quite simply unlike anything you’ve ever tasted. Last weekend at the T & T Waterfront Nightmarket, I had a chance to try the Asian-inspired dog, which paired the frank with kimchi, carrot and daikon salad, coriander and wasabi mayo, and wrapped it in an Indian-style paratha bread. Fans of Koo’s previous endeavours will be happy to know she is bringing some of her old favourites (like the legendary Peking duck quesadilla) to the new menu.
Hoping to open in a few weeks, Fusia Dog appears to be continuing the trend of Toronto restaurants that do one thing really, really well (WVRST, Porchetta & Co., etc). If done properly, this might revolutionize the way we eat hot dogs, and as long as it appeals to the drunk-and-hungry crowd, Koo may have a winning wiener.
