At the end of January 2022, I decided to finally start experiencing things, my only new year’s resolution. So, I made plans with my friends from university, and I let them take me around London to experience their favourite locations. From this I have tried and tasted some amazing foods that I wouldn’t have even thought to try or maybe I would have but wouldn’t have gone alone.
One of the spots my friend Selena took me to was Bunsik. The viral TikTok Korean hotdog spot. Like the people milling outside, I had seen this spot pretty much daily when looking at food posts on TikTok, and I had been dying to try it. Like a mind reader, Selena walked me to the restaurant and started ordering.
For those of you who don’t use TikTok, Bunsik is a hot new Korean hotdog shop on Charing Cross Road in London. This business provides a bursting menu of battered goodness, filled with meat or cheese and a range of sides to die for. Especially for those of you who, like me, love K-Dramas and have always wanted to try authentic ddukbokki without travelling to South Korea for it.
The menu hosts several different hot dogs to choose from, rice bowls, ddukbokki and sides. So, there is something for everyone who wants to have a taste of Korean food. Although on the menu they are called hotdogs, they are more akin to American corndogs, as the meat options are a battered sausage on a stick. The non-meat option is battered cheese on a stick. The batter itself is a soft fried bread like batter, unlike our typical crispy sausage batter.
Going into the shop you are met with the heavenly smell of freshly cooked battered treats, that kind of smell like freshly cooked bread with a sweet tinge to the scent. It’s almost open plan so you can see your order being made right in front of you if you peer slightly to the side of the cashier.
I went for the Half and Half to get a taste of each option; this was half sausage and half cheese on the same stick making up the core of my hotdog, I had it topped with ketchup and mustard for a classic experience but once we left Selena informed me they are amazing when sugar is added as a topping and I am inclined to believe her as I heard a few others asking for it on theirs. Selena ordered Cheese and Cheese with her topping being more cheese with a sprinkle of sugar for flavour depth. A dream for any lactose intolerant person. Disclaimer, Selena is lactose intolerant.
Having had a taste of the cheese I think I would get Selena’s order next time as the cheese was miles better than the meat, purely because it was melted to perfection and had the classic stretch you see in all the videos, as well as just being a better flavour.
The wait time for the food was fast for a place that busy, which was very impressive. The service was very good. The prices range from £4 to £7 depending on what you order but for London, I think that is a bargain! Especially when you consider that the spot is a viral favourite.
Overall I really enjoyed the food from Bunsik and would urge you to try it, viral or not, it was good! If you’ve been, what did you think?
The NewRxmantic 