Ram and I partook of this bizarre delicacy while on our weddingmoon. I insisted. I'm pretty sure Ram had never eaten a hotdog before. His upbringing precludes him from eating beef and pork, and most turkey dogs have a pork casing. Besides that, a hotdog-- even a turkey dog with a synthetic casing-- isn't something he would choose to eat. So, I insisted. And like a good husband (and one with cash, because that's all Puka Dog takes for payment, and I never carry any), he joined me.
The menu is simple: pick a dog, pick a secret sauce, pick a special (or typical) topping, pay cash. The secret sauce is garlic-based. When I bit into mine, the sauce maintained a mayo-like consistency. I'm not a mayo fan, so, rather than turn up my nose, I just averted my eyes. I averted them to the fun side of the bun: the mango side!
The second topping choice is a little more challenging than "Mild" to "Hot Hot". And, I believe, this could be used on some sort of personality test. Will you take your Puka Dog Tropical or Traditional? Do you walk on the wild side or stay on the sidewalk?
For once, I chose the wild side and topped my P.Dog with mango relish. And that sweetness was a dynamite decision. Combined with the slightly salty (mild) Secret Sauce, toothsome and slightly salty soy dog, and bangin' bun, the mango relish was a perfect balance.
Speaking of the bun, take a look at the instrument Puka Dog uses to warm its dog holder:
The bun is a vessel made specifically for the dog. It has a closed bottom and a cylindrical hole precisely big enough for the dog and the sauces. So, after impaling the bun on a Medieval-looking warming spike, Puka Dog artists (my term for them) squirt in the sauces and shove in the dog. It's as graphic as it sounds.
Puka Dog was a great experience. I found myself craving a second one just days later. I think the novelty of the method and the sauces was the draw, but I could also smell that bun from a mile away. I'm a sucker for a good, hot piece of bread.
The dog is self-contained, but I still bid you ALOHA with fork in hand.
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