Press Releases

REVIEWDon't Hesitate To Try Oh K-Dog's Delicious Korean Casual Food

TEXARKANA, Texas -- Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast owners Hong Kim and Zoey Ho hope local food-lovers are willing to try something new and unique.

Their restaurant opened Friday in the Richmond Square Shopping Center, serving what the franchise calls "handmade Korean soul food." On Thursday, Gazette correspondent Lindsey Foote and I sampled the menu and came away enthused to spread the word about this delicious alternative to the same old burgers, pizza and Tex-Mex.

Hong was born in Korea but did most of his growing up in Texarkana and graduated from Pleasant Grove Middle School. After serving in the Korean army, he worked for a Korean company and lived there for about five years. He met Zoey, a Hong Kong native, while traveling between Korea and China. After their marriage, the couple moved here to be close to Kim's family.

The style of hot dog Oh K-Dog offers had its beginnings as a popular on-the-go food at Korean highway rest stops, Hong said. Because Korean hot dogs are served on a stick, without a bun, Americans will probably be more inclined to call them a kind of corn dog. But it's not a very accurate comparison.

Lindsey and I tried both Mozza Dogs and Classic Hot Dogs, and one extraordinary thing about them was apparent right away. Some of them were sprinkled with sugar, one of several extra flavorings Oh K-Dog offers.

All featured a light, crispy, deep-fried coating made of rice flour and panko bread crumbs. The resulting crunch is a lot different from biting into a corn dog covered in bready batter.

The Mozza Dog is all mozzarella, like a gigantic version of a cheese stick appetizer. It came out perfectly melty and was especially tasty with some of Oh K-Dog's ranch sauce. The Classic was a winner, too, made with a high-quality, flavorful frank. It combined well with the restaurant's sweet chili sauce.

Lindsey and I agreed that both sauces could be big sellers themselves, if bottled. Lindsey especially loved the ranch sauce, describing it as buttery and having a subtler flavor than the ranch dressing usually served with many dishes. The sweetness of the chili sauce hits first, followed by enough heat to satisfy pepper-lovers.

Other Oh K-Dog varieties on offer include hot dogs with cheddar cheese, some with diced potatoes or sweet potatoes incorporated into the breading, and perhaps for the more adventurous, an option involving squid ink.

We also tried a pair of egg toasts, a dish I had been completely unfamiliar with. A thick slice of soft, sweet brioche bread is cut to create a pocket, which is stuffed with eggs and optional other fillings.

The ham and cheese variety I had was my favorite part of the meal, and I'll definitely be back for another. I'd be willing to bet that its blending of sweet and savory flavors would beat any normal breakfast sandwich in a taste test.

For dessert, we were treated to two varieties of waffle, a specialty Zoey brought to the restaurant.

A style served in Hong Kong was topped with peanut butter sauce and condensed milk and tasted like a peanut butter cookie. (Lindsey said she was transported back to her grandmother's kitchen.) The other was topped with fresh strawberries and a whipped cream cheese. It hit our sweet spots like a good strawberry shortcake.

Zoey also developed the restaurant's specialty drinks. Lindsey loved her strawberry tea drink, with its fresh fruit and some of the same cream cheese served on our waffle. That came as a surprise to her, she said, because she usually doesn't care for fruit teas.

I had a delicious iced mocha prepared with Oh K-Dog's pro espresso machine, and we also sampled mango, peanut butter and chocolate smoothies. If you're a little hesitant about the food, I recommend stopping by just for a beverage treat.

All in all, I'm rooting for Hong and Zoey, and I hope, like they do, that Texarkanians won't be spooked by the unfamiliar.

Oh K-Dog's uniqueness is its strong point, Hong said, "but also where we worry, kind of, because people have to open up and try. If they try it, they might like it."

(Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast is at 2700 Richmond Road, Suite 2, on the side of the Richmond Square Shopping Center nearest Domino's. Store hours are 11 a.M. To 8 p.M. Daily.)

Kong Dog Is Opening In Pentagon City And Giving Away Free Corn Dogs

Kong Dog is opening at the Pentagon City mall (photo courtesy of Kong Dog)

Kong Dog at the Pentagon City mall is marking its opening this week by giving away free corn dogs.

The Korean corn dog restaurant announced that it would be opening its first Virginia location this weekend in the Pentagon City mall food court. It will be located near the end of the food court, close to the Forever 21 store.

To celebrate, the eatery says it will be serving up free corn dogs to the first 200 customers in line starting at 4 p.M. On Friday.

Per a press release:

To celebrate its grand opening, Kong Dog's Pentagon City location (found in the Fashion Centre food court) will be giving away free corn dogs to the first 200 customers in line during its soft opening on Friday, April 28. With its trendy, delicious, and homemade corn dogs, Kong Dog is opening its doors in Pentagon City as a 'new bite to grab' offering corn dog lovers a selection of fun and flavorful toppings that make for a customizable experience unlike any other, The new food-lovers destination will also host a grand opening the next day, Saturday, April 29.

The restaurant will officially open to the public at 11 a.M. On Saturday.

In January we first reported that Kong Dog was setting up shop in the mall. It was originally set to open up in February but inspections and other delays pushed it back several months, a restaurant spokesperson told ARLnow.

The eatery sells Korean-style corn dogs with toppings like cheese, fried potato, hot Cheetos, and ramen. With U.S. Locations mostly clustered in Illinois and New Jersey, the Pentagon City location is the first in Virginia. Locally, there is a location in Silver Spring and another opening in Georgetown later this year, the spokesperson said.

Kong Dog is not the only Korean-style corn dog restaurant in Arlington. Oh K-Dog and Egg Toast opened in Ballston Quarter last year and said it was also working to open a Crystal City location, though that does not appear to have materialized yet.

Mayfield Heights Police Adds New K-9 For First Time Since 2014

May 5—As a longtime K-9 handler, Mayfield Heights Police Chief Anthony Mele recognizes the impact working police dogs can have on a department.

It is a major reason why Mele is so pleased that the department is adding a K-9 unit for the first time since 2014.

The new K-9 is a 1-year-old Belgian Malinois named Maverick. He comes from the Czech Republic and was trained at Shallow Creek Kennels in Sharpsville, Pennsylvania.

The K-9 handler will be Patrolman Mike King.

Maverick will be officially sworn in at the Mayfield Heights City Council meeting on May 8.

"Mayfield Heights PD has had a few police work dogs dating back to the 1970s. I was a K-9 handler for eight years with the department, so I know first-hand what a valuable tool they are," Mele said. "K-9 Maverick is currently our only police K-9. I'm hoping to build the program out in the upcoming years. It's been nine years since our department had a working dog. We retired two dogs back in 2014 and neither was replaced at that time."

Mele said because their sense of smell far exceeds what a human can detect, K-9s can be invaluable to police work and mainly the dog is a locating tool for finding drugs and tracking down fleeing suspects.

King, who trained for six weeks with Maverick completed basic handler school on April 28 at Shallow Creek Kennels, echoed Mele's comments on the importance of a K-9 unit.

"I have watched Maverick, in training, locate decoys/possible suspects and narcotics in locations I wouldn't typically think of looking," King said. "He will be a valuable asset to the department for years to come."

King and Maverick are certified through the state of Ohio as well as the North American Police Work Dog Association. In addition, they will have continued training, yearly recertification, and monthly maintenance training for the remainder of Maverick's career.

Mele said the training for King was demanding and intense and is an ongoing process but a necessary tool.

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"These dogs are highly trained and very intelligent," Mele said. "They come from blood lines that have the desired drives that we look for in a working dog. Like any tool on our duty belt, the officer must have complete control of the K-9, which requires a great deal of training. It all starts with obedience training."

While the addition of Maverick will help the department in several important areas of police work, he will be almost as valuable in the community, according to both Mele and King.

"Public relations is a huge part of a successful K-9 program in Mayfield Heights," Mele said. "The police K-9 is a goodwill ambassador to the police department. In the past, our dogs regularly participated in K-9 demonstrations and went into the classrooms to meet students. It's a great way for our officers to build relationships with kids.

"Now more than ever, it's extremely important that police officers make every effort to connect with the citizens in their community," he added. "A police K-9 is a great way to make that happen."

King said public appearances are a big part of the K-9 program, and the community will react well to interacting with Maverick.

"I feel that Maverick will help connect members of our department with the community," King said. "Maverick will make many public appearances throughout his career for demonstrations, with two large appearances being our annual Unity Days and our First Responders Night out. We are looking forward to showing Maverick to our residents and allowing them to interact with him."

King hopes he and Maverick are just the start of things to come.

"Maverick and I are very fortunate to have the support of our department, our community and for my family to allow me the opportunity to serve in this capacity," King said. "I am grateful for being chosen to bring the K-9 program back to our department and hope to help it grow in the future."

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