A new snack option in the hutongs

El Nido regular José was trying out a little gas-fired barbecue arrangement there this last Saturday night.

On offer were 25-kuai hot dogs. And not just any old hot dogs! Oh no - they put those to be had anywhere else in this town to shame. (Well, he tells me he gets the sausages from the Holy Fries guy up in Wudaokou, so presumably his hotdogs are comparably awesome, but I've not yet tried them...)  Large, meaty sausages, slowly, thoroughly cooked (don't expect 'fast food' - they take about 15 minutes each); served in a large (huge!!) bun, some of the best bread I've ever tasted in Beijing, and generously slathered in a tasty coleslaw which he assures me he makes himself (I was sceptical about the idea of coleslaw on a dog, but this stuff is so damn good, he's converted me!). One of these bad boys will serve for a light meal all on its own. You'd have to have a serious hunger on you to guzzle down two in succession. And to eat three would, I feel,  surely be impossible - for all but the most shameless gutbuckets.

If demand proves sufficient, José says he'll try to operate on the 'terrace' (erm, i.e., the sidewalk) there Thursday through Saturday evenings every week. I'm not sure if that 25 kuai asking price was just an opening special offer, but they'd still be very decent value at 30 or 35 kuai. This will be a very, very welcome addition to the snack options in the neighbourhood, and is likely to make me a far more regular visitor to El Nido on the weekends (at present, it tends to be a place where I just look in for a quick one or two, on the way to or from a gig).

And I'm trying to persuade him to add burgers to his offerings. I don't think there's a decent burger to be had inside the 2nd Ringroad, let alone in the Gulou area. (Well, OK, there's The Vineyard's; but that's a tad pricey, and not for eating on the street.) Oh god, I hope he does.  Fingers crossed.