When Master Sushi Chef Eipuri Rufuru decided to open a sushi restaurant in a small West Virginia town like Lewisville, he knew that he would have to offer a few specialty rolls in order to please his customers. Like most Americanized sushi joints, Eipuri offers Philadelphia Rolls and California Rolls, but recently he has developed some special maki rolls made from favorite West Virginian delicacies such as Ramps and Brook Trout. But it is his most recent creation that has all of Lewiston talking and that attracted the attention of our Weenie Wonks.
We at WVHotDogs.com first heard about Eipuri's new creation through social media, as people began Tweeting comments about the sushi and using the #wvhotdogs hashtag. At first we though it was simply a roll that looked like a hot dog, but then we found out through a post on Facebook that this roll has inside all of the goodness of chili, slaw, mustard and onions rolled up around an all-beef weenie. Eipuri calls the roll "Hottogoggu." We couldn't wait to try it.
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Chef Eipuri's special "Hottogoggu" rolls
surrounded by more traditional sushi items. |
Watching Chef Eipuri roll this work of art was a treat - and he graciously afforded us a seat beside his work area and explained the process to us in great detail. With the Nori (seaweed) laid out, he first spread a dollop of creamy slaw evenly over its surface. Then he poured a thin but meaty chili over it and allowed it run off the side. Next, he fanned the chili to cool it down (he said it would make it easier to roll) and once it was properly cool, he carefully placed finely chopped onions and one small line of yellow mustard down the middle. The previously grilled weenie was laid precisely on the line of mustard and then he carefully rolled the whole thing up tightly. Once the roll was firm, he rolled it through the vinegared rice which clung beautifully to the Nori. After it had rested a moment, he took out his razor-sharp knife and sliced in into six perfect pieces of sushi. It was a work of art!
As much of a treat as it was watching it being made, tasting it was even more so; an absolute joy! I honestly don't know how I can ever have another roll of any kind of sushi without it suffering by comparison with this masterpiece. The chili was so potent, that even the small amount in the roll stood up and forced itself to be noticed. The slaw was luscious and the weenie was perfect. Overall this non-standard WV Hot Dog creation gets a 4.5 Weenie rating.
As I ate the first roll and ordered another, I reflected on the amazing clash of cultures that this dish represents. It gave me hope for the future of the world. Of course, I still have no hope for Marion County, because its anti-slaw factions would not allow this kind of cultural experiment to happen there. Perhaps they can convince some local sushi chef to come up with a Pepperoni Roll Roll.
If you find yourself in Lewisville and wish to try Eipuri Sushi for yourself, please call ahead and make sure they are grilling weenies, because they don't do it every day, but we hear that the first day of April is always a good day to go.
It took us 6 years to get to Fat Eddie's. After hundreds of emails claiming that this was the best place to get hot dogs in Summersville (or the whole state, according to some) our curiosity got the better of us and we made the trip. The timing was made more difficult by the fact that Fat Eddie's is only open three seasons, but one lovely summer evening we finally made it.
Sometimes you just know as soon as you lift a hot dog and feel the softness and the heft that it is going to be great, and Eddie's greatness is evident in this way. The chili has a nice little spice, the slaw is nearly perfect in texture and taste and the weenie and bun were fabulous. Every part of this hot dog is perfect.
