Previous SlideNext Slide

You may have enjoyed many hot dogs in your life. They may have really hit the spot. But until you’ve eaten a StreetDogz puppy, there’s a good chance you’ve never felt the love that can be infused into a humble sausage in bread.

This small shop specialises in Colombian-style dogs and fries, the kind of fast food you might come across on the streets of Medellin.

The Melbourne version is probably better, fresher – and definitely more bespoke – because the unavailability of key sauces and garnishes here means the family behind StreetDogz makes the components themselves.

Chef David Posada owns the business with his wife Diana Acosta. He cooked on the streets of Medellin before moving to Australia; she has a background in human resources and law. Along with other family members, they pour heart and soul into this business, serving from a silver van installed within the street-arty store.

Colombian hot dogs are loaded! Made with mild beef franks in soft, sweet buns, they’re typically topped with melted mozzarella, pineapple sauce, “pink sauce” made with ketchup and mayonnaise, matchstick potato crisps and quail eggs. Coleslaw and tartare sauce are common, too.

They are a messy cacophony, a culinary cymbal crash, a don’t-talk-I’m-eating immersion that requires two hands and 200 napkins.

At StreetDogz, the Paco is the hero Colombian hot dog, a sublime clash of soft and crunchy, salty and sweet, meaty and tangy. The Mochi is epic, too, made with the same beef frank plus shredded chicken, bacon, plantain and Posada’s house-made barbecue aioli.

Skewers are an important street food in Colombia. The StreetDogz version is a meal and a half with marinated chicken, cheese, corn arepa (flatbread) and sweet cabbage.

In all these lovingly made dishes, the house-made potato chips stand out. Every week the team turns 100 kilograms of spuds into tiny, golden, crunchy batons: they’re a pain to make but a winning element.

Colombian-style hot dogs are a don’t-talk-I’m-eating immersion that requires two hands and 200 napkins.

The crisps are piled with pretty much every ingredient in the store, including a generous helping of beef brisket. It may not win any heart health awards but it makes people smile every day, especially when washed down with pink apple soda.

I appreciate the detail in this over-the-top food, but it’s the sincere desire to create joy that won me over to StreetDogz. It’s a busy place and there’s no pretence at fine dining but there’s also no doubt every element is crafted with care, and I bet the family talks about their store from dawn to past midnight.

One thing they’re discussing is larger premises in Dorcas Street, South Melbourne, to open in a few months. No matter which street these dogs prowl, they’ll be messily, marvellously worth seeking out.