Former Tung Lok Restaurant Group COO Sells Hot Dogs Covered In Crispy Cheesy Crust
Many folks can’t resist a juicy sausage enveloped in a soft bun. But what if there’s an extra sinful layer of crusty fried cheese cloaking the bun and sausage? Say hello to Rollin’ Cheese Dogs. Unlike your regular hot dog, these gourmet ones are wrapped in crispy pan-fried mozzarella and cheddar cheese, and claim to be “Asia’s first cheesy crust hot dogs”.
Rollin’ debuted as a food truck back in August, where it made appearances at several pop-ups around town. In October, the hot dog joint opened a 26-seater self-service eatery at the pet-friendly Fort Canine Swimming Club in Clarke Quay. The American-style diner is a trendy, slightly fancier version of a fast food eatery.
No part of this story can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
By Chinese restaurateur behind Blue Lotus and Sum Yi Tai
Rollin’ Cheese Dogs is Hong Kong-born founder Ricky Ng’s first foray into quick-service food – besides Rollin’, the restaurateur is also behind Chinese casual restaurant Blue Lotus Chinese Eating House in Sentosa Cove and modern-Asian restaurant Opio Kitchen & Bar on Alexandra Road. He formerly worked as the chief operating officer at the Tung Lok Group for two years.
Ricky tells 8days.sg that Blue Lotus and Opio are still doing decently well. “Blue Lotus’s business has been good even during Covid and till now. Opio is slightly affected due to the surrounding offices, where [there’s lower footfall because] most companies have work from home policies”.
So why branch out into western food? “Rollin’s concept at CQ is based on the location, and the new market that we’re tagging on. Younger diners prefer something interesting and new. Fast and comfort food is definitely the way to go in today’s market. However, we’re offering comfort food at an affordable price, rather than getting into a price war with others,” he says. Ricky shares that they invested roughly $120K to set up Rollin’, and are aiming to open a total of 20 outlets in future.
Crunchy cheese works as a neat “blanket” to contain sauces
As for how he came up with the idea to sell cheese-crusted hot dogs, Ricky says: “I personally love hot dogs a lot, and it’s very hard to find a really good one. We studied how the best hot dogs were made around the world and created our own version. All burgers have the magic component of cheese, so why not hot dogs?”.
While eating a hot dog coated in crunchy cheese may seem like a messy affair, Ricky tells us it’s actually quite the opposite. “Most of the time, [eating] hot dogs can be messy, with the sauces dripping out from the sides. We added both the cheddar and mozzarella cheese [to coat the hot dog] as a ‘blanket’, to contain the sauces within each bite,” he explains.
Made with less processed ingredients
Though hot dogs aren’t typically the healthiest snack around, Rollin’s gourmet version is made with better quality ingredients, including locally-produced German-style pork sausages using a recipe from a German butcher. The sodium nitrate-free (a preservative that gives processed meat its pink colour) sausages are made with non-processed meat and collagen casings, and freshly baked focaccia buns infused with olives and herbs.
But what really sets it apart is its unique preparation style. A mixture of shredded mozzarella and cheddar cheese is laid out on a hot griddle to brown and crisp up, before the fully assembled hot dogs are placed atop it and rolled up burrito-style.
Rollin’s signature cheesy-crusted hot dog, the Rollin Classic ($12.90) comes with toppings of ketchup, mustard and tartar sauce, plus chopped pickles and onions. Meanwhile, funkier flavours include Fiery Seoul ($14.90), with kimchi and Korean barbecue sauce, Peppery Corn ($12.90), served with black pepper sauce and sweet corn, and Bacon Delight ($13.90), loaded with guacamole, bacon bits and onions.
Sides like Mozzarella Cheese Sticks ($6.90) and Potato Wedges ($4.90) are available too.
Rollin’ at Fort Canine
So far, Ricky tells us that “sales have been promising”, and new Rollin’ outlets are in the works. “We are in the midst of negotiating for two new outlets plus overseas franchise opportunities,” he shares.
Rollin’ is at #01-07 Fort Canine Swimming Club, 3B River Valley Rd, S179021. Open Mon - Fri 11am - 9pm; Sat - Sun 10am - 9pm. Tel: 8846 6448. More info via website and Instagram.
Photos: Rollin’
No part of this story or photos can be reproduced without permission from 8days.sg.
8days.sg is now on #tiktok! Follow us on www.tiktok.com/@8dayseat
Related Stories
Shopping
