After enjoying K-dogs at Naughtea earlier this year, I did not anticipate going back to Ankeny, the mother of all Des Moines suburbs, to peruse a whole new menu of Korean corn dogs and tasty drinks so soon. But there I was on a warm July afternoon — back in Ankeny to try the second and newest K-dog joint in Iowa.
Located in a small strip mall, Gossip Tea Coffee (1510 S Ankeny Blvd, STE 101, Ankeny) looks more like your typical modern coffee shop than a corn dog spot. Fitting, perhaps, because while there were many kinds of teas and coffees to choose from, there were only three K-dog options. That made ordering easy for me: I was going to try all three.
Drink selection was a little tougher, but I was delighted with my brown sugar boba milk tea. This sweet drink brought back memories of eating spoonful after spoonful of brown sugar as a child. The boba balls were delectable, and the cool richness reminded me of a decadent chocolate shake on a warm day. It made a good match for the savory corn dogs.
First up was the potato & mozzarella K-dog. The taste was like a normal corn dog, but the best part was the mozzarella filling the entire interior. The texture of the warm and melted mozzarella blended well with the crispy potatoes in the breading. The combo was only made more perfect with a healthy dip of ketchup.
Next up was the cheesy K-dog. I have tried many a corn dog in my life, from the frozen variety thawed in a microwave, to school lunch ’dogs, to footlong beauties at fairs — and none of them had a flavor as phenomenal as Gossip Tea Coffee’s cheesy K-dog. It doesn’t matter that this particular K-dog doesn’t have any “dog” to speak of, filled to the brim with mozzarella like the aforementioned potato variety. Don’t get me wrong, I love a hotdog — but line the cheesy K-dog up against any carnival corn dog, and it wins every time.
Last was the potato & fish sausage K-dog. I don’t tend to enjoy fish outside of a particular fast food chain’s fish sandwich, but I wanted to try this K-dog nonetheless. Unsurprisingly, it wasn’t for me — the fish taste overpowered every part of this K-dog, from the potatoes in the breading to the breading itself. More devoted pescatarians will likely enjoy this flavor, though.
As for declaring the champion of the presumed K-dog capital of Iowa, a few factors are at play. Gossip Tea Coffee’s K-dogs were smaller than the Naughtea dogs, but Gossip hit it out of the park when it comes to maximizing the mozzarella, unlike the Naughtea cheese options. However, Naughtea’s K-dog menu, while also second-fiddle to their massive drink menu, features an impressive variety, including fun flavors like the Hot Cheetos corn dog.
Honestly, both places are worth a stop in Ankeny. It is not up to me to decide the K-dog champion of Ankeny. It is up to you.
This article was originally published in Little Village’s August 2023 issue.
