When you make the turn mauka (mountain-bound) onto Coral Street from Ala Moana Boulevard to find Hank's Haute Dogs, don't worry – you didn't make a wrong turn. The commercial/industrial-zoned Kakaako neighborhood doesn't look like it'd be the home of deluxe, gourmet hot dogs extraordinaire, but it is, and you've come to the right place. Get ready for Hot Dog Bliss.

Hank Adaniya, above, grew up in Hawaii, where his parents had a beachfront diner. He later made a name for himself on the Mainland with Trio, his fine dining restaurant that garnered multiple accolades. But when Hawaii called him home, he gave up fine dining... sort of. He kept the bold flavors and unique ingredients and applied them to the Mother of All Hot Dog Stands.

Although Hank's has a small stand in Waikiki's International Marketplace, you must get to this original store to experience the breadth of offerings. You can choose from classic, Polish or chili dogs, or go "haute" with Portuguese, Andouille, bratwurst, chorizo, chicken, Hawaiian or "fat boy" (wrapped in bacon, deep fried and served with mayo). There's even a "veggie" dog of avocado, tomato, onion, cucumber, Chinese parsley, spicy chipotle mayo and cheddar.

Then, depending on the day of the week, you can catch one of Hank's specials, which truly earns the word: Alligator Andouille, rabbit & veal sausage, a buffalo-meat brat, lobster sausage, duck & foie gras sausage or a Kobe-beef dog.

You'll drop your jaw over the toppings (Cajun-spiced mustard, sweet mango relish, Guinness mustard, sesame Napa cabbage, the extraterrestrially green regular relish); the sides are simple but elevated (mac 'n' cheese ... with truffle-scented cheddar creme, or french fries... with wasabi tobiko creme).

If you're a dog traditionalist, you won't be disappointed, and if you've always just been meh about hot dogs, you won't be disappointed. Grab a box of dog and dig in.