Leave the masks, take the Korean corn dog

Universal Studios Hollywood was full of surprises last weekend.

It was the first weekend without mask mandates.

It was the first time I tried a Korean corn dog.

It was the first time I had a pumpkin cake from Honeydukes.

All were pleasant surprises.

First the masks

Even though Universal Studios doesn’t require visitors to wear masks in the park anymore, plenty of people were still wearing them. People working at the park, from the tour guides to the Honekydukes cashiers were wearing them. About half the people in the park are still wearing them. Clearly some people are comfortable not wearing masks in public, but there are still those who are not ready to ditch their masks altogether.

The park isn’t checking for proof of vaccination anymore either. 

It’s nice to think the pandemic is over, but it’s not. 

But Universal Studios is throwing caution to the wind. It might not be the smartest move, but it’s the one Universal Studios is making.

Korean corn dogs

I didn’t know what to expect when I ordered a Korean corn dog from Mummy Eats. All I knew was that it is highly recommended.

It wasn’t exactly love at first sight. It was lumpy and crusty, looked more like a hot dog covered in corn flakes. I had to look up what exactly a Korean corn dog was, mainly because my friends were asking and I didn’t have a good answer.

It is deep fried and covered in a panko batter with mozzarella cheese. It’s supposed to be crunchy and gooey, and in this regard, the Mummy Eats Korean corn dog did not disappoint.

Finding food fusion choices in LA is not hard, but I did not expect to find one at Universal Studios. I might have found my new favorite food in the park.

Pumpkin cakes

FInding pumpkin pasties in Hogsmeade has become harder than finding Number 12 Grimmauld Place. (For those not familiar with the Harry Potter stories, it is the hidden headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix.)

Every time I go to Honeydukes for pumpkin pasties, they are out. One of these days I will unlock the chamber of pumpkin pasties secrets.

I chose the pumpkin cake instead, this time. While it wasn’t what I wanted, it was surprisingly satisfying.

First, it is cream-filled. There is literally a sweet surprise inside the cake. It reminded me of my favorite First Lady, Dolly Madison, who not only saved the Constitution and Bill of Rights during the War of 1812, but invented the cream-filled cupcake. 

Second, it has a licorice stem. Another nice surprise. It not only creates a pleasant aesthetic, it gives the cake an unexpected flavor. Kind of like an elf finding a sock in a cursed diary. 

My hunt for pumpkin pasties is far from over, but the pumpkin cakes turned out to be a delightful delicacy.