If you've ever been desperate enough to snag a churro from a passing Mission vendor, only to bite into a dry, cold dough stick then you know what mediocrity tastes like.

Inexplicably, despite our citywide predilection for fancy fried dough, outfits that make authentic churros--served piping hot, encrusted with cinnamon sugar--have been a rarity.

But at Chilango, a newcomer to the Castro dining scene, $5 gets you a plate of three freshly fried beauties. While chef Roberto Aguiar Cruz claims there's no secret--just a traditional recipe that includes milk, butter, flour and eggs combined in a similar fashion to pate à choux--he does admit to that time-honored addition: a lot of love.

Still, we're convinced there's some magic. How else to explain the custardy interior and perfectly crisped exterior? Then there's the crowning moment, a generous cloak of sugar and Mexican cinnamon that's been toasted and ground in-house.

That there's no rich chocolate for dunking is a minor tragedy, but it's easily remedied: Get a second order of churros.

Chilango, 235 Church St. (at Market St.); 415-552-5700