Japadog

Delicious! Finally got to go after waiting 2 years! I’m from the San Francisco area. I got the Yakisoba dog.

I was referred here by a friend while visiting Vancouver. I ordered the Kurobuta Terirnayo and added wasabi mayo. Whether stoned and looking for the perfect munchy, just hungry, or craving some familiar Asian flavors, this definitely hits the spot. There is a lot of umami going on in every bite. The only down side is, they are a bit over priced. Mine cost $ 6.93 Canadian ($ 7.30 after tax and rounding) for just the hot dog (that is $ 5.17 USD). Other than that I would recommend trying it, at least once.

One of my friend’s recommended this place and it was only a block away from where we were! What sets this place apart from other hot dog stands are the Japanese-​inspired toppings! They have options such as seaweed, bonito flakes, miso sauce, Yakiniku rice, and even yakisoba!
I was the only one that could still eat and wanted to try something from here, so I ordered the Okonomi dog. This dog comes with Kurobuta sausage topped with bonito flakes. It looked kind of weird at first, but after adding some more condiments, it looked and tasted pretty good! The sausage was very flavorful and juicy! I actually didn’t like how it tasted with the bonito flakes, so I might try something else next time (probably the deep fried bun filled with ice cream). They actually have a couple locations in LA/​Santa Monica, so I don’t have to travel toooo far.

haha. So honestly, as an American I feel uncomfortable saying the name of this restaurant, as it sounds very close to a racial slur… but damnit. The hot dogs are good here.
let me be clearer– not only is it UNIQUE, but they execute well! I know of so many places that try to replicate japadog, but they usually fall flat! My art professor in college once said, «Art is art… but ugly is ugly.» You can be unique… but still taste ugly haha. But my friends, this place tastes WONDERFULLY BEAUTIFUL.
Seaweed, mayo, flakes, oh man. Who would have thought? But put it all on a juicy plump hot dog… euphoric.
ALSO make sure to get the fries there. I got the soy sauce and butter fries… OH MY GOD. so rich. So good. So umami. gah.
Only thing that is a downer is how small the place is! Hard to sit in there because the line fills up the whole place!

As one of Vancouver’s culinary establishment, you cannot miss this this restaurant when visiting the West Coast. Be prepared with long line ups and big crowds angling to order this amazing hot dog with fries and pop combo. Oroshi hotdog is a Munich meets Tokyo with bratwurst with grated radish, green onions and a dash of special soy sauce. The fries were cooked in shoyu-​butter which lends a deep umami taste to your humble fries.
My friend ordered the classic Terimayo which is a hotdog with teriyaki sauce, topped with roasted seaweed, Japanese mayo and fried shallots. Everything is cooked to order by a Japadog artist with Japanese precision.

This review is long overdue. I came here with a friend early last year and it was great and lives up to the hype! I went with the classic Terimayo dog. I got it with an all beef hot dog and it comes with teriyaki sauce, mayo and seaweed. My friend got their Oroshi dog with a brat that comes with freshly grated radish with a special soya sauce. We also each got an order of their fries. I got the Ume Katsuo ones with ume (Japanese pickled plum) flavor with a hint of bonito broth. He got their butter and shoyju fries.
All was real tasty and seemingly made with quality ingredients. You could also get their wasabi mayo (awesome stuff and slightly addicting) pickles, peppers and other complimentary items as well. While I like the idea of the East meets West concept here with a hot dog. I have to say my hot dog tasted so much better when I removed the seaweed. I like seaweed, but I didn’t feel it went well on a dog.
I think this is their first or only brick and mortar after the original cart. The space is a bit compact, but works to facilitate your hot dog desires. Expect a line though. Service was quick and efficient. I did not have a bad meal while in Vancouver and Japadog was great. I would return on future visits. Oh and don’t skip out on the custard place right next door!

I was recently on vacation in Vancouver and decided to Unilocal a place to eat dinner that was within walking distance from my hotel because I didn’t really feel like driving, plus since it’s downtown, it’d be paid parking anyways. I came across Japadog, and since one of my friends had reviewed this place, and there were an abundance of raving reviews, I convinced my dad to give it a shot.
Unfortunately, I was quite whlemed. The meal was just decent. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing because there are so many good reviews. Bite after bite of my hotdog, I kept trying to see if it’d click, but it never did.
I ordered the okonomi, and my dad ordered the ebi tempura. The pork hot dog in mine was cooked nicely, and the toppings had some nice flavor, but for some reason, I just felt like the hotdog was missing a certain something. I also decided to get a combo, but I love love love french fries, and they have seasoned fries here. I went with the most popular flavor, butter + shoyu (soy sauce), and luckily, the fries did not disappoint in the flavor department. However, in terms of portion, I thought it was a little on the stingy side. If anything, I would have been willing to pay another 50 cents or dollar for a larger portion, or maybe that’s just the American in me that wants bigger. My dad also though his dog was quite basic. Rice, shrimp tempura, and sauce on a bun. Exactly as it sounds. And for almost 7 bucks each, I really expected something more.
The main highlight of my meal, which I totally would go back for is the ice cream bun. 3 bucks for a hot dog bun fried then dipped in sugar with 3 scoops of ice cream in the middle? Count me in. I went with the kurogama flavor, or black sesame, and it was exquisite. I still dream about this dessert bun, and it was the only redeeming factor of the meal.
I guess with the uniqueness factor, I could see myself coming once in a while, if I lived in the area, but otherwise, it’s kind of overhyped.

Japadog is unique eat to Vancouver although the did have a cart in Seattle (which is now Beko Dog) so naturally it was near the top of my list of places to eat.
I originally intended on stopping by a cart location near YVR however I could not find it for the life of me. So instead of trying to spot a cart on the street, I opted to head into the city to the brick and mortar version.
This place is really tiny and gets uncomfortably crowded really fast especially when you have an obnoxious bunch of tweens hoarding all of the seats in the middle but I digress.
Ready the gay jokes…
Unbeknownst to those who are not accustomed to Japanese Sausage (hehe gay joke), it’s not your typical sausage you are used to. Arabiki and kurobuta (black pig) is very mild in taste when compared to German or American style links that everyone is accustomed to. It makes for a great neutral base for the crazy flavors that they top the dogs with here.
I tried 2 of the dogs here on this visit:
Hot & Spicy dog
I was curious to see what kind of spice was going to be employed on this dog. It was a spicy chili (think red rooster sauce) relish. The taste of the arabiki was lost in the fire of this dog and the spicy relish was just a bit too much for me so it was not that enjoyable.
Okonomi Kurobuta dog (upgrade)
This is the epitome of Japanese flavor! It’s a little mind fu$k when i eat this as I taste the nori and kewpie mayo because I’m looking for the taste of okonomiyaki. After the initial mind/​tastebud disconnection, I found the dish enjoyable. The only thing that was missing was the bulldog sauce that you top okonomiyaki with. I was glad to do the upgrade to the kurobuta, it had a nice snap and taste to it.
The star of my visit was the Shaker fries!!!
I ordered the butter soy fries and man they were awesome! They tasted like Jaggabee snacks version of the dish. For that reason, I was blown away!
I took an order of the garlic shichimi fries for the long drive back south. They were decent however I could not get over how awesome the butter soy fries were.
I am glad that I went to the brick and mortar location as the carts don’t offer the fries. I would say this is a must at when in B.C.
Eat with confidence
–P

This was the first time that I actually had a Japadog in the brick and mortar store. The space is pretty tight, with people waiting in line to order in between people trying to eat their food (I would recommend eating on the sidewalk tables or getting your food to go). They do have additional options at the store that I didn’t see at the food cart on the street (ice cream, French fries, etc.).
We ordered the Terimayo (#1), as well as the one with cheese. I like the Asian twist with the Japanese mayo and seaweed and onions. The version with cheese doesn’t really add anything in my opinion, so I would go for the #1 instead. The fries are ok, but you are coming here for the different hot dog combinations.
Japadog is definitely on the expensive side when it comes to hot dogs, but the taste is good, although I think I like ordering it off of the cart on the sidewalk the best.

A very unique and tasty treat ! My hotel/​hostel was nearby so it was nice to walk down and have a delicious bite.
The korubuta hot dogs were very good. This dog has a great snap and is very juicy. It is a sweeter hot dog and has the japanese mayo and seaweed with it. Their fries are apparently pretty good too but I will have to save that for another trip (or head to the one in Santa Monica, California).

This is the restaurant location on Robson Street. Came here over the weekend and ordered the Croquette dog. I’ve had the Terimayo a number of times in the past so decided to try something else.
I am a big fan of croquettes so it’s a no brainer for me to have the croquette dog. It’s basically a croquette cut in half on a hot dog. Sounds simple and weird, but heck it tastes so good! Also had the buttered fries and the seaweed/​salt fries. Both were delish, but if I absolutely had to choose, I’ll go with the butter.
Only downside, is that the food can take a long time if it’s busy. And when it’s busy the line up and waiting lines within the restaurant is quite chaotic and interferes with the limited seats available in the restaurant. As a result, I will have to take away one star :(

When I asked two friends on separate occasions to food suggestions, both had Japadog on the top of the list. I was wondering what is so great about this gourmet dog but after trying it, I have to agree with my friends: if you go to Vancouver, don’t forget to get yourself a Japadog!
Japanese cuisine is my favorite, but I could not imagine how you can integrate this cuisine with such a western food like hot dog. Japadog definitely showed me the way. My sister and I got the seaweed-​covered terimayo (Teriyaki sauce and mayo blend) and the bonito-​flake-​decked okonomi (Inspired by Osaka’s signature okonomiyaki). Just when I thought why I paid about $ 10 USD for essentially hot dogs topped with Japanese ingredients, I was blown away.
I don’t know why it’s so good despite the seemingly simple combination, but I think it’s the same reason why Japanese cuisine is generally good: the ingredients are simple but the key is quality. The seasonings, the sauces, and the toppings definitely helped, but the hot dogs themselves were so juicy and delicious! Japadog is certainly one of the unique gourmet dogs I had.
That being said, it’s about $ 10 USD each, so it’s a deterrent to munch on this constantly, but hey, YOLO you gotta try it once!
*This review is for the mobile food truck
—
tl;dr version:
1) Simple but stellar Japanese gourmet dog
2) Slightly pricey with each order averaging $ 10 USD

I swear Japanese just take everything and make it better. They took a hot dog and dressed it up Japanese Style. They took French fries and dressed them up Japanese style. I loved my kurobuta terimayo hot dog so much I came here twice during my 4 day trip!
There are tons of trucks around the city but we came to this location since it’s their only brick and mortar location and they have fries here. I love fries.
It’s a super small location with just 3 – 4 tables and a counter top. Lines can build fast but they get the food out pretty quick. The cashiers were friendly and helpful. They were young Japanese women who spoke Japanese as well.
I got a kurobuta terimayo hot dog ($ 6.93) both times I came here. This is a hot dog made with kurobuta pork, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onions and seaweed. This hot dog was amazing. They lightly toast the bun. I loved the snap of this hot dog and the crispness of their hot dog. All the flavors went so well together. I know I should have tried a different one the second time I came but it was soo good I had to get it again.
They have about 13 different choices:
Kurobuta terimayo
Okonomi
Love Meat
Oroshi
Spicy terimayo
Avocado
Tonkatsu
Yakisoba
Hot Spicy
Yakiniku rice
Croquette
Beef terimayo
Ebi tempura
There are some interesting combinations with ingredients like fried cabbage, red ginger, bonito flakes, rated radish, etc. it may sound strange but it works!
My boyfriend got the okonomi and croquette which he enjoyed since he liked the hot dog flavors and thought everything went well.
You can make any hot dog a combo for $ 3.95 so you get a drink and shaked fries.
Shaked fries! Butter Shoyu is the best! They remind me of that Japanese snack, Jagabee fries which has a butter shoyu flavor. The fries are slightly sweet but salty. These fries are way better than any shake fries from McDonalds. They also have shichimi and garlic, aonori (seaweed and salt), umekatsuo (sour plum and hint of skip Jack), black pepper and you can have them regular if you already feel the hot dog is enough adventure for you. The aonori was good but a little too salty for my taste. The shichimi one wasn’t too spicy and was good too.
I wish they would open in Hawaii!

I’m not a huge hotdog fan, but Japadog makes a pretty mean hotdog. They’re what I think of as larger versions of those Japanese pork sausages that have that nice snap to them, and are typically served at Yakiniku and Izakaya places. I had the Kurobuta Terimayo the first time around and loved it! They lightly toast the bun, and serve the dog up with some interesting combinations like nori strips, fried onions, teriyaki sauce, and Japanese mayo. The second time, I got a Croquette dog that had two croquette halves over the dog, served with fried cabbage, and what seemed like their Tonkatsu (pork cutlet) dipping sauce drizzled over… equally as good, but I think I still prefer the basic Kurobuta.
Had I stayed long enough, I probably would have tried a third dog. Since we don’t have a Japadog in Hawaii, I’ll have to settle on drooling over my photos until I can take another short vacation. I highly recommend trying them out if you haven’t, and if you don’t like them, that’s just more for me – thank you!

4 stars for JAPADOG and I don’t even eat hot dogs! We stopped by for lunch after hearing it was a Vancouver MUST. The line was out the door of the building on a weekday for lunchtime, but it moved pretty quickly. The menu is posted outside with the different options to try. I chose the hot and spicy dog and it was perfect. There are also options to swap your dog for a turkey dog or a veggie dog, which is great for restrictive diets. We also got some of the shake fries with different spices. (I got the spicy ones).
The interior is small, but there was an open 2-​top by the time we ordered, so we didn’t have any issues finding a seat.
My JAPADOG was delicious. Soft bread, flavorful dog, and spicy toppings. I don’t even eat hot dogs, but I would recommend this quick meal to anyone traveling in the area. Fries were just OK (a little mushy for my taste), but I’m glad we came to the actual store since the fries aren’t served from the trucks.

It is a must to stop by Japadog every time I visit Vancouver. Their dogs are juicy, freshly made, and filled with flavor. There is something for everyone with their extensive menu.
I would definitely recommend the beef terimayo dog which is my favorite so far. It is simple with roasted seaweed and japanese mayo spread on top of their delicious dog. it is simple yet filled with flavor that would make your mouth water.
My friend who was not a big fan of Japanese food ordered the spicy cheese dog, a new special that they came up with recently. It is a dog infused with spicy chili and cheddar cheese wrapped in a hotdog bun. She really enjoyed it and was amazed that there were cheese inside the sausage.
Also, definitely try their pickled spicy peppers. They are the bomb!
It was yet another successful run at Japadog and it definitely won’t be the last.

Who: bf & I
What: pork terimayo $ 7
When: weekday lunch
Where: downtown
Why (at least once): I love the Japadog concept and frankly, really enjoyed the one we ordered here. The only thing preventing me from coming back was realizing how easily I could make this at home for cheaper and maybe better. The seaweed, Asian mayo, and teriyaki sauce really make the meal. The Kurobuta Pork link has an interesting taste to it, kind of like the snack sausages I ate in Beijing. Personally, as a Texan, I prefer a meatier beef hot dog.

I don’t give 5 stars out very lightly, but this place deserves it.
I’ve heard about Japadog from my friends in Vancouver a lot. Considering the hot dog options in Toronto, Japadog was something I really wanted to try, and I especially wanted to know what the hell can Japanese people do to a hot dog to make it delicious.
I arrived for lunch on Victoria Day, and the lineup thankfully wasn’t terrible. I was in the restaurant and ordered within 10 – 15 minutes. I ordered five hot dogs: Three cheese terimayo, kurobuta terimayo, ebi tempura, terimayo, and love meat. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but each of them were delicious in completely different ways. The three cheese blend was perfect, and the kurobuta pork is easily one of the best pork meats I’ve ever had. There’s a reason why the kurobuta terimayo is one of the must eat items of the world; it’s that good! The ebi tempura, if it stood alone, would be nothing spectacular, but the rice was an excellent addition to the hot dog. Finally, the love meat sauce was simply unique and delicious. Yum x5.
I’ve written 669 reviews and have only given 10 5-​star reviews. Let this be the 11^th, because it is a place where people must visit, especially if you’re not from Vancouver.

Japadog is serving fusion, street food realness!
Didn’t really know what I was getting myself into, but seeing a line out the door was definitely comforting. I ended up getting:
1. Kurobuta Terimayo: Kurobuta pork, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, fried onions, seaweed.
2. Okonomi: Kurobuta pork, Japanese traditional sauce, Japanese mayo, Bonito flakes, fried cabbage
The stand out for me was the Kurobuta Terimayo! No wonder it’s #1 on the menu. The combination of all the ingredients just works with the saltiness of the sausage and seaweed, balanced by the sweetness teriyaki sauce and onions. If I could bottle that teri-​mayo sauce, I would put that on everything! Deliciously satisfying!

Before I visited, I didn’t think you could do very much with a hot dog. The best I had before coming here was probably Wvrst in Toronto; but the hype over Japadog was so real, and very much well deserved.
We got the terimayo and kurobuta terimayo. Although not a huge difference between the two, unarguably the best hot dogs I ever had. The meat may have been standard but tasted superb with whatever magic mayo that makes up Japadog’s secret recipe. I probably took a total of one minute to finish my entire hot dog.
Since we got the combo, we ordered the butter & shoyu + shicimi & garlic fries. I enjoyed the latter a lot more since that had more of a kick due to the hot pepper. But the butter & shoyu fries were delicious as well and it’s so rare to find such delicious fries on the side which are as good as the mains.
If you ever visit Vancouver, this is a must-​go.