Japadog: Famous Japanese-Style Hot Dogs in Vancouver, Canada

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The original Japadog food cart located at 899 Burrard St in Vancouver, Canada

Whenever I visit Vancouver, Canada, I stop by Japadog, famous for its Japanese-inspired hot dogs topped with creative and flavorful toppings. The menu features a fusion of American hot dogs and Japanese flavors, such as teriyaki sauce, mayo, and shredded seaweed.

Since opening their first hot dog stand in 2005 at the corner of Burrard Street and Smithe Street in downtown Vancouver, Japadog has expanded across Vancouver and into nearby Surrey, Richmond, and Burnaby. In 2011, they opened a location in Santa Monica, California.

Over the years, Japadog’s quirky menu has made it a must-try for visitors to Vancouver. Locals, tourists, and even international visitors from Japan frequent the stand, which has gained an almost cult-like following.

Even though they have multiple locations in Vancouver, I always try to visit the original Japadog food cart in downtown Vancouver.

Table of Contents

History of Japadog

When founder Noriki Tamura moved from Japan to Vancouver in 2005, he wanted to bring a taste of Japan. While there were hot dog stands on every corner, he wanted his new business to stand out.

Three months after arriving, he opened Japadog. While business was initially slow, the combination of Japanese and Western food culture started to catch on.

Before he knew it, his customers began embracing traditional Japanese ingredients like bonito flakes, radish, and nori. Over time, his business expanded.

The Original Japadog Food Cart

The original location of Japadog, Vancouver, Canada — The original location of Japadog

It may be small, but it’s hard to miss the small food cart on the sidewalk in front of the Sutton Place Hotel. You will know you are at the right place when you see a small red cart saying “JAPADOG” and “Delivering dreams, happiness and excitement to the world through hotdogs.”

Due to its popularity and one-person operation, during peak lunch and dinner hours, it is not uncommon for there to be a wait. But in my experience, the wait is never more than 10 minutes.

On my recent visit, only one person was ahead of me, but I did visit around 2:00 PM on a cold winter day. After ordering, I received my food in less than 5 minutes.

And being a street cart, you won’t find any dedicated seating. Some people stand and eat, some people sit on the adjacent concrete planters, and some people take theirs to go.

Over the years, Japadog has gained a cult-like following with locals, tourists, and even famous people. You can see photos of some of these famous people on the side of the cart.

Some of these people include actor Daniel Kim, UFC fighter Chuck Liddell, and my favorite, the late, great Anthony Bourdain.

Japadog Menu

The menu at Japadog, Vancouver, Canada — The menu at Japadog

I am always amazed by the amount of options on the Japadog menu for such a small food cart. There was something for everyone.

The menu featured 13 interesting hot dog options, ranging from Kurobuta pork to wagyu beef and deep-fried chicken tempura. You can also order each with a veggie sausage.

If it’s your first time, I recommend the Kurobuta Terimayo with fried onions, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed.

If you prefer something simpler, you can order a plain hot dog with sausage options, including beef, veggie, kurobuta pork, and wagyu beef.

While you might think they only have hot dogs, the menu had more options. Other than hot dogs, there were three types of takoyaki, chicken karaage, shaked fries with five different flavors, and even poutine.

As for drinks, there were three types of lemonade along with soft drinks, water, orange juice, and apple juice.

Kurobuta Terimayo Hot Dog

I should try something new, but I always order the Kurobuta Terimayo Hot Dog on my visits. The dog features a Kurobuta pork sausage topped with fried onions, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo, and seaweed. It is the most popular item on the menu.

It might be tough to see in the photo, but the first thing that caught my attention was how big the Kurobuta pork sausage was.

Kurobuta pork, which comes from purebred Berkshire pigs, is highly prized in Japan for its high-fat content. The flavor was rich, buttery, and mildly sweet, with a moist, tender texture.

The casing snapped when I bit into it, and the umami-rich flavor was unlike any sausage I’ve had before.

Topping the sausage was shredded nori, or dried seaweed. Common in Japanese cuisine, the nori complemented the rich sausage with its crunchy yet tender texture and salty, umami flavor.

High-quality Kurobuta pork, also known as Berkshire pork

Hidden under the nori was Japanese mayo, also known as Kewpie mayo. It was creamy and rich, made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs, and tangier than traditional mayo, thanks to added vinegar.

Also mixed in was a drizzle of teriyaki sauce. There wasn’t much of it, but its thick, sweet, and salty flavor complemented the rich mayo.

There were also fried onions, which were more like sautéed onions. Tender and soft, they added a smoky, sweet onion flavor.

The final component, the hot dog bun, was simple. Toasted with grill marks on the outside, it offered a subtle smoky flavor and never became soggy or fell apart.

Service at Japadog

Being a food truck, I order, pay, take my food, and go. So, I usually have limited interaction with the staff.

Despite the limited interaction, on my visits, the workers are always friendly and happy to answer any questions I might have.

Conclusion

At first glance, Japadog seems like just another food cart in downtown Vancouver. But once you see the menu and try the food for the first time, it’s easy to see why locals, tourists, and even celebrities can’t get enough of it.

Mixing traditional Japanese ingredients with hot dogs is unusual. But I’m glad Noriki Tamura took a risk and opened Japadog to introduce his unique flavors and dishes to the people of Vancouver.

The combination of rich sausage, salty nori, creamy mayo, salty and sweet teriyaki sauce, and simple white bun makes the Kurobuta Terimayo one of my favorite hot dogs I have tried while traveling. The flavors take me back to Japan.

With its unique flavors, high-quality ingredients, and affordability, Japadog is a place I return to on every visit to Vancouver, and I recommend you stop by to try it for yourself.

Pros

Unique fusion of traditional Japanese ingredients and Western hot dogs
Extensive menu for food cart
The most popular hot dogs use Kurobuta pork, a high-quality type of pork that is tender, juicy, and rich