Recently, I've had the pleasure of touring around Vancouver. I knew I just had to get my hands on some Japadog. A Japanese-style hot dog... what a novel idea! Of course, it isn't the first time I've tasted this idea. Tubby Dog has its own "Sumo" dog, with Japanese mayo, wasabi, pickled ginger, seaweed salad, and toasted sesame seeds.
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| The Sumo. Tubby Dog's Japanese-style hot dog. |
Tubby Dog serves big all-beef dogs, unless you otherwise specify that you would prefer another type. I have to admit, I am not a fan of the standard Tubby Dog ... dog. I think the texture is not ... hot doggy enough. With that personal bias set aside, there is always the composition of flavours to consider. The flavours are really intense on this hot dog, due to the wasabi and pickled ginger. They pack on the pickled ginger as if it is sourkraut, and the wasabi is straight wasabi and isn't much mellowed out by the Japanese mayo. The seaweed salad has a nice sesame flavour, though it was a bit overwhelmed by the other toppings. I was excited to try it on a hot dog, but alas, I think it's maybe just a tad bit chewy. All in all, this wasn't a terrible hot dog, but I'm doubtful I would order it again.
After my Tubby Dog experience, I was a little wary of Japanese flavours on my hot dogs. Still, I had to try a place that ONLY serves Japanese-style hot dogs. Maybe they could do it right and the hype is deserved. It really is easy to just stumble upon Japadog in Vancouver, however the menu varies from location to location. I found a truck with the back opened up for service, and very friendly, very Japanese dudes back there working. I told them it was my first time and what would they recommend, and they told me to get the Beef Terimayo.
This is an all-beef hot dog featuring Japanese mayo, onion, teriyaki sauce and nori seaweed. The hot dog itself is an ordinary sized hot dog, much smaller than Tubby Dog's. It was spiral slit and grilled and absolutely delicious. I could actually taste the Japanese mayo, since it wasn't drowned out by wasabi or pickled ginger. It played together nicely with the teriyaki, and the more traditional onions. The nori has a more subtle taste. I was entirely satisfied with this hot dog and I can't wait to return to Vancouver to try out the other flavour combinations.
Well, so I've made it pretty clear that I think Japadog is superior to Tubby Dog. That's not to say that Tubby Dog is a bad institution. Tubby Dog plays an important role in the Calgary scene, and I really like the vibe I get from the place. It's also cool that Tubby Dog is a Sled Island venue. Sometimes it's fun to put peanut butter and jelly on your hot dog. Also, I remember the chilli being pretty tasty. I am just not a big fan of piling on toppings for the sake of novelty, so it's not my thing. I am more interested in balancing the flavours so that the product is a cohesive unit of flavour and yum. In this respect, I think Japadog is the winner. After all, Japadog is is operated by real Japanese people, whereas I get the impression that Tubby Dog was a bunch of dudes who sat around and said "Let's put some Japanese stuff on a hot dog. Yeah man... that's EXTREME!" So if I want a bacon wrapped hot dog with chilli, peanut butter, fried eggs and captain crunch cereal on it, I'll go to Tubby Dog. For my Japanese hot dogs, I'll be flying to Vancouver for Japadog. I can honestly say I think that's one of the best hot dogs I've ever had. How's that for over-hyping a place?!
Japadog
899 Burrard St.
Vancouver, BC
Tubby Dog
1022 17 Ave SW
Calgary
403-244-0694
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