Japadog

I know I have friends who rave about these stands. I’m not sure I’ll wait over 15 minutes for a hotdog again… 5 people or before me and just under 20 minutes to put the dog in my hand with seaweed on it after I ordered without. I guess he did take it off for me at least…

I was in Richmond on business, and hunting for a spot for a quick lunch. The moment I saw this cart on the corner of Westminster and No.3 Road, I knew it was something I needed to try. I remembered seeing this franchise mentioned on a TV show, and the dogs looked fabulous.
They offer 8 – 10 choices, and they all looked good to me, but I went with their signature kurobuta terimayo. It was a pork sausage with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and seaweed. The sausage was scored to get a bit more char on it while it grilled, and keep it from blowing up from all of the fat inside. This was one tasty dog, and the toppings were just what it needed.
Too bad I didn’t have another opportunity to try the other offerings. If and when I make it back to Vancouver I will seek it out.

Although they’re on the pricier side, it’s worth checking out once if you’re a hot dog lover, especially if you have friends to split one with so that you can try more hot dogs! My friends and I actually just came from dim sum at Kirin Seafood, but we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to try out JAPADOG since they were visited by famous people such as Anthony Bourdain (we’re food nerds so he counts as famous). They were already out of a few types of hot dog around 1pm on a Friday, so we ended up ordering:
–Kurobuta Terimayo/​Signature Hot Dog w/​Kurobuta Sausage (Teriyaki Sauce, Mayo, Seaweed, $ 6.25,
): Yum– a must order if you like kurobuta/​fatty pork meat. The kurobuta sausage was super juicy and flavorful, and tasted delicious with the toppings.
–Okonmi (Kurobuta Sausage Topped w/​Bonito Flakes, $ 5.75,
): Although it was the same type of sausage, and that as good, we didn’t like the combination of toppings as much as their signature. It was too heavy on the bonito flakes for me and I wouldn’t order it again; however, this really did taste a lot like okonomiyaki.
It took 5 – 10 minutes to prepare our hot dogs, so it was pretty quick. However, there wasn’t a line at the time, so I’m not sure how much longer it would take if it were busy. Overall, I would definitely come back and try out other hot dogs from here if I saw the cart again, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to eat here. It didn’t seem like there was much parking around this area, so public transportation would be the way to go.

JAPADOG is situated at the corner of #3 and Westminster Highway — right outside our studio. Great for a fast break, or when you are pushed for time. Ingenious menu and choices that really push you to try something different. Service is fast, and courteous, and the Dogs are yummy.

drove 20 minutes in the middle of the day and they were nowhere to be found. no hours listed on website. gas wasted but at least saved money on these over priced hot dogs.

TOO EXPENSIVE!
Go to nearest 7 – 11 and get big hot dogs for $ 1.49
You know what, get 10 and go home to put on these OVERPRICED dressings!

Loveeeeeeeee Japadog! I’ve had just about everything on the menu. The shaked fries are awesome too. This location is my fave because I spend a lot of time shopping at costco and I can just zip across the street and grab me a yummy dog with seaweed or bonito flakes on top. :D

Woohoo! Japadog in Richmond!
In summer 2011, there was a brief time when the JapaDog was in the Canadian Tire parking lot on No. 3 Road. It was pretty short-​lived and I couldn’t find it again in Richmond until recently. Based on the reviews, it appears to have relocated late last year. Now it’s just across the street from Costco in the Mitsubishi parking lot — I’m surprised they set it up here since I come to Costco a lot and only noticed it a month ago.
It’s not a pedestrian area, but this concept of stocking up at Costco, then crossing the street to have a JapaDog afterward really resonates with me now that I know it’s here!
Graet selection and I had my usual terimayo with shaken fries. Mmmm. Totally eating this instead of the $ 1.50 hot dog special at Costco :)

went all the way to 9140 Bridgport and saw nothing there! unless if the car is not there after 7:00PM ~ they need to clearly post hours of operation!

this cart is the first thing we saw when walking out of the airport. its right along the walkway between the airport and the skytrain station. couldnt be more convenient. we tried almost every flavor. kurobuta japanese mayo, beef japanese mayo, okonomiyaki, oroshi. my favorites were the mayo ones because of the creaminess and an added sweet sauce (okonomiyaki sauce?). thick juicy good quality dogs and toasted buns.

«Love Meat». I’m not the kind of person who gets Meat Lover’s pizza, so this hot dog variation is a bit of a misnomer, as in, I wouldn’t have ordered it had I seen just the name. The description is full of yumminess, though! First of all, the sausage is Arabiki — the juicy ones I love in Japan. Then, the «Meat» in the name is for meat sauce — Japanese-​recipe-​Bolognaise. It has lots of finely chopped onions and vegetables besides the ground meat, so it’s not too meaty. It was topped off with white and yellow cheese, either broiled or torched (I wasn’t looking) to make them melt.
Of course, it was good, but the drawback was that the Arabiki didn’t stand out as much as it deserves to. I wonder if they do Arabiki without all the toppings?
I also got «Shaked Fries» in Shichimi and Garlic. The fries are skinny and crispy. I think I get them more for the nostalgia value (of the flavoured fries at First Kitchen, a chain in Japan), as opposed to its own gourmet value.
Japa Dog seems to be renting a lot in front of a house-​like building on Bridgeport, but the only way I can see to get there by car is to use the Mitsubishi dealer’s driveway. I wonder if they get a cut… They do have three Japa Dog parking spots.
There is a small tent with three tables for two. Free green tea refills!

Japadog has come to Richmond… I hope they stay!
All the Japanese hot dogness that you can handle is on our side of the river! I had a great Oroshi (ground radish galore!) and a side of spicy «Shichimi» Shaken Fries… every combo comes with a soda and shaken fries. Not bad. The prices are lower at this location… downtown is quite a bit pricier.
It might be a little confusing as to where the food trailer is… until you are driving right by it on Bridgeport Rd. It is on the Mitsubishi Dealership lot right across from Costco. I have a thing about driving onto a dealership lot… feels like I’m gonna get mobbed by a salesperson or two. It worked out and lunch outside in the sun was delightful.

Finally, JAPADOG is now in Richmond!
Access through Newtype Richmond Mitsubishi, across from Costco, south side of Bridgeport Rd.
My faves list :
* Terimayo, all beef with teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayo and seaweed — awesome!
* Oroshi, pork bratwurst with radish (strong radish flavour) — gooood!
* Okonomi, Kurobuta pork dog with bonito flakes, japanese sauce, fried cabbage and mayo — gooood!
* Negi Miso, turkey dog with miso sauce — gooood!
* Love Meat, Arabiki pork sausage with meat sauce and lotsa cheese — gooood!
*Unfortunately, they don’t have the Spicy Cheese Terimayo on this location (this is my fav)
Just the dogs or going for the combo. Combos include shaked fries & drink.
Fear not veggie lovers! They have a veggie dog option just for you!
I’m sure it’s good, but I can’t comment on it because I probably won’t be able to sway away from my faves list.