Amp Up Hot Dogs With Rich Flavor By Making Them Japanese-Style

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Whenever my family visits the food court at The Amazing Brentwood shopping mall in Burnaby, Vancouver, I bee-line toward the Japadog stall. Yes — I make my husband drive three hours from Seattle, Washington, to British Columbia just so I can enjoy some hot dogs. The thing is, they aren't regular hot dogs like Nathan's Famous, which, growing up in Coney Island, Brooklyn, I've enjoyed since childhood. Japadog offers Japanese-style hot dogs.

What makes Japanese hot dogs different than American ones is the ingredients and toppings. Japanese hot dogs come loaded with savory and sweet toppings such as teriyaki sauce, shrimp tempura, Japanese potato croquettes, Kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes. Japadog proudly states it imports ingredients from Japan, and while the business only exists across North America, its founders are Japanese. 

If you're able to try the hot dogs at a Japadog, I recommend ordering the crowd (and my personal) favorite Wagyu Terimayo, which comes with sweet-savory teriyaki sauce, fried onions, Japanese mayo or Kewpie, and seaweed atop a buttery wagyu beef hot dog, all encased in a toasted pillowy bun. The fried onions and seaweed add texture and crunch. Each bite hits you with depth and rich flavors. You see now why I keep going back to Japadog?

Now if you don't foresee yourself hitting a Japadog stand any time soon, fret not. You can make Japanese style hot dogs at home — and you can trust me on this because I'm a three-time cookbook author, one of which is titled "Modern Asian Kitchen." Start by looking at Japadog's menu to get some inspiration and see the list of ingredients used for each of its hot dogs. 

Common Japanese-style hot dog toppings include umami-rich ingredients like chopped cabbage, Kewpie mayo, grilled onions, teriyaki sauce, and shredded seaweed. Choose ingredients that go well together in terms of flavor. For example, Kewpie mayo goes beautifully with teriyaki sauce and grilled onions. If you want to add cheese, skip fishy components like bonito flakes and seaweed.

A good rule of thumb is to think in terms of balance in flavor and use of yakumi, the small condiments and garnishes Japanese cooking uses to round out a dish's flavor. Examples of yakumi include wasabi, pickled ginger or daikon, seaweed shreds, and chopped scallions. Don't skip toasting your bun either, and a high-quality hot dog — like ones made with wagyu beef — will go a long way.