Torontonians dissatisfied with the city’s current hot dog cart offerings may soon be in for a treat. Vancouver hit Japa Dog plans to bring its fusion of wieners and Japanese cuisine to Toronto for 2011, The Globe reports. The popular eatery, which opened in Vancouver in 2006, has since expanded to three carts and a fast food-style restaurant.
Owner Noriki Tamura has managed to parlay the popularity of hot dogs into such offerings as the okonomi, which combines a kurobuta (pork) sausage with bonito flakes, fried cabbage, Japanese mayo and okonomiyaki sauce. Other condiments include edamame, seaweed and teriyaki sauce. The most expensive dog clocks in at $10 (for a Kobe beef sausage), so it’s reasonably priced too.
While no set dates have been announced yet, Tamura is also planning on initiating franchises in New York and Los Angeles as well as Toronto. After the failure that was the Toronto a la Cart program, we’d love to see an influx of street vendors like Japa Dog that elevate the clout of the humble wiener.
Until then, Torontonians will just have to sate their street meat cravings with a good, old-fashioned, edamame-free hot dog.
[Globe and Mail]
