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Japadog's Okonomi at the Sutton Place Hotel


Japadog (Burrard & Pender) on Urbanspoon

Okay, it's not "at" the Sutton Place Hotel per se, but it's more or less right outside (outside the wine store, actually). I finally got around to trying the fourth of Japadog's four specials, the Okonomi. I was meeting my friend Marcy there for dogs today, and got there shortly after 12:30 pm. One of the four, one of them (the MisoMayo, I think) was already marked SOLD OUT (though I wonder if they had just run out of an ingredient?).

My Okonomi (not listed on their online menu yet) was a nice mix that had a sweet sauce juxtaposed with savory fish flakes precariously sprinkled in a generous quantity on top -- cover your dog on windy days! You might want to duck under the awning nearby to eat your dog without bits flying all over.
Marcy also liked her very first Japadog, the Oroshi. We both declined to try the various optional condiments (such as the popular miso mayo), as we wanted to taste what it was like before possibly ruining it with our experimentation.

Japadog's been around for quite a while, but there's still no one else like them in Vancouver (or if there are, they just aren't big enough a blip to show up on the local eats radar yet). If you're looking for a quick dog on the run, this isn't the place for you. I chatted briefly with a construction worker who paid his money and was standing in line, then fretting about being late for work as he thought it'd go as a fast as a typical hot dog stand where they slap a dog in the bun and hand it to you. He said he ran a hot dog stand for a while, and was certain that at the time you order, Japadog doesn't actually relay what you order. Instead, when you are in line, they ask you what you order and assemble it there. I suppose that's the most practical way when your lineups constantly hover around 7-10 people waiting to order, and a similar number waiting to get their dogs.

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