Battle of the Hot Dogs: JapaDog Terimayo vs DougieDog Tokyo Dog

Feel free to call me a !@#$%!@#$ teaser bastard. Go ahead, I have really thick skin!

As mentioned yesterday, DougieDog offers some interesting mix of hot dogs. Kimchi in a hot dog? Guacamole? Oh, wait, we sort had fun about similar ideas in the past, it was matter of a place actually offering it here in Vancouver – something that DougieDog has in a way achieved. However, the question is whether they have one that goes head to head against the #1 dog (pun intended) in hot dog terms in Vancouver: JapaDog. And, yes, they do: Tokyo Dog - Japanese Mayo, Okonomiyaki Sauce, Bonito Flakes, Nori Flakes.. So, here goes it goes, JapaDog Terimayo vs. DougieDog Tokyo Dog!

Now, some partial explanation on how this “experiment” was conducted: After work, I rushed to DougieDog and got the Tokyo Dog and the LA Mexicana (as described in yesterday’s post). They were store in a nifty box container they usually have for take outs. After that, I went to the original JapaDog stand, i.e., Burrard and Smithe. There, I ordered my terimayo. From there, I walked across the street to a “neutral ground”, i.e., Starbucks where I got a cup of Earl Grey tea. Reality is, I ordered the tea just as a token (almost cheapest item in the menu?) so I could sit in one of the tables outside. The key detail here is that, because there is that small chance the wait for the terimayo might have had an impact in the Tokyo Dog…

In the end, nothing happened. All the toppings were there and there was just a small drop in the temperature of the hot dog. The sauce hold tight, the bun was still crisp and the bonito flakes and the seaweed where as if just served. As described in yesterday’s post, the sausage had that “snappy” texture when bitten into it, while the bonito flakes provided some slightly fishy savouriness to it. Don’t get me wrong, it is not a rotten fish like smell; instead, it was more on the lines of smoked smell. And, of course, the seaweed, which provided another layer of savouriness. For some reason, both sauces were there but did not really shine. In fact, the amount of bonito flakes made the hot dog slightly dry.

And now, back to the champion… Or is it? The problem was that terimayo is the concept, not necessarily the hot dog itself. Because of it being a “concept”, there were different variations, depending on the sausage (kurobuta, pork sausage, et al) or additional toppings (like spicy cheese). Since I wanted a head to head comparison, going for the most exotic combination might be unfair so I went back to basics and ordered their beef terimayo. Now, I am not sure if it is because I haven’t been there in a while but, for some reason, I thought it was a bit… small. Probably my eyes were playing a trick on me or it seems they were stingy with some of the toppings, namely there were any onions.

Now, some comparison!

Bun: Mostly a draw. Both were slightly crispy and neither had grill mark, though I am sure JapaDog’s could have been grilled a bit more.
Sausage: DougieDog’s is steamed and JapaDog’s is boiled and then finished by griling. Because of the last factor, I will give JapaDog’s an edge. Size-wise, JapaDog was more on the lines of a wurst than a sausage but it could also be because JapaDog slit theirs, whether DougieDog is whole.
Sauces: I found JapaDog’s to be sweeter and DougieDog’s slightly muted. It was there, just that I had to try a bit harder.
Other toppings: Both were good in their own ways and it falls in the category of personal preference, i.e., if you like onions (JapaDog) or not; or whether you think bonito flakes is a good addition. Both work for me so it ends up being a draw.

Overall, I personally prefer JapaDog’s terimayo; however, I believe that there are qualities in DougieDog’s Tokyo Dog of its own. Furthermore, there is something on DougieDog’s side: their hours. While JapaDog closes at 5:00/8:00 p.m. (depending on location and at times, weather), DougieDog is open until wee hours in the morning. Of course, that could change once JapaDog open their shop but, until then… Then there is one other factor in favour of DougieDog: if you just want a break from the usual hot dogs, DougieDog has a lot to offer.

All related posts again:

DougieDog
JapaDog (Burrard and Smithe)
JapaDog (Burrard and Pender)
JapaDog (Coal Harbour – closed)

Tagged under: Hot Dog • Random • Vancouver