After learning about Japa Dogs, the Canadian street food vendor company, I wanted so badly to eat one of those delicious-looking hot dogs! But I won’t be visiting Vancouver any time soon and my craving won’t hold out much longer so I decided to make my own homemade version of Japa Dogs, just in time for Father’s Day grilling.

Careful study of the menu revealed that essentially, the basic Japa Dog is simple. Of course, I’ll have to pass on the Kobe beef or kurobuta (black pork) dogs which are the premium sausages, but most of the other menu items use bratwurst as the basic dog. It’s the toppings that make the hot dog so uniquely Japanese.

So, use any type of hot dog bun. If I use a typical hot dog (we like Hebrew National beef, delicious, juicy and has a nice snap), I will use a regular hot dog bun. But if we grill bratwursts (Johnsonville is our favorite), a heartier bun is called for. You can find jalapeno and cheddar-filled bratwursts or any other seasoned brats at your deli. Choose your bun and dog.

Now, decide which of the menu items you’ll try to recreate. Here is the menu with the toppings:

Spicy Cheese Terimayo: Jalapeno and Cheese Smokie, teriyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, topped with strips of nori.
Oroshi: Pork bratwurst, grated daikon radish, special soy sauce, topped with green onion.
Okonomi: Pork bratwurst, special okonomiyaki sauce, Japanese mayonnaise, bonito flakes, topped with fried cabbage.
Ume: Bratwurst, red onion and special plum sauce.
Edamame (soybeans): Bratwurst topped with edamame.

The special soy sauce, I’m guessing, is soy sauce with a little lemon juice (like a ponzu sauce perhaps) while the special plum sauce could be ume paste slightly watered down? This is a total guess since I never had the good fortune of eating real Japa Dogs.

Because I have a hard time eating teriyaki sauce with bread (no, I don’t care for teriyaki hamburgers), I decided to make my version of the oroshi, okonomi and ume Japa Dog-style hot dogs. Oh, my gosh, there were so delicious that I don’t know if I can ever go back to a regular old mustard and relish hot dog again.

I encourage you to make your own homemade Japa Dog-style hot dogs and let me know how you like them in the BellaOnline.com Japanese Food forum!

And if anyone at Japa Dogs reads this, please please come to the United States (Los Angeles) as soon as possible!