Japadog

Japadog began in 2005, when the Tamura family, a husband and wife, moved to Vancouver and opened a hot dog stand. The first location was a trailer at 899 Burrard Street, and the idea was simple: hot dogs topped with Japanese flavours. A second stand followed in the summer of 2009, and in 2010 the couple opened a sit-in restaurant, which let them add desserts and their shaken fries to the menu. The company now describes Japadog as one of Vancouver's best-known foods, and besides the downtown stands on Burrard Street and at Waterfront Station there are branches in South Vancouver, Burnaby, at the McArthurGlen outlet mall and the airport in Richmond, in Toronto and on the pier in Santa Monica, California.

The Robson Street shop at 530 Robson is the easiest branch for visitors downtown. The sausages are a step up from the usual, with Kurobuta pork and Kobe beef options, and the sauces use imported Japanese ingredients. The Terimayo is the best seller and the one to try first. Other choices include an ebi tempura dog, a yakisoba dog topped with noodles, and a vegetarian dog with fried cabbage and a mashed potato croquette.

The sides are part of the fun. Shaken fries are seasoned and shaken in a paper bag after cooking, and the butter shoyu version is a favourite. To drink there is Japanade, a house lemonade, and for dessert there are ice cream hot dogs and, at some branches and in limited quantities, an Omatcha Bavarois matcha dessert.

Japadog is a cheap, quick meal and suits solo travellers, families and anyone exploring downtown on foot. It is a good stop between shopping on Robson Street and visits to the Vancouver Art Gallery and the Bill Reid Gallery, both on nearby Hornby Street.

The Robson Street shop is open from 10am to 10pm Monday to Saturday and from 10am to 6pm on Sunday, which makes it handy for a late snack. The stands, including the one on Burrard Street, keep their own hours, so check the Japadog website if you plan to visit one of those instead.