Sous chef at a Michelin-starred restaurant makes hot dogs classy in Tokyo

Baby Hotdog Cafe proves that simple dogs can sometimes be the best. 

If you’re looking for a burger in Japan, there are plenty of places to choose from. However, when it comes to classic hot dogs, these can be a lot harder to find, especially if you’re looking for ones that don’t contain noodles.

That’s why our reporter Mr Sato was particularly excited to hear that “Baby Hotdog Cafe” had recently opened in Shibuya, right in between Shibuya and Ebisu stations on the Yamanote line. He immediately set out to find it, hopping on a train to Shibuya Station and getting off at the New South Exit.

▼ After a ten-minute walk from the Hachiko statue outside the station, Mr Sato arrived at Baby Hotdog.

As the name suggests, Baby Hotdog specialises in hot dogs, and these ones are made by an assistant chef with experience at a Michelin-starred restaurant.

The store says:

“In order to develop a hot dog that goes beyond the scope of a light meal and becomes a fully fledged staple food, we asked Mr. Tsukasa Uraguchi, assistant chef at the two-Michelin-starred restaurant ‘arbor’ (Hong Kong), to supervise us, and through trial and error we have perfected a special coveted hot dog that will satisfy your greed.”

Satisfying his greed is an everyday goal for our ever-hungry Mr Sato, so this was a statement that spoke directly to his heart. He got in line and ummed and ahhed over the choices on the menu, flitting between the “Classic Dog” and the “Salt Dog“.

▼ Customers can help themselves to onions and relish for their dogs at the counter.

The store offers a special “weekly dog” on a weekly basis, and when Mr Sato visited, the special was a collaborative effort with online influencer couple “Yutasena CP”. Mr Sato had never heard of them before, so he settled on a Classic Dog, priced at 850 yen (US$6.21) which includes a side of coleslaw, and an iced coffee for an extra 200 yen as part of a special lunch set deal.

▼ The size of the sausage shows this place is serious about its dogs.

Over the years, Mr Sato has grown to learn that some of the best meals are simple ones that feature quality ingredients, and this looked like it could be one of those meals.

The hot dog consisted of an original sausage and a specially made hot dog roll, which is all you need for a great hot dog. Mr Sato added some onion and relish for an authentic Baby Hotdog experience, but given that the sausage was jutting out either end, his first bite was pure sausage.

It tasted fantastic. It was so juicy it popped like an explosion on the tongue, seducing Mr Sato’s taste buds with its salty flavour. Just as he was thinking it would go great with a side of beer, Mr Sato realised he’d been so excited to eat the dog that he’d forgotten to add ketchup and mustard.

He quickly squirted the bright condiments on top, and his next bite had it all — relish, onions, sausage, bread, and ketchup and mustard. Every ingredient complemented each other so perfectly it was a match made in heaven, and Mr Sato wanted to sing about it from the rooftops.

▼ After trying sushi and gyoza in his hot dogs, the Classic Dog is a much-needed change of pace.

It’s an excellent dog, and Mr Sato says he would eat here every day if he lived in the area. You can definitely taste the talents of the sous chef from the two-starred Michelin restaurant behind the creation, and Mr Sato is seriously hoping the joint will grow into a chain with branches around the country in future.

Store Information
Baby Hotdog Cafe
Address: Tokyo-to, Shibuya-ku, Higashi 1-29-3 Shibuya Bridge B-5
東京都渋谷区東1-29-3 渋谷ブリッジB-5
Hours: 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. (irregular holidays)
Website (Instagram)

Images: ©SoraNews24
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