Dognation, Melbourne CBD

The last time I came to Melbourne, Dognation caught my eye as it was just across the road from my hotel. Unfortunately their opening hours are quite selective (no hot dogs served before 11-11:30am, they close by 2:30-3pm and only The Causeway branch is opened on weekends). For a traveller, it’s not very accommodating but I managed to make it work during my short stay.

The Causeway branch is near the beginning of the lane (with the same respective name), just off Little Collins Street. It is extremely small; there is a tiny hole in the wall pumping out hotdogs with a single table and two seats right outside. Their menu features items inspired by different cities such as Berlin, London, Mexico, Tokyo and Melbourne of course!

Tokyo Dog (Pork & beef sausage wrapped in ‘nori’ seaweed, miso-infused mushrooms, wasabi Japanese mayo, okonomiyaki sauce, ‘nori’ flakes) – $8.90

I want to try them all but could only fit one in, so I opt for the Tokyo Dog. It’s a pretty cool concept and the sausage tastes good with the seaweed, okonomiyaki sauce and mushrooms. However, the wasabi mayo was way too wasabi-ish. As someone who does enjoy wasabi with my sushi, this sauce had barely any mayo and too much wasabi. The end result was a painful experience as my nose was constantly irritated by the intense stinging sensation that wasabi is famous for. Though it did have the unintended side effect of making my nose feel extremely clear afterwards! This hot dog has all the elements and flavours of a good hot dog but is overwhelmed by the sauce, where the hero should really be mayonnaise with a subtle wasabi flavour.

The next time I come back, I’ll probably try some of the other hotdogs other than the Tokyo Dog. I’m disappointed this time but I think there’s potential here with this concept.

Dognation Causeway
Shop 2, The Causeway, Melbourne
P: 0423 083 287


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