Dognation

Shop 2, The Causeway
Melbourne, VIC 3000

dognation.com.au

I love clever puns. And Dognation is a really clever pun, clever enough to send me rushing to their brand new kennel of a store to try out their gourmet hot dogs on a frosty Tuesday morning.

Preferring to perfect their small but inventive menu, Dognation offers just five different hot dogs, each with their own ethnic slant – Japanese, Mexican, German, British, and of course, Australian. There is also a drink corresponding to each nationality, though I find it odd that the token Australian beverage is Thank You Water, as opposed to say, Kirk’s Creaming Soda. Mmmmm-mm.

London Dog ($8.9)

 Chris’ London Dog ($8.9) was the traditional British meal of bangers and mash, served on a squidgy white bun instead of a plate. It tasted exactly like you would expect it to – a meaty, juicy beef and pork sausage with a snappy casing, topped in creamy mash, gravy, and vaguely sweet peas. It was pleasant to have in the cool morning air, but aside from the sausage, the flavours in the bun were mild to the point of blandness.

Tokyo Dog ($8.9)

Gunning for the most adventurous creation, I chose the Tokyo Dog ($8.9), which is a conglomeration of sausage wrapped in nori seaweed, miso mushrooms, wasabi Japanese mayo, and okonomiyaki sauce, all stuffed into a hearty wholemeal bun. One bite and I was reeling from how quintessentially Japanese the taste is. Another bite and I was reeling from the generous amount of wasabi in the mayo. In fact, I had to put down my hot dog a few times just so I could tear up and clutch my burning sinuses in peace. Eventually I gave up and just scraped all the topping off and ate the lovely pork and beef sausage instead, which funnily enough, tasted different from the beef and pork sausage in the London dog.

Dognation Potato Mash and Gravy ($2.9)

The Dognation Potato Mash and Gravy ($2.9) however, was fluffy and buttery perfection. I would be happy to drop by this little hole in a wall just to grab some to keep myself warm on a cold day. 

Maybe I just expected too much. After all the fabulous reviews, I was expecting the hot dogs from Dognation to blow my mind. Instead the London dog only just hit par, and whilst the flavours in the Tokyo dog were great, the sheer amount of wasabi got in the way of me enjoying it fully. I guess I’m just not cut out for the gourmet hot dog trend. But give me a cup (or two) of their mash and gravy any day. 

Rating: 12.5/20 – wasabi BURNS.