Dojo Dog

Got the chance to check out this super cute (mini) food truck/​cart the other day when they were camped outside of Sierra Nevada’s Torpedo Room in the Grocery Outlet parking lot. Cool concept!- add a Japanese flair to the otherwise boring hot dog game… anything from Japanese curry, to bonito flakes, to seaweed confetti, etc… and you’ve got Dojo Dog! Great idea to pair it with a beer or two from the Torpedo room, too! I was very impressed by the super sweet gal who was running in and out of the tasting room to deliver the dogs to patrons who were drinking inside… she also took the time to check up on us to see how we liked our dogs! I split a sumo dog with my friend, and the half I got was a perfect light snack. Super flavorful curry, but not too runny so as too soggify my bun.
Definitely worth trying out! =]

Amazing food, the wushu dog is my favorite. The lady at the front remembered me just after coming one time and when I forgot that I got a free item with my food, she reminded me instead of trying to save a buck. I’ll definitely be coming back every week, love the people and the food!

Do you remember those Carl’s Jr. commercial? The one that goes, «If it doesn’t get all over the place, it doesn’t belong in your face.» Yes? Well, Dojo Dog ups Carl’s Jr. in that regard and actually lives true to that motto!
Dojo Dog is a food truck that sits comfortably close to the law school, which is good for me so I can just stop by in-​between classes. What’s even better for me is that their menu is affordable, yet filling. The hot dogs they serve is a good size. And best yet, they really serve you a generous portion of «filling» (I guess you can call it that). They also have an extensive variety in their menu — deep-​friend mint oreo anyone?
I must also commend them for their service. There, service is fast and easy — you order, and within minutes you get your food, perfectly grilled and served. The workers are also friendly, local business owners, and Berkeley alums.
This place really is a great option! A definite must try in Berkeley.

I really enjoyed all of the hot dogs I had, and wasn’t expecting to like my orders as much as I did. They provide a great Asian twist to Everything is high quality and the bun reminds me of the kind they have at Top Dog. Definitely order one of their teas to go with your dog, they are made with real tea and are super refreshing.
I follow them on Twitter (@dojodog) and it seems like they’re constantly experimenting with new recipes which is great because it really shows how responsive they are to their customers.

The highbrow/​lowbrow Asian fusion hotdog thing is good and has been done before but this is a poor take. The hotdogs are too small for the rolls and really this truck is just not a good value at $ 5 apiece.

Better than your typical hotdog, but wasn’t amazed. It’s a thin hot dog, not sure if it goes well with the bread choice. Slow/​nice service.

Extremely slow service even with 3 people working. Mediocre food. I would not come back

Very friendly and good service. The food is really good and unique! I Think that their asian hot dog fusion is amazing ant tht there should be more placeS like this. Itotally recommend this for those who would like to try somethIng completely new and are not afraid of trying new flavors

I heard a lot of hype with this food truck, so decided to check it out. The guy at the truck recommended the Wushu Dog (hot dog topped with dried pork, cabbage, and mayo) as that seems to be the most popular. I tried it and was not impressed.
1 star off: It seems like the ingredients do not really fit together. Sure, it sounds cool to do a fancy hot dog with Chinese dried pork, cabbage, and mayo, but the tastes don’t really complement each other. It wasn’t gross or anything, just did not work together.
1 star off: $ 4.50 for a hot dog? No thanks, dog.

If you’re a fan of asian fusion and a sucka for puns then this place is perfect for you.
Water-​Mulan & Tranquilitea. WHAT? haha
SO who wants those ol’ boring hotdogs with just the sausage, buns, and mustards.
Dojo Dog puts a lot of very interesting topings on their dogs and they’re all freaking awesome!
I had the Kendo dog with the bonito fish flakes. Interesting combination, a little bit salty but it’s fine with me. ooo. the buns were also different, i prefer their buns over the regular hot dog buns.
The tea was good and refreshing, not too sweet.
My goals before I leave this city is to try all the dogs they have.

It’s such a wonderful and natural twist to the traditional hot dog and for such a great price. I got the Sumo Dog and the Tranquilitea, but I’m definitely going to try to work my way down the menu.
I hear there is a secret menu you have to ask about so give it a shot if you’re bold. The new Dojo team is super friendly and I’m glad they’re keeping the business alive for the future generation of Cal students.
Hopefully they can expand their range beyond Berkeley in the future and into Oakland or Alameda!

Come lunch time at UC Berkeley, as you would expect, all the local restaurants around are filled with long lines. Cafes are simply worth it for not real food. So you resort to the happy medium: Dojo Dog.
Located on Bancroft and College right next to Boalt Hall, Dojo Dog is a small food truck that sells Asian fusion hot dogs. With prices in the just under $ 5 range and Top Dog being located just a block or two away, what’s the selling point?
For one, great customer service. I’ve been eating at Dojo Dog ever since they’ve been located on Bancroft and Telegraph, and through owner changes and iterations, it’s still the same great customer experience that I’ve been receiving all these years. When I’m looking for a quick meal in my short 30 minute gaps, I can count on Dojo Dog in particular. The guy at the counter, Adrian, has also always been pleasant to deal with. It’s their emphasis on customer service and delivering a damn good hot dog that keeps me coming back.
If you ask me what I recommend, all their hot dogs are fantastic. My go-​to is the Shaolin Monk Dog, which is a bit of a simpler hot dog than their more elaborate selections. A hot dog with flash-​cooked cabbage, lettuce, and dressing, all wrapped in seaweed to keep it low carb, what more can I ask for?
I would also just have to emphasize that their flash-​cooked cabbage is heavenly. I can literally eat that by itself anytime.
Looking for a quick great meal served by great people? Go to Dojo Dog.
TIP: You can save $ 0.50 if you pay with cash! But I don’t carry cash, and I don’t mind paying just a bit extra.

I personally like the hot dogs here. They look exactly like the pictures and are of a decent size. The bread is soft, but at the same time, sturdy enough to hold the hot dog, which tastes juicy. A lot of people i know are hesitant about trying the hot dog with the fish flake topping (kendo). It is kinda salty, but with the bread it balances out as a whole. I also got the tranquilitea because the combo is only 5 bucks (6 for with one of the other hot dogs)! They put a lot of ice, so it tasted like a lot of water, but when you first sip it, you can definitely taste the oh so refreshing mango!

Dojo Dog is a cute little food truck on the side of Bancroft, across from Boalt Law School. Right now, the combo price (which includes a hot dog and one of their iced teas) is $ 5, which is a pretty sweet deal for broke college students like me.
I like their tranquili-​tea, which is a mango green iced tea. Really subtle mango flavor but it’s really refreshing and delicious!
I tried their Ninjitsu hot dog– which has seaweed, cabbage, and teriyaki sauce. It reminds me of a spam musubi, which I enjoy as well, and it’s now in hot dog form!
I don’t know if I’d be down to try the other dogs with pork sung and bonito fish flakes. I already really enjoy the one with seaweed flakes on it haha (I’ll be back once school starts up again)

Dojo Dog serves up fusion-​style hot dogs. The menu is simple with about 3 – 4 options. Dogs are very reasonably priced at $ 4 each. The meet is snappy and could be tastier. But who cares, when it’s doused in sauce and toppings.
The best part of Dojo Dog is the employees, who are usually very friendly and accommodating of substitutions/​custom creations. I usually go for an ‘everything’ dog with seaweed, soy paste, bonito flakers, crispy nori, wasabi mayo, and pork sung.

Hm, $ 4.60 for a thin beef hot dog with some mayo and sauce sprinkled with some pork sung or seaweed? I was hungry again within the hour. Also, flash-​grilled cabbage sounds cooler than what it actually is. No wonder there’s never a line here. Definitely pass this up for Top Dog, which is about a 5 minute walk away and sells awesome hot dogs for less than $ 4.

I had this a while back and remember there were only two choices at the time. I ordered the ninjutsu dog and it was pretty good. I recently had japadog in Vancouver and this is very close.
They used to park by telegraph and Bancroft but noticed they had to move probably due to the construction.
Since I work so close by, I’m surprised I haven’t been back. On second thought. I know what I’m having for lunch tomorrow

So good!!! I ordered the ninjutsu and finished my dog in just a few minutes. I’m a short Asian girl and don’t eat too much but wow! It was so good I pretty much devoured it in such a short amount of time. Yum! Can’t wait to try other flavors. The addition of seaweed and Japanese mayo is yummy. The sausage was also very good. This is not your average hot dog.

3.5 STARS
Hello 8 inches of deliciousness! Or was it 9 inches? *shrugs*
Ummm, I’ll pretend that I’m a guy for a moment and add an inch or two. Or three.
So back to that…9 inches. It may have lacked girth. Ok, lots of girth but when it cums between a warm, toasty bun drizzled with a duo of special sauce, how could one resist a Wushu Dog:
?
Uhhhh, what did ya think I was talking about?
OTHER NOTES:
*Food truck serving Asian Fusion Dogs
*Longest line at «National Corn Dog Day» at SoMa StrEat Food Park
*Five hot dogs on the menu ($ 4 each) with various Asian toppings and sauces served on a toasty hoagie bun:
–Ninjitsu: nori, teriyaki sauce, and kewpie
–Wushu: pork sugo, katsu sauce, and kewpie (nice combo of salty, savory, sweet and creamy)
–Kendo: bonito flakes, soy paste, and wasabi mayo
–Shaolin monk: miso glaze wrapped w/​crispy nori
–Sumo: topped w/​Japanese curry beef chili
*Make it a combo for $ 1 and choose between two teas: Tranquilitea (mango jasmine green) or Serenitea (wintermelon jasmine tea)
*Pretty solid hot dog with umami flavors for the price (fitting for UCB students); most other trucks that day were selling hot dogs/​corn dogs for $ 8. I wish the hot dog was girthier and had more of a snap though.
*Not so friendly service. Dude who took our order just stared at me in silence when I greeted him and asked how he was doing. Awkward. He must not get out much.
*Food was ready 12 minutes after placing order.
*CC’s accepted (I believe for a 50 cents fee?)

When Dojo Dog first opened on Bancroft, there was a huge buzz about how it would be the Asian Top Dog in Berkeley and how cool the design looked. After hearing that its dogs would be martial arts themed, I was more curious. When I saw one of the options was Wushu, I was hooked (because really, does anyone know what wushu is?)
I have tried a majority of their menu, and I have to say that I really enjoy all their dogs. The buns are toasted just enough to add a crunch that contrasts the meaty hot dog. The condiments are added very generously and are paired very well. However, portion wise it is essentially just a hot dog, so I didn’t get full from it, but I was pleasantly satiated.
More recently I tried their Shaolin Monk and was not disappointed by the crunchy seaweed outside and the miso glaze on the inside. My friend got their new Sumo dog, which has Japanese chili curry on it, and she deemed it delicious.
Their knockout deal of a dog + tea for $ 5 was a sweet steal, especially since both their Tranquiltea and Serenatea are delicious! The mango jasmine has a strong mango taste that is refreshing. The other tea is a winter melon jasmine tea, and as someone who grew up on home brewed winter melon tea, this was a pleasant surprise.
TL;DR: if you are looking for a quick snack/​lighter meal that is tasty and unique, Dojo Dog is the place to be, rain or shine!