Japa Dog, the red-hot street food vendor that has made some serious culinary waves since launching in Vancouver, is headed to the Big Apple.

The unique gourmet hot dogs, which feature toppings like wasabi mayo, yakisoba noodles, benito flakes and teriyaki sauce, became a quick foodie favourite when Noriki Tamura opened his first stand on Burrard Street six years ago.

The Japanese-style dogs have been sampled by chefs and celebrities alike, from chef-turned-TV host Anthony Bourdain to rapper Ice Cube to action hero Steven Segal and hockey royalty Wayne Gretzky.

The street meat became so popular that Japa Dog expanded, opening two more carts downtown and a small restaurant on Robson Street this year. It opened a stand outside of the Mitsubishi dealership in Richmond on Friday.

But now Japa Dog is branching out even bigger – and is hoping to take New York City by storm.

The new Japa Dog restaurant in the East Village in Manhattan will open on Dec. 1, and feature seating for 35 people.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Jina You