FOCUS IT.] Cheesesteak Dog, born in LA and raised in Japan, joins the Harajuku one-hand food battlefield! To celebrate the opening of JD SERVICE, we have teamed up with Udon noodle shop Menzan.

JD" stands for Japanese Dog.
It expresses the desire to provide a wide variety of services using products of Japanese origin.

What are the elements that make Harajuku Harajuku? The glamorous stores that line the streets, the salons that create Tokyo's trendiest hair, and the vivid young people who stroll the streets in search of the latest trends. And not to forget the "food" that satisfies the stomachs of visitors.

Starting with the crepes that swept Takeshita-dori in the 1980s, the first tapioca boom and macarons, and more recently, cheese hats and lobster sandwiches, Harajuku has a culture of "one-hand food" that can be eaten with one hand.

What we will introduce here is an American, Japanese and Harajuku-like dog that will be competing there.

opened in the alleyway between Cat Street and Meiji Street.JD SERVICE". A different kind of food truck operated by Hawker's Inc.BELLHOP SERVICEIt has put down its roots next to the

What they are selling is a "Cheese Steak Dog". At first glance, it is just a delicious-looking dog, but there are many hidden stories behind it. We spoke with Kazuho Yamada, the representative of Hawkers, who is also the man behind the concept.

The menu signage follows the authentic American atmosphere. The affordable price is based on the hope that people who work nearby will also enjoy the food. Toppings include not only more of each ingredient, but also Okinawan Haisai sauce (hot sauce), which is popular in noodle dispersal.

The kitchen is set up so that customers can see the cooking.
It is important to be able to feel the performance of the food from the eyes as well, says staff member Yokokawa.

First of all, please tell us how you decided to open the store.

Yamada: Originally, in Shonan and Tsujido, I was asked to writeGREENSTAMPS COFFEEI have a café called "The Coffee Shop" and through that I served coffee at one of the pop-up events last year. There, I had the opportunity to meet with the "Mere Old Man.en one tokyoI got to know Mr. Kurokawa, and while discussing business management, he told me that he had a space where he could put his truck, so if he had one, why not do it here? He said, "If you have a truck, why don't you do it here?

You are En One Tokyo, the agency that manages BA-TSU ART GALLERY, etc., aren't you? Something interesting is about to happen with that connection.

Yamada: That's right, and that's where En One Tokyo operates the Sanuki Udon restaurant "noodlesI also met the director, Mr. Okada, and we decided to work together to create content.

And this dog is the content.

Cheese steak dog ¥750+TAX
Lemonade (as a set) +¥300 *Available at Bell Hop Service next door.

Yamada: Yes. I originally sympathized with the idea of "Mensan" and wanted to create a soul food of Harajuku. This time, we made a tie-up with Menzan to create a "cheesesteak dog" that can be eaten while walking around town.

Where did you get the idea?

Yamada: In the U.S., I wanted to put a Japanese interpretation on the "Philadelphia Dog" (thinly sliced meat and cheese sandwiched between bread rolls), a fast food in LA.

Yamada: Then, when I went to Tsukiji with Mr. Okada, I saw a store that sold beef stew served in a large pot, and I thought it would be delicious if I put it directly on bread. I thought it would be delicious on bread. We decided to use the head of the beef bowl served at Menzan as a garnish, and I went to Okada-san for an apprenticeship to learn how to make it.

I have never seen anything like it, and this freshness was behind it. The soup stock is very effective, as it is made at an udon shop. Is there something special about the bread that wraps it?

Yamada: In Harajuku, there is a "THE LITTLE BAKERY TOKYOThis is from Mr. Kurokawa, but here's the story behind it. For reference in product development, I bought some coppepan from a famous store in Kameari and put some ingredients in it for a test! I put some ingredients in it to try it out, and that was it!

I remember there were kids who used to eat school lunches at school with their favorite ingredients on a piece of bread... It is similar to that idea.

Yamada: That's exactly right. As a side note, every time a large quantity of bread is delivered, for some reason I get a nostalgic feeling. Perhaps this is tied to my memories of school lunches (laughs).

The smell of the cobbler's buns is a perfect school lunch.

So, back to the story, then you started to make bread.

Yamada: Yes. We tried to make the same kind of bread in-house, but due to equipment limitations and other reasons, it didn't work out. In the end, we asked "Little Bakery," which is located near our store and produces the ideal bread with high quality.

I see, so the Japanese origin of "koppeban" was at the core of this dish. No wonder it goes well with the ingredients of beef bowl. The cheese on top is also different from the usual, isn't it?

Yamada: Cheese was probably the hardest part. It was hard to adjust the combination with other ingredients and the degree of melting. In the end, we completed the sauce with cheddar cheese as the main ingredient, but please keep the secret ingredient a trade secret (laughs).

The secret to the smoothness and richness of this dish is to actually eat it. What is this red fried food?

Yamada: This is a red ginger tempura that originated in the Kansai region. It is also served as a topping for udon noodles at "Mensho" and I was taught how to make this as well. It is cooked inside the kitchen car, so it is freshly made and crispy.

The different textures make it interesting to eat, and above all, I never get tired of it! It seems like it will become a trend. What are your future plans?

Yamada: We are also looking at opening stores at festivals and events, and illustratorAzusa IidaI would like to make the characters created by the "Mere Old Man" run well. I was thinking that they could be made into merchandise or something.

Each ingredient is incorporated into the American character.
Hot sauce is for the hot girl who looks competitive.

The head of the beef bowl is for a beefy meat boy, the bread is for a P-man who looks good in his pajamas, and the melted cheese is for a cowboy-like cheese boy.

The red ginger tempura is for benibo, a Kansai-ism.
Five characters with indescribable expressions on their faces, all with strong personalities.

I would love to see them in stuffed animals or animated characters! It would be interesting to make each of them into a signature character for the store.

Yamada: I would like to make a plan. Of course I want to make it popular as soul food, but I would be happy if we could steadily raise awareness of it without going too fast now.

I know it's not Mr. Yamada's name, but I guess it means "step by step, steadily. I am looking forward to your future developments! But the weather is still bad...

The day before the restaurant opened, a typhoon was just about to hit Tokyo. While everyone in the room, including Mr. Yamada, was worried about the weather, one of the staff members commented, "I heard that a rainy start is good luck. Come to think of it, there is also a saying, "When it rains, the ground hardens.

Years from now, when the "Cheese Steak Dog" becomes known as Harajuku soul food of the 2020s. The typhoon episode may be told as a nostalgic funny story.