Tokyo Dog(SEATTLE) — A hot dog from Tokyo Dog in Seattle has been crowned by Guinness World Records as the world’s most expensive frankfurter.
At $169, the hot dog snatched the world title on Aug. 13.
So what exactly does that much money get you? A 12-inch smoked cheese bratwurst topped with butter-teriyaki grilled onions, maitake mushrooms, wagyu beef, foie gras, shaved black truffles, caviar and Japanese mayo on a brioche bun.
“It’s savory. It has fabulous flavors. It’s an amazing hot dog,” Tokyo Dog co-owner Eugene Woo told ABC News. “Our buyers loved it. They think it’s the best hot dog they’ve ever had.”
Alan Chang of California was the first person of five to buy the hot dog. At $169, that’s a grand total of $1,014 that Woo said went entirely to the Red Cross.
“The previous record was $145.49 — sold by a hot dog manager in California — and we thought it would be fun to break that record and bring it home,” he said. “It’s also for fundraising. We gave away every single penny to the Red Cross.”
The process took Woo and his co-creators, Samson Kwong and Rocky Weh, an entire year to accomplish. The crew sent in their application last August. It was approved 10 weeks later. Then, it took four months to develop the dog.
“We wanted to not just throw a bunch of expensive ingredients on it,” Woo said. “We just wanted a really awesome hot dog that people would love. It was a lot of research and trial and error.”
Tokyo Dog made its official attempt on Feb. 23, sending in evidence such as photos, videos, transaction records and witness signatures to Guinness World Records. Fast forward six months and they now hold the world title — at least for now.
“I think records are meant to be broken. For us, it’s the experience [of] going through and getting this Guinness World Record award,” Woo said. “Eventually, someone is going to break it again.”
Follow @ABCNewsRadio
Copyright 2014 ABC News Radio
