Jacob Harkins is a Colorado-based travel, food and wine freelance writer who now lists Vancouver as one of his favourite cities to visit. He is also editor of ColoradoWino.com.

When traveling, it’s easy to become a little obsessed with the food culture of a city. At least for someone like me who tends to have a one-track mind. So during my first trip to Vancouver, I went into culinary overload.

Sure, I hit plenty of non-gustatory sights. There was a beautiful morning spent bicycling the seawall around Stanley Park, trips to the Vancouver Aquarium, Vancouver Lookout and English Bay to snap some photos of the inukshuk.

I even spent a brilliant 45 minutes buzzing the skyline in the too-cool 1950s-era Beaver float plane on an evening flightseeing tour offered by West Coast Air that took off from Coal Harbour, flew through gorgeous coastal mountainous islands and buzzed the skyline.

But I am a foodie, meaning every sight was followed or preceded by a planned meal or libation. When I first arrived after a half day traveling from Colorado, my stomach growled. Already mid-afternoon, it was well past time for lunch. To fill the hunger pangs, I needed something quick — like street food.

I’d heard about one vendor in particular that is grabbing national attention by taking the normal hot dog to a different level. Within an hour of being on the ground in Vancouver, I had my first Japa Dog. Now for those who haven’t heard of this phenomenon, it is a Japanese-style hot dog. Mine was loaded with soy and teriyaki sauces and topped with seaweed strips. This made for an interesting juxtaposition between seafood flavors and the meat in the dog.

The Japa Dog is one of the unique street food options in Vancouver, B.C. Photo Credit: riffraff67 via flickr

It’s safe to say this is one of the most unique hot dog experiences you’ll find, one that celebrities such as Ice Cube, Daniel Dae (Jin from “Lost”) and Anthony Bourdain have enjoyed.

After an elevator ride up the 167-metre tall Vancouver Lookout to gaze at the mountains, water and neighborhoods such as downtown, Yaletown, Gastown, Chinatown and Granville Island, it was time for some wine.

My wandering through the city then took me to a local wine shop, which by chance was offering a free British Columbia wine tasting. Free is hard to pass up.

Many Vancouver, B.C., restaurants and wine bars feature a wide selection of local wine.

While the region is known for ice wine — sweet dessert versions that are made using grapes picked at ice-cold temps — it does a number of other styles well. The tasting featured organic red and white blends from Vancouver Island, which is a small B.C. growing area.

A majority of the local wine production, however, hails east from Okanagan Valley. I picked up a bottle of Gamay and Pinot Noir from the Okanagan to take back to my hotel to have on hand. The blend from Joie Farm was delicate, rich and welcomed me each evening upon return to my room at the affordable and central Century Plaza Hotel.

Not that I needed any more indulgence in food or wine in the days to come.

Part 2: Asian delights, fresh seafood and Gastown