Two walk-bys in May 2026, two empty counters during posted open hours.
That has been the scene at Aji Dog, the Japanese-style hot dog kiosk inside Metropolis at Metrotown, which appears to have quietly stopped operating.
Lights on. TV menus off. Chairs stacked up.
Nobody at the counter or in the tiny kitchen behind it.
Both visits landed on an afternoon, well within the 12pm to 7pm hours still listed on their Google business page.
We are not the only ones noticing.
Multiple Google reviews from months ago describe the same thing: showing up during posted hours, finding no one at the counter, and being told by staff at the Japanese restaurant next door that Aji Dog is too short-staffed to open.
It has been that way long enough that the situation is starting to look less like a slow stretch and more like a quiet exit.
The stall has not officially closed.
There is no boarded-up signage and no closure notice taped to the storefront.
But if no one is manning the counter and its menu boards are not live, then it’s basically a goner.
Aji Dog opened back in Spring 2023 in the Silvercity area of Metropolis at Metrotown.
It was the third concept from the team behind Kawawa Japanese Restaurant, which sits in the same mall corridor and shares the back-of-house staffing with Aji Dog.
The menu leaned into Japanese-inspired hot dogs like the Kakuni Dog with roasted pork and green onion, a teriyaki dog, and a beef yakisoba dog, plus a small lineup of sides.
Just across the hall, American Cheesesteak Co. shut down earlier this spring.
Aji Dog now joins a growing list of recent Burnaby closures, including Roadside Spicy Pot, Bella Gelateria Amazing Brentwood, and Lattea Crystal Mall.
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Address: 4700 Kingsway E15, Burnaby BC