[Pork Rice Bowl of Hokkaido] Pork Rice Bowl Goes out from Obihiro to World

Pork Rice Bowl of Hokkaido

Pork Rice Bowl (豚丼) is a rice bowl dish dished up grilled pork with sauce on rice. It is said that Mr. Hideshi Abe (阿部 秀司), the founder of Pancho (ぱんちょう) in Obihiro, made the Pork Rice Bowl for the first time. So it has been famous in the eastern part of Hokkaido, but the dish is well-known in the whole of Japan now. The feature is that grilled pork overflows from a lid of a bowl. About 200 restaurants sell the Pork Rice Bowl even around the Obihiro, Tokachi. Each restaurants are particular about sauce and types of pork. Standard sauce of pork rice bowl in the Obihiro is salty-sweet sauce, but some restaurants such as “Tsuruhashi (鶴橋)” serve a pork rice bowl with bitter sauce, so each restaurants compete on the original taste. As for types of the pork, a lots of restaurants use various pork such as pork loins, pork ribs, superfine pork loins and superfine pork ribs.

Except the Tokachi, tourists can eat various types of pork rice bowl in any number of places. For example, In asahikawa, Sakura-tei (さくら亭) serves a salty soy sauce flavored pork rice bowl, and Butafuku (ぶた福) in Kushiro serves a curry pork rice bowl, so the Pork Rice Bowl is full of variety depending on each region. Furthermore, it has gone out on an international scene. Tonta (とん田) and Kukai (空海) were given the Bib Gourmand by MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2017 Special Edition.

Pork Rice Bowl Restraunts in Hokkaido

I intorduce pork rice bowl restraunts I visited. A long line may sometimes be formed in the some restraunts.

Pancho

Ganso Butadon Pancho (豚丼のぱんちょう) is a long-established store specializing in pork rice bowl founded in 1933 in Obihiro city, and is near Obihiro Station. The Pancho in Japanese reading means “A restaurant” in Chinese, and is well-known for serving a pork rice bowl for the first time. Mr. Takayuki Abe (阿部 孝之) is a restaurant owner at present. They were awarded the Gold Prize by the 1st and the 3rd Zenkoku Don Grandprix Butadon Section (全国丼グランプリ豚丼部門). The restaurant is also well-known for forming a long line at lunchtime. Read More

Tonta

Butadon-no-Tonta (とん田) is a popular store specializing in pork rice bowl (豚丼) facing Aoba Street (青葉通り) in Obihiro city, and is near Max Value East Mall. Originally, the Tonta used to be a butcher called “Takeda Seinikuten (武田精肉店)”, and has run a pork rice bowl restaurant since 2003. Mr. Yoichi Onodera (小野寺 洋一) is a restaurant owner at present. They got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition and 2017 Special Edition. The restaurant is also well-known for forming a long line. Read More

Sakura-tei

Sakura-tei (さくら亭) is a popular restraunt founded in 1988 in Midori-machi, Asahikawa city, and is near Chikabumi Station and Aeon Mall Asahikawa-nishi. Mr. Takio Utsumi (内海 多喜夫) is a restraunt owner. He trained his cooking skill in Obihiro called “Pork Rice Bowl Town”, and his Pork Rice Bowl (豚丼) has a good reputation, and the Sakura-tei is crowded with local people at lunchtime. Except the Pork Rice Bowl, Various rice bowls, set meals, ramen, curry and rice and so on are served. A large portion of something is also well‐received. Read More

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Butaichi

Butaichi (ぶたいち) is a chain store specializing in charcoal-broiled pork rice bowl (炭火焼豚丼専門店) based in Obihiro city. Hokkaido Products Research Laboratory corp. (北海道物産研究所株式会社) has run the pork rice bowl restraunt as a new business since 2011. Mr. Takanaori Sato (佐藤 孝尚) is a company president. The head office is in the Obihiro, and some branches open a business in the Obihiro, Otofuke, Tokyo and Saitama. Read More

Kukai

Grilled Pork over Charcoal Fire Kukai (炭焼豚丼 空海) is a famous pork rice bowl restraunt in Eniwa city located in the southeastern direction of Sapporo city, and is relatively near Shimamatsu Station. Mr. Takeshi Watanabe (渡邊 猛) is a restraunt owner. He established the restraunt in 1998 in the Sapporo, and moved the restraunt from the Sapporo to the Eniwa in 2011. They got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition and 2017 Special Edition, and it has got popular more. A line is formed at lunchtime. In addition, visitors sometimes have a long wait, so it is not allow to enter the restraunt with infants. Read More

Butafuku

Butafuku (ぶた福) is a popular pork rice bowl restaurant in Otanoshike, Kushiro city, and is near Kushiro National College of Technology (釧路工業高等専門学校) and Otanoshike Station. Speaking of the pork rice bowl, Obihiro and Tokachi are famous, but tasty pork rice bowl can be savored even in the Kushiro. A large serving of grilled pork has a good reputation, so local people and tourists come to the Butafuku to eat it. The restaurant is not so large, but counter seats and table seats are provided, so I guess that even family customers may enjoy meals. Read More

Moritaya

Moritaya (森田屋) is a popular restraunt founded in 1988 in Rikubetsu town located in the southwestern direction of Kitami city, and is near Rikubetsu-cho Tourism Product Promotion Center (陸別町観光物産館). Mr. Kazuo Goto (後藤 和美) is a restraunt owner. They got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. Their pork rice bowl (豚丼) is famous, and rice bowls, buckwheat noodles, udon, curry and rice, set meals are served. Local poeple love this restraunt. Read More

Ippin

Tokachi Butadon Ippin (十勝豚丼 いっぴん) is a pork rice bowl chain restaurant based in Obihiro city. Sorachi corp. (株式会社ソラチ) that sells sauce for Jingisukan or barbecued meat has run a pork rice bowl restaurant as a new business since 2001. The head office is in the Obihiro, and some branches open a business in Sapporo and Taiwan. Read More