Buta-don or grilled pork over a bowl of rice is a specialty of Obihiro. You can find many restaurants serving this local delicacy in Obihiro. My first encounter with buta don was in New Chitose Airport when I first visited Hokkaido in 2012 (link to my previous post). At that point of time, I was totally awed by the sweet and succulent slices of pork and I told myself that I will visit its place of origin (Obihiro) to taste this dish again. Finally I fulfilled my wish during this trip!
Visited to this restaurant specialising in buta-don which is located just opposite the train station (from north exit). Pancho Buta-don is one of the more popular restaurants in this area, with long queues formed during lunch and dinner hours. We were lucky enough to grab the last empty table before the queue started to form. The waitress came up to us with the menu and could converse in simple English. Available in four sizes (松，竹， 梅，华, in ascending order), the smallest portion (松) comes with 4 slices of pork and cost 850 yen. Every one size up means one additional slice of pork. Do take note that miso soup does not come together with the rice bowl and has to be ordered separately.
Rice bowl was served shortly, revealing thick slices of grilled pork out of the lid! The meat was tender and juicy. What I liked most was the fatty portion of the meat which was surprisingly not too oily to digest. The sweet sauce went well with the rice too, and you will unknowingly gobble down more rice than you normally do! Do take note of the opening hours of this restaurant to ensure that you do not leave Obihiro disappointed.
Yet another successful and delicious encounter with buta-don!
Side note: Original plan was to arrive in Obihiro on Monday, but after knowing that this restaurant was closed on Mondays coupled with the strong desire to taste this famous rice bowl, I decided to shift the visit one day ahead...
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Pancho Buta-don 元祖豚丼
北海道帯広市西一条南11-19
Opening hours: 1100 - 1900 hrs, closed on Mondays, 1st & 3rd Tuesday of a month
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Video: Restaurant was featured in 食尚玩家. Fast forward to 7:00 for their recommendation on Pancho Buta-don.
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