Entries about hakodate

I found out this joint while wandering around the streets near Okaido. This burger joint first caught my eye because my friend told me that I have to try their Tai or Hamachi if I ever go to Ehime. When people think of Ehime and Tai they would immediately think of the two different Tai-meshi, the Uwajima style and the Matsuyama style. However I wanted to have something out of the ordinary and that's why my food sense led me to this burger joint. Here they fry their piece of Tai and top it with onions and tar tar sauce. Though this dish might not look traditional, many locals do visit this joint and I believe this burger has also become one of the great soul-food of Ehime.

Age-Tai Burger

This is one of the soul food of Imabari City which is located Northern side of Ehime prefecture near the Seto Inlet. Though butadon (pork over rice) is very common in Japanese cuisine this is yet different than the other ones being served around Japan. In another blog I wrote about the Obihiro butadon and how amazing it tasted with the seasoning they put on the pork slices and the sweet sauce the glaze it with. For the Imabari's Yakibuta Tamago Meshi, the meat is prepared differently. They put braised pork over white rice then pour a generous amount of sweet sauce onto the pork and rice. Lastly they top it with 2 sunny side up eggs (often seasoned with salt and pepper). They way to eat this delicacy is to mix everything together (sauce, yolk and meat) and then savor each and every bite.

Yakibuta Tamago Meshi

So, I've dropped by Muroran, a city just 3 or so hours away from Sapporo by Limited Express train. However I was headed to Kushiro from Hakodate and thought it was a good idea to drop by Muroran just for their well known Curry Ramen. I've had Curry Ramen in different parts of Japan but have never heard of a place that is well-known for it aside from Muroran. I went to a restaurant near by the station to try this soul food which locals often eat. I can tell you that the flavour is definately different from other Curry Ramen I have had in other parts of Japan. If you lie curry then this is a must try because it doesn't taste like the normal curry cubes. The taste is stronger with spice but not as thick as the curry used for other dishes like curry rice or udon. If you drop by this region and have time I highly recommend you to stop by this area and check it out yourself!

Curry Ramen near the station.

Robata yaki is a way of cooking, usually grilling your food over coal. I've had this amazing experience of robata yaki when I visited Hokkaido. The region that's famous for this style cooking is no other than Kushiro in the Tokachi region of Hokkaido. They usually grill seafood and vegetables over it. Of course the menu item changes depending of which restaurant you go to but overall they serve seafood because Hokkaido is mostly known for delicious and fresh seafood. I ordered a Scallop, chan chan yaki, fish with roe and oysters. Aside from the oysters where they grill it before hand for you, you can grill nearly everything written on the menu on the grill in front of you. I know some people dislike grilling their own food and would ask why would I pay to make my own food? Well this is all about experience of being able to do it in a place and culture which have done it throughout history. This type of cuisine is not just for tourist but also speaks history of they way these people in this region of Hokkaido lived. To understand more about others we have to put ourselves in their position and see through their perspective. This is what amazes me about local cuisine, it tells you a story about not just the food but people and culture. If you are in for an excitement and wouldn't mind this amazing experiencing grilling your own food over coal then this is a type of cuisine you would have to try.

The grill.

How you grill.

Already grilled oysters.

Salmon chanchan yaki grilled robatayaki style.

So you came all the way to Hakodate and I bet the last thing on your mind would be having a hamburger. Yes, you did not read it wrong, I'm talking about hambugers. Everyone thinks Hakodate is all about Shio ramen and seafood but actually Hakodate is quite well known for their Western style cuisine. Today I will be introducing you to the Hakodate chain burger joint called "Lucky Pierrot". Though it is a chain, it can only be found in Hakodate and no where else in Japan, not even other regions of Hokkaido. This is what makes this burger chain "local". The burger to talk about here is the infamous "Chinese Chicken burger". I know the name might sound a little bit racist and tick some people off but I tell you it was tasty. The chicken is fried and marinated in this sweet red sauce (kind of like the sweet and sour pork in Chinese cuisine) and you get 3 inside your burger. When you get your burger is almost always hot and the chicken inside is always juicy. If you get the set it comes with a cut of french fries put in a cup with a kind of white sauce covering them. The sauce is actually made with cream and cheese and if you look further down there is chilli down there too! Every time i get a chance to drop by Hakodate I have to have this burger at least once. Believe me, after one of these bad boys you will keep craving for more.

Chinese Chicken Burger set

menu

dessert menu

dessert