I had a bit of a question, so I made some changes to the content and reposted it. Today the weather is nice, and as I was searching for somewhere to go, I came across the pork bowl in Obihiro. Come to think of it, I haven't been to the Obihiro area in a while. Ah, I want to eat the pork bowl from Pachou. It's been quite a long time since I last ate it... I first tried Pachou's pork bowl when I was in junior high school, so it was over 35 years ago... I remembered how delicious it was back then. I used to go there to eat at least ten times, but it's been a while. The last time I ate it was about 10 years ago when my uncle brought me a takeout pork bowl from Obihiro during a business trip... I want to eat it at the restaurant, but it's impossible to make it in time now, and I don't want to eat at some random pork bowl place in Obihiro, it would just be a waste of time... Hmm... If it's nearby and reasonably delicious, that's fine, but... Hmm, in the city, besides the quality of the meat, the only place that seemed close to the taste of Obihiro, Saratei, is no longer there... From a few years ago, there has been talk about something called "Hokkaido Gate," which I personally find impossible and pointless... Huh? How about this place? Oh... it's closed. Pork bowl, pork bowl... huh? Oh, I remember reading an article last year about an FC pork bowl shop opening. I completely forgot about it, haha. I wonder if it's good? Let's see... I checked the official website and the reviews on Tabelog! Hmm, they seem to be grilling each slice carefully... I see, I see. And the reviews are pretty good, and it seems like they use charcoal grilling... Maybe it's surprisingly delicious? But it's a nationwide FC chain, so I wonder... Well, it's not good to have strange preconceptions, so let's go and try it first. So I arrived. There are no customers... well, it's almost the end of lunchtime, so maybe that's normal? These kinds of FC places have a lot of takeout customers. Well, since I'm here, I'll eat at the store. I ordered the pork belly bowl (extra large with extra rice) for myself, and the pork loin bowl (regular) for my wife. Oh, the service is good for an FC place. My wife's pork bowl arrived in about 10 minutes. Then mine arrived. Um... even the regular size is quite a lot, isn't it? Sweat. As for mine... is this for real? Sweat. It's okay, I can eat it, hahaha... Honestly, the pork loin doesn't look that delicious, but the pork belly (minus the green onions) looks really appetizing, so I'm confident I can eat it! Why do they look so different? It's a mystery, but well, let's start eating and see. Here we go, let's eat! Pork belly, crunch. Oh! It's tender! They grilled it quite nicely to give it a good aroma. But I don't feel the unique flavor of charcoal grilling... I glanced into the kitchen and it looks like they have a far-infrared ceramic gas grill... It says charcoal grilling, so it must be charcoal grilling, right?... ※[From here on, the content is full of personal nitpicking, so feel free to skip it...] It's charcoal-grilled, right?... But you know? Please take a close look at the menu and the outdoor poster... Yes, that big "Hokkaido's taste" written there. If you look closely at the text, it says "Carefully grilled one by one," and the next line immediately says "Grilled twice to..." in this store (Asahikawa store), but... (?)... Um... something seems off... In the official website text, it's written as "Carefully grilled one by one," "We will grill it with charcoal." "Grilled twice to..." So why is it missing the part that says, "We will grill it with charcoal"? Sweat... Eh?... I wonder why...? Probably? Is it a hidden mistake or some kind of test? Why is the part "We will grill it with charcoal" missing? ※(Upon researching, it seems that the Toyohira store in Sapporo clearly states "We will grill it with charcoal," so Sapporo definitely means charcoal grilling.)

At that time, I tried to go to a certain famous ramen shop known for its miso ramen, but despite my thorough research, the shop was closed when I arrived (tears). I didn't want to give up easily, so I looked for other nearby restaurants and found this one. I eagerly arrived and ordered the dish with the most meat and a large portion of rice to go with it. The result was as shown in the photo haha. This was supposed to be food for farming people... or was it for hunting people? I devoured it with all my might. This dinner was definitely more memorable than seeking revenge on the ramen shop.

It has been a while since I opened, but it is still quite crowded. There are also many takeout customers, and the interior is smaller than expected with fewer seats. It may be because some people are sitting alone at table seats. I ordered the Chicken Cutlet Curry for 858 yen (tax included) and it took almost 30 minutes for it to be served. The chicken cutlet was crispy with a savory soy sauce-based flavor. It was a bit salty when combined with the curry. The curry had a medium spiciness with a sweet and rich taste. The Pork Bowl, on the other hand, was not so great. It seems that other branches have charcoal-grilled options, but this one is different.

A pork bowl specialty shop has appeared in the marking area! I visited after observing for a bit. The inside of the shop is filled with a delicious aroma. The staff seemed a bit inexperienced but very polite and trying their best. The pork loin bowl is marinated and seared before being served. It's not too expensive, the fatty parts are minimal, and the seasoning is safe. It's a decent choice for lunch. Personally, I found the sauce a bit sweet and the rice a bit soft. I feel like going to Pachinko now. Bon appétit!

I visited a new pork bowl restaurant that recently opened, and I was very excited as I had previously enjoyed exploring pork bowl restaurants in Obihiro. However, after doing a little research online, it seems that this restaurant is actually based in Osaka. The delicious aroma that greeted me at the entrance confirmed that I was in the right place, adding to my excitement. I ordered the special serving of pork belly and looked around the crowded restaurant. Despite it being past 2 pm, the place was full and customers kept coming in. The kitchen seemed to be bustling with activity, and loud voices could be heard. When the food arrived, I was impressed by the presentation - the thick slices of pork looked amazing. And the taste did not disappoint either. The meat was tender, flavorful, and had a wonderful aroma. I couldn't stop eating. Personally, I was completely satisfied with the pork bowl. If I had to nitpick, maybe the miso soup and pickles were a bit lacking compared to the pork bowl. But overall, I was grateful that they had opened a branch in Asahikawa. Thank you for the delicious meal.

The original, Obihiro, and Hokkaido pride - a strong appeal from a company in Osaka that operates a chain of pork bowl restaurants. I visited "Ganso Butadon-ya TONTON Asahikawa Store". Located at 4-chome, Higashi Hikari 9-jo, Asahikawa City, map here https://goo.gl/maps/ST61vCtj3XmjUgzP7. Open from 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 20:00, closed irregularly. Parking available, takeout available. [Please contact the store for current opening, closing, and takeout status]. Official Instagram https://www.instagram.com/gansobutadonyatonton/. Grand opening on October 26, 2022. The front parking lot was packed, and there is also a parking lot at the back. Takeout was scheduled to start from November 1, but as of November 6, there was a notice saying "Postponed due to unpreparedness, sorry". The store has been quite busy since its opening, and on the day I visited, I was able to sit immediately as I coincidentally swapped with a leaving customer. However, there were always about 2 groups waiting in the waiting area for the next customers. Inside the store, there are simple tables and a counter with dividers between each seat. The tables have condiments like shichimi, nanami, sansho, and the pork bowl sauce. There is also a counter with individual dividers. The ceiling has roll curtains for additional privacy, but they were all rolled up on the day I visited. The menu includes various options of pork bowl and pork dishes, as well as fried chicken and curry. I decided to try the Pork Belly Bowl Large for 1,078 yen. The pork belly was surprisingly light and the flavor was quite mild. It was cooked twice to remove excess oil, resulting in a very tender texture. It was so tender that it reminded me of the melt-in-your-mouth char siu in ramen shops. The dish was on the lighter side, which was a new experience for me as I am used to more robust and flavorful pork bowls. The staff recommended adding the sauce on the table halfway through the meal, and it definitely enhanced the taste. Overall, it was a unique and modern take on the traditional pork bowl.

Today's lunch was at the original pork bowl restaurant TONTON Asahikawa branch. When I arrived, it was quite crowded, so I waited a bit before visiting. I ordered the pork bowl with extra pork and extra rice. It took about 30 minutes until it was served, which was too long. The meat was tender and the sauce was good, especially since you could add more to your liking. However, they should try to improve their service speed for a better customer experience.

On October 26th, a new restaurant opened in Asahikawa. It's a place that specializes in Obihiro pork bowl, so I decided to check it out. Obihiro is known for its delicious pork bowls, so whenever I visit, I always make sure to have one. It's great that now I can enjoy Obihiro pork bowl without having to travel all the way to Obihiro. The restaurant is located on the same street as the Toko Library, where there are quite a few other shops. When you approach from Minami 6-jo Street, you'll see a post office on your left, and the restaurant is diagonally to the right. It's next to Pizza La, and there are parking spaces in front and behind the restaurant. The menu boasts about a secret sauce discovered by the owner during his travels around the country. The pork is carefully grilled twice after taking orders to remove excess oil, resulting in a crispy and luxurious taste. This is the second store in Hokkaido, with the first one being in Sapporo. The company that runs the restaurant is based in Osaka and has a total of 31 stores in various locations across Japan. The spacious interior has tables by the window and counter seats. The menu mainly features pork belly bowl and pork loin bowl, with the regular portion having 6 pieces of meat for 858 yen. There are also larger portions available, as well as sets with curry or karaage. I ordered the half and half bowl to try both types of meat. The grilling process seemed to be done over charcoal, with one staff member grilling the meat non-stop. The half and half bowl with a large portion cost 1188 yen. While the pork loin was good, I prefer the pork belly for its fatty flavor. The meat was slightly overcooked and lacked moisture, making it a bit disappointing. The restaurant also offers condiments like shichimi and yuzu pepper, but I wish they had more variety. Overall, the experience was okay, but there is room for improvement in terms of meat quality and cooking technique.

"TONTON" Original Pork Bowl Restaurant. Following the opening of the Sapporo Toyohira branch, the second store in the Hokkaido area has opened in Higashimitsu, Asahikawa City. I visited the restaurant on the first weekend after its opening. There were 7 people waiting before the opening, and 12-13 people entered as soon as it opened, with the restaurant becoming full in about 10 minutes. The pork bowl menu includes four sizes: regular, large, special, and mega. I ordered the "Pork Loin Bowl (large)" for 1,078 yen. It arrived in about 7-8 minutes. The pork loin in the bowl was thinly sliced with little fat, making it easy to eat. For those who prefer a light and tender taste, this may be a good choice. They mentioned, "The sauce is already on it, but if you feel it's not enough, please add more from the sauce on the table." I found the amount of sauce to be just right without adding more. The sauce is a slightly sweet soy sauce-based sauce that goes well with the rice. In the kitchen, pork meat was being grilled continuously. Although I think the main menu items are the "Pork Belly Bowl" and "Pork Loin Bowl," many customers seemed to order the "Pork Belly Bowl." The menu states, "The photos show the mega size." Looking at the photos, you might feel tempted to order the "Mega" size. It seemed like many people taking photos of the pork bowls were ordering the "Pork Belly Bowl Mega with 14 pieces of meat for 1,848 yen!"

The charcoal-grilled meat is delicious, and the rice portion is normal but has a good amount of volume. I recommend making a phone reservation for takeout.

Newly opened restaurant in Obihiro specializing in Butadon (pork bowl). Their signature dish is a half and half Butadon with both belly and loin cuts, both are tender and delicious without unnecessary fat. Price is ¥980.

I tried a pork belly bowl from this place before and it was pretty good. This time, I decided to get it for takeout. However, I was quite disappointed. The meat was tough and the fat was chewy, lacking the melt-in-your-mouth texture. It felt more like eating crispy ham or bacon. Additionally, the meat had a strong smell. Even though I'm used to eating pork, this was really off-putting. The next bite felt scary. I tried adding extra sauce, but it didn't improve the taste. I wonder what went wrong. Maybe it's because it was a takeout order? Even though it was still hot when I got home. When the meat cooled down, it became even tougher. The quality of the pork this time was definitely different from my previous visit to the restaurant. It's a bit traumatizing, and I might end up disliking pork. The rice also felt a bit dry, even though it was freshly cooked. The restaurant uses gas grills instead of charcoal, which might explain the difference in taste. Overall, I was disappointed, and I don't think I'll be going back to TONTON again.

"TONTON" in Asahikawa, I am alone. My wife is working and taking a break from noon, seems like she is going to head to Kitami. Even though today is Saturday, the plans have changed from Kin-tsuma to Do-tsuma? Such a busy person... but I don't mind that kind of busyness, it's like a beast. I wanted to eat ramen, and I found a reasonably delicious ramen in Asahikawa, so I am satisfied. Tomorrow there won't be any more activities, so I hope to earn as much as possible and maybe have a week's worth of inventory. Next is the bakery. On the way there, I noticed a cake shop on the right side that I had never seen before. I haven't paid attention to it before, but I thought I should check it out. Turns out they don't have any signs. I was surprised, so I went back. The front of the shop seems like a parking lot, making it hard to park. But when I parked on the side, I found a pork bowl shop across the street. I had given up on it today, but now I couldn't give up, so I called them. "Can I get a pork bowl for takeout?" "Yes, it will be ready in 10 minutes." There was a sign outside saying that you could get takeout for 500 yen for a month. I couldn't believe it. I wanted to show this to people from Obihiro. This shop is so fair. There were still people eating inside the shop even though it was already 2 pm. It was truly a one-coin pork bowl. The fact that there was plastic wrap on top of the bowl made me happy. But it's strange that there's no sweat on it. Maybe it's not grilled? The bowl looked a bit empty, but it's understandable for a one-coin meal. My wife said, "There will definitely be leftover rice," and she was right. The meat wasn't bad, and it wasn't too thick, so it wasn't a risk. My wife said, "It's meat for commercial use," and it was delicious. The sauce wasn't too thick, not that vulgarly gooey texture. The claim of "from Obihiro" was definitely a lie. Not vulgar... ===========