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Hakodate's Specialty! A thorough dissection of Hasegawa Store's exquisite "Yakitori Bento" including a "secret technique for ordering at a great price!
Yakitori bento" from Hasegawa Store, a local convenience store operating mainly in Hakodate, is a famous local food consisting of pork skewers served on rice. This article thoroughly dissects the deliciousness of yakitori bento, a soul food of the southern part of Hokkaido! In addition, we will also introduce a "secret order" that locals are familiar with.
What is "Yakitori bento" loved by the members of the rock band GLAY?
Yakitori Bento" with three pork belly balls
Founded in 1958, Hasegawa Store (commonly known as Hacesto) is a local convenience store chain that currently operates 13 stores in Hakodate, Hokuto City, and Nanae Town. Yakitori bento," which has become synonymous with the company, was created in September 1979. It is a simple "nori bento" (seaweed bento) topped with yakitori (pork), but for Hakodate natives, it is a nostalgic taste they have enjoyed since childhood. The recipe has been brushed up there, but it has hardly changed at all.
Maybe the standard style is to eat it off the skewer. Comes with red ginger
Why is pork the main ingredient for yakitori in Hokkaido? There are various theories, but it is said that it is because pig farming flourished to increase food production after the outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War in 1937. Another reason is said to be that pork, which is full of nutrients and stamina, was favored by Hokkaido residents as a source of energy in the harsh natural environment.
There are five flavors in total! The most popular is "Tare" (sauce)
Tare" flavor is the most popular. The sweet and spicy sauce that goes well with rice is irresistible!
Yakitori bento are available in five flavors: secret sauce, peppery salt, sour salt sauce, spicy umami sauce, and rich miso sauce. The most popular flavor is the tare (sauce) flavor, but connoisseurs prefer the shio (salt) flavor. The secret ingredient is a little bit of garlic, which is very tantalizing and appetizing. As a secret technique, if you want to enjoy a variety of flavors, you can order a mix of flavors. If you are not sure which flavor to choose, don't worry.
The key to tenderizing the meat is local "Hakodate Wain".
Yakitori bento (small): 560 yen. The photo shows the "salt" flavor.
The yakitori bento has a reputation for being delicious even when cold. The meat is purchased in blocks and skewered by hand every day, and the green onions are carefully peeled and only the tender and delicious parts are used. The meat is skewered by hand every day, and the green onions are carefully peeled and only the tender and tasty parts are used. The meat is not prepared in advance, but is grilled only after receiving an order. The meat is grilled over an open flame while being sprayed with "Hakodate Wain" red wine to make it tender and mellow. The slow cooking process locks in the flavor of the meat, which is the "Hacesto way.
The "Miso Sauce" flavor is specially prepared with white miso paste, aged miso paste, and soy bean sauce as a secret ingredient.
Five sizes are available: small (200 g of rice, 3 pork pieces), medium (250 g of rice, 3 pork pieces + 1 vegetable skewer), large (350 g of rice, 4 pork pieces), jumbo (450 g of rice, 4 jumbo pork pieces), and mini size (150 g of rice, 2 pork pieces + 1 vegetable skewer). There is also a "W" bento, which includes salty pork belly mixed in with rice, and a limited edition bento that changes monthly. Chicken "yakitori" can also be ordered.
Eat-in space and original SECOMA products
The Bay Area branch next to the popular "Lucky Pierrot" burger store.
Hacesto is a convenience store, so alcohol, daily necessities, homemade bread, onigiri (rice balls), and a variety of prepared foods. You can order yakitori (grilled chicken) from a single piece, such as hatsu, liver, chicken skin, pompochi, and other standard items. In addition, because of the business tie-up with Seicomart, Hokkaido's leading convenience store, you can also get original Seicomart products. It is no exaggeration to say that this is a strong ally of travelers.
Nakamichi store also has a souvenir corner selling original goods
Some stores also have an eat-in space, so you can literally eat hot food right from the moment it is made. In particular, the Nakamichi store, the main store, has a spacious area, and in addition, past newspaper articles and autographed posters of GLAY are displayed. Even though the store is affiliated with Segoma, yakitori bento is available only at Hasegawa Store! Be sure to stop by when you visit Hakodate to enjoy this long-loved taste of Donan.
All prices include tax.
Check it out as well!
Writer Profile
Magazine/Book Editor & Writer Kyohei Yamashita
While working as a program producer at a radio station, he began producing mini-comm magazines and writing for magazines. Later, he joined a publishing company as an editor and has worked on various articles, mainly for town information magazines. His favorite things are cooking, mountain climbing, river fishing, and stone monuments in Sapporo. He lives in Minami-ku, Sapporo, and loves Minami-ku very much.
