Pigs and pork are supposedly a big Tokachi region thing (this dish originating from Obihiro city specifically), and eventually became a Hokkaido thing in general (actually, the Tokachi region seems to be famous for quite a lot of things, but I suppose that’s a different story). From what I heard, a restaurant in Obihiro invented the butadon because pork is a staple meat in the region, and the rest became history. It’s not necessarily a Sapporo thing, but unless tourists plan on going all the way to Obihiro, you can get your butadon fill in Sapporo (and the airport, ha!).
What is a Butadon?
Apparently, there’s a more normal, generic butadon, like a pork version of a gyudon (lit, beef bowl, with stewed thin slices of beef and onions). An Obihiro butadon, on the other hand differs in that it’s more like barbeque pork on rice (buta being pork, and don being rice bowl). The pork is in thicker slices, and you can often choose if you want a loin cut or filet cut, like a katsu restaurant. The pork is then grilled, and layered with a sweet barbeque sauce. You can often find it topped with green peas or green onion, and with a side of pickles and miso soup.
Where to Eat Butadon in Sapporo
To be honest, I haven’t eaten much butadon in Sapporo, but I do have some bookmarks for other places. Butadon is a pretty underrated Hokkaido dish in my opinion, so definitely try looking out for it while in Hokkaido!
Tokachi Butadon Ippin
Ippin has a few locations around Sapporo city itself, and probably a pretty big chain just for Butadon. This was the first place I had it, and it was a really memorable experience.
Azuma
Azuma’s specialties are butadon and udon. The butadon was pretty good, and you can get a side of udon in a set too!
Kobutaya
A bookmark in my Maps for a while, Kobutaya is newly located near Odori park in a hotel. The old location was in Tanukikoji.
Other
Here are some others in Sapporo I found on Google Maps. I’ve included links to either Google Maps locations or their websites. Technically not Sapporo, but I recommend the Drive Thru Itou at New Chitose Airport if you’re flying in!
Gallery
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