Recently, I visited Hakodate City during my expedition to Hokkaido.
While Hakodate is nationally famous for its night views, locals from Hokkaido recommended “Hasegawa Store’s yakitori bento” to me at that time.
Hasegawa Store (commonly called “Hasesuto”) is a local convenience store in Hakodate, and their specialty is apparently delicious yakitori bento boxes.
In Hakodate, it’s “Lucky Pierrot (commonly called ‘Rappi’)” and Hasesuto that are the local favorites.
As someone who has a keen eye for local specialties, I simply had to go check it out!
Hasegawa Store bustling with locals
I went to the store near the Red Brick Warehouses.
I found Hasegawa Store standing alongside “Lucky Pierrot,” another extremely popular local Hakodate hamburger shop.
The sign prominently features yakitori bento! It’s clearly their flagship product.
While a typical bento shop would display fried foods, stir-fries, and hamburger steaks, here it’s all yakitori as far as the eye can see.
Celebrity autographs line the walls inside the store.
This must be one of those “must-visit” places when you come to Hakodate.
The menu shows flavors: tare (sauce), salt, salt-tare, and spicy-tare.
While I thought they all sounded good, I chose the salt-tare this time.
You fill out the provided order form and pay at the register.
They’re really promoting GLAY, who are from Hakodate!
I believe JUDY AND MARY were from here too.
Popular yakitori bento made fresh right before your eyes
I went on a weekday in August, but the place was packed with what appeared to be locals.
The yakitori bento had a 20-30 minute wait… that’s popularity for you.
There’s an eat-in space inside the store.
Many families were there having meals.
They’re grilling yakitori like crazy with flames blazing! They serve it fresh and hot.
While they do have regular convenience store functions, most people seem to use it as a bento shop. Is that okay?
The contents of the yakitori bento are… “pork belly”??
And here’s the yakitori bento!
“Secret seasoning: Hakodate Wine” – they’re totally revealing their secret ingredient.
Opening it up, it’s exactly as the name suggests – a yakitori bento!
Rice topped with seaweed, vegetables, and four hefty yakitori skewers. (Medium size)
Yakitori… wait? This is pork belly!
In Kyushu, pork belly at yakitori restaurants is common knowledge, but I never expected a yakitori bento to be all pork belly.
(Apparently you can choose chicken when ordering. Pork is the default)
Muslims should be careful here…
The taste is exactly as it looks – delicious pork belly skewers.
I usually eat yakitori with beer, but it goes perfectly with rice too.
Afterword
Kyushu (especially Fukuoka) also has a well-developed yakitori culture, so I thought similar yakitori bento might sell well there too.
When you come to Hakodate, definitely try visiting Hasegawa Store for their famous yakitori bento!
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