Butahage, the renowned Hokkaido restaurant famed for its award-winning specialty of succulent and flavourful butadon (pork bowl), is opening a flagship outlet at Suntec City this August.
Hailing from the city of Obihiro, Hokkaido, widely-recognised as the birthplace of Obihiro Meibutsu Buta Don or ‘Obihiro Famous Pork Rice Bowl’, Butahage possesses a rich heritage of over 80 years of exceptional culinary excellence; it garnered a gold medal at the prestigious National Donburi Grand Prix in 2019, and took part in the esteemed Donburi Senshuken or National Donburi Championship.
Third-generation proprietor Hitoshi Yano shared, “I am extremely pleased for the opportunity to bring my grandfather’s creation to Singapore once again. With our commitment to preserving this time-honoured recipe and traditional method of preparing this treasured dish, we aim to present the true flavours of Hokkaido butadon to our customers”.
At the heart of Butahage’s menu is the much-lauded butadon, a humble yet remarkable dish that has stood the test of time. Thick and unctuous slices of meticulously-sourced pork loin is expertly grilled and cloaked in an exquisite 80-year-old butadon no tare or dipping sauce, that was first concocted by Yano-san’s grandfather. This ‘liquid gold’ is slowly-simmered in an old-fashioned cauldron for long hours, and over time, the sauce intensifies to render a depth of flavour that is unrivalled. The juicy and meaty pork; thoroughly-imbued with the savoury tare, is served on a bowl of fluffy Hokkaido Nanatsuboshi rice – a rice varietal specially-chosen for its plump grains, mild sweetness, and bite.
Beyond the classic butadon, a selection of other Japanese dishes made with Hokkaido ingredients are also available. Diners can expect to tuck into golden, crunchy tempura – also a specialty of the Yano family; seafood bowls, and other tasty bites that are guaranteed to tickle the palate.
