Lucky Pierrot: Hakodate’s Unique Burger Chain

Lucky Pierrot, a local hamburger restaurant chain in Hakodate, dates back to 1987 when Chinese entrepreneur, Wang Yilang, opened up shop to spread the North American fast-food gospel. In homage to its humble creator, Lucky Pierrot’s most popular item remains the “Chinese Chicken Burger,” which combines Chinese spices and a sweetened soy sauce glaze with locally-farmed chicken meat. But the best-selling burger serves only to whet the appetite. The Lucky Pierrot menu is a who’s who of Japanese culinary favorites: curry & rice, omurice (a thin omelet served on top of stir-fried rice), ramen, and yakisoba (stir-fried noodles). And the variety doesn’t stop with the menu. One of the unique features of Lucky Pierrot is that each location (of which there are 17 in Hakodate) has its own radically unique theme and accompanying décor, including birds of the world, the history of hamburgers, harp-plucking cherubs, and the works of Italian Renaissance painter Sandro Botticelli.