From classics to unique restaurants. The latest Okinawan cuisine selected by local food bloggers

"An evolved, light Okinawa soba with a focus on noodles"

Kangetsu Soba Kokusai Street Mutsumi Restaurant

"This Okinawa soba uses homemade fresh noodles, giving it a natural and healthy impression. It's like an evolution of traditional Okinawa soba. It's a must-try for anyone who's tired of regular Okinawa soba."

The Okinawa soba restaurant that Yuta told us about, "Kingetsu Soba Kokusai Street Mutsumi Shokudo Branch," opened in March 2017 at the former site of "Mutsumi Shokudo," which had been in business for nearly 60 years on Kokusai Street in Naha. The restaurant also offers the same set menu as the original restaurant.

The must-try Okinawa soba is 650 yen (tax included). While regular Okinawa soba noodles are made with noodles that have been soaked in oil, these noodles are made with fresh noodles made from Okinawan wheat. With a light flavor that makes it easy to eat as many bowls as you like, it may be a good choice for connoisseurs to have it as a snack during your trip.

"Coffee is Okinawa's hidden specialty. Here are some shops that have been popular in recent years."

Beans

Okinawa, influenced by American culture, is a land with many coffee shops and coffee shops. Yuta's favorite coffee shop, Mame Pole Pole, is located in the Takahara district of Okinawa City, the central city of Okinawa Island.

"This shop is run by a roaster who placed second at the world coffee roasting championships held in Italy in January 2019. The lineup changes depending on what's in stock at the time, so it's hard to say which coffee beans are recommended, but you can't go wrong with any of them. I recommend trying not only the beans as souvenirs, but also the takeaway drinks menu."

The cute design of the packaging is also highly rated. The cafe latte (486 yen, tax included/right) is a popular item. It's a great choice for a stroll.

"If you want to enjoy the delicious mellow Okinawan miso, this is the place for you!"

Miso rice shop Marutama

"This is a specialty store for miso dishes that uses "Tama Naha Miso" from Shuri, Naha, which has a history of over 160 years. In addition to the standard dishes such as the mackerel miso set meal, they also serve a large Okinawan-style miso soup called Inamuchi, and an original taco rice dish with miso."

Miso Meshiya Marutama opened in March 2016. It is located in Izumizaki, Naha City, and is easily accessible from Kokusai Street and Naha Bus Terminal. This is a restaurant for miso lovers. Miso is deeply ingrained in Okinawa's food culture, and is characterized by its slightly sweeter and mellower taste than that of Honshu.

Another great thing about this restaurant is that it's open from early in the morning until late at night. The recommended menu item is the Saba Miso Gozen (1,200 yen, tax included), which is only available seven times a day from 11:00. This popular item from Tamanaha Miso is a blend of two types of miso, Ocho Miso, which has been aged in wooden barrels for half a year, and Awase Miso, giving it a deep flavor.

"Please enjoy Okinawa's local ingredients in gelato that preserves the natural flavor of the ingredients."

Yanbaru Gelato La Vous Store

Okinawa is known for its cold sweets that are unique to the tropics. There are many local chain stores, but Yanbaru Gelato is a new wave store that you should definitely try.

"This shop is popular for its recipes supervised by Daizo Shibano and Katsuya Yonemori, both of whom have won top prizes in gelato contests around the world. They also have a wide selection of unusual gelatos made with Okinawan ingredients, all of which are delicious and make the most of the flavor of the ingredients."

By the way, the "Yanbaru" in the store's name refers to the area overflowing with nature in the northern part of Okinawa's main island. The menu is lined with dishes that incorporate the bounty of nature. The most recommended dish is the colorful and photogenic pineapple, celery and apple sorbet (left in the photo. A single takeaway is 400 yen including tax, and 407 yen including tax if eaten in the store). You can also order combinations as shown in the photo. In addition to the La Vous store in the Kakazu district of Ginowan City, which is close to Naha City, there are several stores on Okinawa's main island, including Naha City, so it's a great place to stop by for a break.

"A hideaway restaurant serving dishes that make use of Okinawan ingredients."

BE NATURAL

"I recommend the chef's choice lunch. The dishes change regularly, but they're all delicious and made with Okinawan ingredients. The restaurant is located on top of a mountain, so it has a bit of a hidden gem, which is another attraction."

"BE NATURAL," which Yuta told us about its charms, is located in the Sashiki district of Nanjo City, in the southeastern part of the main island of Okinawa. The store, which was relocated and renovated in April 2017, offers a variety of menu items like the ones shown below.

These are today's omakase lunch dishes, priced at 1,848 yen (tax included). The course menu changes roughly every three weeks, and on this day, the dishes on offer were, from top to bottom, "Chicken and locally grown watercress appetizer with grape sauce," "Island pumpkin soup with chestnut mousse," "Sautéed fresh fish (dolphin fish) delivered directly from Chinen Fishing Port with island burdock and lentil puree," and "Dolce (purple sweet potato mousse, milk gelato, persimmon)." All of the dishes are exquisite, using ingredients from Okinawa. There is also a children's menu for younger elementary school students priced at 942 yen (tax included), making this a great place to go with the whole family.

"A gently sweet Belgian waffle made with Okinawan cane sugar."

Maitoparta

Maitoparta, which opened in April 2013 in Nakachi, Tomigusuku City, near Naha Airport, is a popular restaurant that offers delicious Belgian waffles as well as coffee, rusks, burgers and more on the menu.

"This is a waffle specialty store that always has a variety of waffles in stock. They use fermented butter, eggs raised on fermented feed, and cane sugar as ingredients, so all of their waffles are delicious and you can't go wrong."

Yuta's recommended waffle is the black caramel shown in the photo (260 yen, tax included). The gentle sweetness of the cane sugar is complemented by the bittersweet flavor of the caramel. The waffle machine used in Belgium, where the waffles originated, was imported from Europe, so the look and texture are authentic. The flavors change depending on the season, but there are always more than 10 different flavors on offer.

From restaurants to sweets, you can feel the evolution of Okinawan cuisine with this lineup. While you're here, why not try a dish that will blow your mind and overturn your previous image of Okinawa?

Yuta

He loves food and has experience working in a restaurant in Tokyo. Since February 2017, he has been running a blog called "Okiguru" (short for "Okinawa gourmet") that specializes in "eating around Okinawa". All the restaurants he introduces are ones that he thinks are "worth visiting" or "recommended for people to try at least once". The site is filled with carefully selected restaurants and their menus.
Okiguru

*Two store information items were added on August 22, 2019.
*Some content was updated on January 16, 2020.