Organic Grocery in Nakagusuku

There is a little store in Nakagusuku, Parus.  It’s an organic vegetables and grocery store.   Greeting us at the front door were organic sweet potatoes.   Organic pumpkins and onions.  Beautiful.   The store is small, but they really got some nice stuff.   Organic Muesli and organice soy milk.   Organic, and naturally brewed, soy sauce and mirin. These are nice.  Once you know these soy sauce, you can never go back to Kikkoman.   Naturally and traditionally brewed, no additive, organic sake.     Parus Locations.  309 Kita Uebaru, Naka Gusuku-son, Okinawa 901-2423 Phone.  098-895-7746 Opens.  10:00 – 19:00 Closes.   The first Mon and the third […]

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Dedicated Italian with Okinawan goodies

Tedako-Tei is a little Italian restaurant off the main street of Kokusai Dori in Naha. Better make reservation.  Better not to when you don’t have time.  It’s a one-woman operation by the owner chef and sometimes it takes time to cook and serve every tables.   There are 5 tables only.   It’s a small space, filled with things of her taste.   Yes, it’s a wine night for Yuyu.  I had housemade ginger ale. It’s been about 5 years since the last time we came here.   Here she comes to take our order.  Midori-san, the owner chef.  Such a dedicated lovely person.  Her passion for good foods has captured […]

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Sakae, Creative Okinawa Cuisine

Sakae Ryori-Ten is located near Ishikawa Exit of express way in Uruma-shi.   This is a nice place for celebrations.  Not really a formal place.  But very good food with a wide selection of local liquor. They have the solid foundation of Japanese traditional cooking techniques and the creative mind to play with local and seasonal foods of Okinawa.   A good selection of aged Awamori, local Okinawa liquor, sitting and aging in these big jars. Awamori is a distilled liquor, made by indica rice fermented with unique black koji mold.  Japanese Sake is a brewed liquor, made by japonica rice fermented with koji mold.   Complimentary appetizer (included in table charge) – […]

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American Burger

Taiyo Steak House is an American restaurant in the golf course operated by American military. The restaurant is open to the public, but it is really like being in America.  Once you enter the building, it feels America, it looks America, and it smells America.  Really.   They got a really BIG menu. This was a lunch.  I’m sure they have much bigger menu for dinner… My son was visiting.  He has strong passion for American culture like I used to have 30 years ago.  So we are here for American burgers!     The place is spacious, bright, and fancy. Free soft drinks if you order any of the […]

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The best authentic Tsuke-Men in Okinawa

San Chiku Ju is a Tsuke-Men specialty restaurant.  The owner chef has worked in one of the most famous and popular Tsuke-Men in the country, Roku Rin Sha.  It’s the authentic Tsuke-Men as Master Yamagishi created it.   Located near Omoro Machi. They have opened the second restaurant in Ginowan.  I’ve been to that one several times too, but I think this head restaurant is better somehow.  They taste the same, but something’s different.  I recommend to first come to this one.   The menu is simple.  Tsuke-Men, the dipping noodle, or Maze-Men, no soup but seasoned noodle.  Go for Tsuke-Men first. They don’t seem to have English menu. You just need […]

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Hearty Greek Cuisine on Ikei

We’ve heard of this place just opened this summer. Finally got a chance to visit Little Greek Kitchen on Ikei Island.  About 40-minute drive from Okinawa North exit of the expressway.  All the way through the pretty little village of Ikei to the very end on the water.   Far out in the Pacific, the island is surrounded by beautiful reefs. This is a beach just in front of the restaurant.   The restaurant is built in 2 shipping containers.   A very pretty cozy place.  Feels like we are visiting a good friend.   It was very nice to finally meet Pamela.  The owner chef. She’s from California.  Spent so many years […]

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Rich and light. Complex and simple.

We found ourselves here again before we notice. Ramen Hachi Ren.   Our anticipation is building up.   Apparently someone from Taiwan wrote a note on the wall. I don’t know what it reads, but it seems like he or she likes the food here.   Yes.  This is Hasso Men. The name means 8-layer ramen, with a soft-boiled egg topping.  They won’t tell what are those 8 ingredients, but the taste is complex, and yet, very simple because the soup is so well-balanced.  Very rich, very light.  I know there’s a hint of Yuzu, a kind of Japanese citrus.  I don’t know the rest, but it’s so good. I think this […]

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Eat fresh, eat local.

At the end of dark road in the middle of sugar cane field of our Ginoza village is charcoal grill restaurant, Tenpusu.   When we decided to move to Ginoza in 2009, we were excited and a little nervous at the same time, because Ginoza was such a rural village that we’ve never had experience in.   But when we found this restaurant and the people here, they gave us reassuring that we’ll be OK here.  They are such nice warm-hearted people and the food is great.   He’s the owner chef, Kinjo-san.   She loves this ice cold beer. What’s amazing is that the chefs are paying so much […]

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Precious Udon even when you are sick

We came out to central area to meet some people on business today.  Yuyu is not feeling well.  But we needed to eat something because she hardly ate today.   Sun set in Kitanakagusuku. Where should we go?  There isn’t many choices when you are sick.  But there’s one near by.   Home sweet home. Cafe Sans Souci.   Open for dinner.   Great.  It’s not crowded today. This is one of the guest rooms with a space for kids. This room is always crowded so I have never had a chance to take a picture.   Sans Souci is a diner’s cafe…  You bet!  That’s what we are here for. […]

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Marui Coffee

Onna regional street market has been very successful with marketing local people and tourists.   The parking area is always crowded in mid-day.   In the corner of the market is Marui Coffee, a booth of organic coffee beans.   There’s the man.  He’s the roaster. He’s only here in weekends. He imports organic coffee beans and roasts with local wood charcoal.  He likes to roasts to French and Italian.  It’s really difficult to roast with charcoals, not with gas, to the edge, close to just burning the beans.  But he says the coffee tastes totally different.  It brings up more flavor and sweet aroma.  He says gas roast makes the taste edgy, […]

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Sweets from Grandma

Miyabi Chaya is an old house cafe.   Feels like grandma’s home.   Ohagi is a sweet rice ball.  Very traditional sweets for celebration and sacred events. It’s steamed glutinous rice, the kind of rice you make mochi with.  And the rice is coated by sweet Azuki bean paste. Purple one is a plain Ohagi.  Pale Ohagi is coated with dried soybean powder.   Here’s Masami-san, the cafe owner. She opened this place to provide the kind of Ohagi that her grandma used to make and that she loved so much. When you bite, you can tell that someone really made it for you with love.  Gentleness, humbleness, gratitude, and all the […]

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Hanging out with our favorite food

It was our day off after 2 weeks of intensive work.  Of course, we needed Kato Shokudo to finish the day with.   There’s Tomomi-san at the door to greet us.  She watches everything.  She’s so aware and sweet.   A small appetizer which is included in the table charge.   Brocoli with garlic and anchovy.   Housemade chicken liver mousse and pork pate.  Our favorite charcuterie.  Yuyu can keep licking to savour this mousse for hours.   One of today’s specials.  Tart of roasted onions.  Oh my, my…  The sweetness of onions just dominated my nostril.   There’s Mr. and Mrs. Kato.  Lovely people.   Pizza Prochute.  Of course, housemade.   […]

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