Spend a handful of days on this tropical island and you’ll quickly be struck by how laidback the beach atmosphere is. Okinawa provides the perfect vibe for the cafe culture to bloom and in fact, there is no shortage of quaint coffee shops and seaside eateries to enjoy a relaxing day in on the island. Here are four of the best places to eat in Okinawa that I highly recommend you try.
1. Teahouse By The Beach (Hamabe no Chaya)
Looking for a relaxing evening with a sunset ocean view? Then you need to drop by ‘Hamabe No Chaya’ also known as Teahouse by the Beach in English. Hamabe No Chaya is one of my favourites and I highly recommend dropping by this cafe and sampling their menu.
Getting to Hamabe no Chaya
True to its name, it literally is a teahouse by the beach. I recall the drive to finding this cafe was a very long one and it’s only because it is located in the northern region of the island, and that it was an hour away from where I stayed (central region). Before reaching to this cafe, you would have to drive through various narrow roads, and as you drive deeper, you will pass by several small towns, where eventually you’ll arrive to a mix of winding uphill roads.
The road will then lead you into an area to which seemed like an electrical appliance waste dump which could leave you wondering if you’re going the right way, but don’t despair because just a few meters away, you’ll find the cafe entrance hidden by overgrown plants on the left side of the road. On the opposite side is the parking area.
As you walk down the steps, the cafe sits under the trees on strong stacks of rustic stones and further down, are paved stone steps which were engraved on dried coral reef leading down to the beach. Guests usually hang around and take pictures there while waiting for their seats. Reservations are not available here, so my friend and I had to write our names on a board hanging by the entrance door of the cafe and wait for our turn to be seated.
On the drinks menu, you are spoiled for choice of hand-dripped coffee, Okinawa herbal tea, pineapple juice, passion fruit juice and much more. The cafe serves brunch sets too, like a grilled sandwich, scone set, and buttered toasts. They even have vegetarian pizza. If you fancy some sweets, they serve tofu gelato, handmade scones, chocolate cake, baked cheesecake and lots more.
Price ranges from 300 yen to 1,000 yen.
Get Directions to Hamabe No Chaya
2. A fusion of Thai – Vietnamese cuisine at Saai Roang, Yomitan
If you’ve had your fair share of tasting Okinawan speciality dishes and are looking to sample something different, Saai Roang is a place you might want to check out. This cosy and cute restaurant offers a fusion of Thai and Vietnamese cuisine with some of the best-recommended dishes being the pad thai, coconut milk pudding, coconut milk pudding with mango sauce, and spicy green papaya salad.
If you fancy something more filling, they serve fried rice with spicy fried chicken together with cashew nuts. I ordered rice and chicken with tom yum gravy and a hot Vietnamese coffee.
What I love about this restaurant is that all dishes are freshly cooked and served by the restaurant owner himself, which makes indulging in the meals even more special and knowing that they were made with care and passion.
When // Opens 6 days a week from 11:30 am to 3:00 pm and 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm except for Sundays. It’s easy to plan your day including Saai Roang as your lunch stop after a nice visit to major attractions in Yomitan such as the Zakimi Castle Ruin. Although Saai Roang is only about a one-minute drive from the park, best to reserve a seat at Saai Roang in advance so you can be sure to grab lunch here after you’re done visiting all the attractions.
Get Directions to Saai Roang, Yomitan
Know // While this post is about my most highly recommended eateries in Okinawa, I’ve shared recommendations on 5 wonderful things to do in Okinawa.
3. Savor Authentic Italian Food at Mintama
Mintama is an Italian restaurant that welcomes customers in a traditional-styled Japanese building located on a side street alley, which looks like a cosy home. As you walk to the entrance, a “target” sign hangs on a tree and invites you through wooden sliding glass doors where you’ll see wooden panel ceilings and wooden tables and chairs. It is the perfect place for dinner with the family, girlfriend’s night out or date nights. This is another restaurant in Yomitan-Son that I love and would recommend you to try.
Image credit: Hotomi and Love Satoyoma
Straight out of the menu, I ordered Balsamic Glazed Mahi. I loved that they made sure the fish was cooked to perfection. It was easy in the mouth, soft and large tomatoes drizzled with balsamic glazed was placed on top of the fish. Mintama served pastas, salads and other traditional Okinawan dish too.
How to Get to Mintama Ristorante, Okinawa
Use the Google Maps below to get directions to Mintama.
4. Have Tea at Suien Bakery
A reason to linger for longer in Okinawa is to have a casual evening tea, coffee and bread at cute eateries like Bakery Suien. Tucked in the back of a residential area and with the tomb and Zakimi Castle ruins just slightly beyond, this bakery is famed for its soft vegan bread and lunch set which includes salad, soup and a yummy sandwich. All breads and pastries are freshly baked and prepared upon placing an order.
The menu only offers two vegan lunch sets and after stealing glances at what was already on other guest’s plates, I decided to settle with soft bread, red pepper soup and tea. The only difficulty here is choosing the right time to drop by. It seems operational hours change frequently at Bakery Suein; according to several Tripadvisor reviewers. My experience was different from the reviewer’s in that, I was able to grab a seat when I arrived.
However, I must note that other seats quickly filled up as soon as my order arrived. Totalling out at 1,200¥ per set, the bakery proved to be one of my favourite eateries for a casual evening with the perfect setting.
Get Directions to Suien Bakery
Planning a trip to Okinawa soon? Find out everything you need to know before visiting Okinawa!
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