JasonKimball.org

Just around the corner from my house is one of my favorite places to eat on Okinawa, it is Yoshihachi. Yoshihachi’s Sushi Bar offers a very friendly and comfortable atmosphere for those looking to try something new. Whenever someone visits, I make sure to take them to Yoshihachi’s to experience an endless amount of menu items.

After entering Yoshihachi’s you will immediately notice pictures of all the famous people that owner Yoshi Maekawa has met throughout his travels. Yoshihachi is a very popular sushi bar around the area, so it very common to see the entire restaurant full of customers on any given day. No worries, the wait is never that long and is always rewarded by a truly great dining experience.

If seafood is not quite your thing, Yoshihachi offers over 200 menu items. Almost any customer can find something they will enjoy. My favorites are the Rainbow roll and the Yoshi roll. Their prices are very reasonable and range from ¥250 for a small dish to over ¥1500 for  sets.

Helpful Information

Hours/Phone

Hours: 4:30 P.M. – 12:30 A.M.   Closed on Tuesdays

Phone: 098-936-2359

Location/Directions

Directions:
From 58, turn onto 23.  Drive till a junction which is under a pedestrian overpass.  Take a right here.  Drive about several hundred meters and the restaurant will be on your right.  It has a red lantern outside.  Parking is available right next to the restaurant and there is also a parking lot on the same street further down on the right side.

After being here for nearly two years, my wife and I decided to try a place that we have been meaning to check out for quite some time. Right outside of Kadena Air Base gate 1 is a little restaurant named Sunabe Gyros. It is pretty popular spot for lunch because of their amazing gyro sandwiches they serve up.

My wife and I opted for their hottest seller, a beef gryo combo meal. The combo meals include your choice of either a beef or chicken gyro, fries or chips, and a drink. The  gyro sandwichwith is made with warm pita bread, crisp lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and their tzatziki sauce. The tzatziki sauce is a thick Greek style yogurt sauce made with cucumber, garlic, lemon juice, and local sea salt. I was unsure about the sauce at first, but it ended up tasting superb.

Because there were not many patrons, it took less than 5 minutes for us to receive our meals after ordering. As an added bonus, we were able to enjoy our meals and a view of the Sunabe Seawall on their newly renovated rooftop. Each combo meal was more than reasonable at around ¥700.

The only downside is the parking situation down by the seawall. If you have ever been to the seawall then you know how frustrating it can be.

If you are looking for something quick and fun, check out Sunabe Gyros. Get your Gyro and enjoy watching divers, surfers and beautiful sunsets at the Sunabe Seawall.

Helpful Information

Phone

Phone: (098) 936-8817

Location/Directions

To get the Gyros, take Hwy 58 toward Kadena. At the stoplight right before Kadena Gate 1, take a left. Go through all the stoplights. After the last stoplight, Gyros is about half a block down on the right on the 2nd floor.

That’s right, it says crocodile! It may be the only place on Okinawa that I have been to that serves the delicious fried crocodile.

The first thing that immediately grabbed my attention was the enormous crab that sits right outside of the restaurant. Being a seafood lover I had to check it out for myself.

As soon as you enter the Crocodile Seafood and Bar restaurant you will be greeted by a very friendly and polite staff that will let you choose between outdoor or indoor seating. Because it was raining, we opted to head inside for the evening. When we sat at our table we were drawn to the fascinating "water wall" that is continuously flowing a soothing stream of water while you eat.

As I gazed over the menu I noticed fried crocodile as one of the choices, I had to try it! Going to the Crocodile Seafood and Bar restaurant in Okinawa, Japan and not trying their fried crocodile could leave an empty void in my life. Other than fried crocodile they offer an assortment of lobster, crab, red snapper, shrimp platters, and of course chicken, steak, and filet mignon for those not big on seafood.

Well, so far so good. So I thought, until I looked at the drink menu and noticed that they offer a wide variety of mixed drinks, sake, awamori, beer, frozen drinks and wine. All the favorites that we all love and some drinks with names that I have never heard of, all ranging from ¥300 – ¥680. If you enjoy sake or just want to take a trip on the wild side, you can choose sake tasting for a mere ¥800. They bring out three different types of sake and let you choose which one you enjoy the most during your tasting session.

While you are waiting for your dinner to arrive, you can choose to play a friendly game of pool or darts. If that isn’t your thing, sit back and listen to the mostly pop-style music that is played throughout the restaurant.

The fried crocodile arrived on a slim wooden platter (¥850), along with the Ryukyu Jambalaya (¥950) I ordered. My immediate description of the crocodile would of course be, "taste like chicken".

My wife opted for the two shoulders of snow crab (¥2,400) which came with (Indian rice or steamed rice) or bread, baked potato, corn, steamed vegetables, soup and salad.

All in all the service and food coupled with cool atmosphere were pretty good. However, their elaborate drink menu and their late hours left me dreaming of a second date. If you are in Okinawa and want to have a fun time with friends, go and check out Crocodile Seafood and Bar.

Helpful Information

• Food Price: ¥500-¥5,700
• Drinks:
  • Cocktails- ¥480 and up
  • Soft drinks/Juices- ¥350
• English Menu: Yes

• Seating: Indoor/Outdoor/Bar

• Payment Options: Credit card/Yen/Dollar

Location

Chatan, Okinawa

One block west of Highway 58, near American village (the huge ferris wheel) across from Jusco. Just look for the huge red crab.

Hours of operation

Sunday-Thursdays: 6PM – 2 AM

Friday & Saturday: 6PM – 5 AM

Closed: Tuesdays and during typhoons. <– I found that kind of funny.

Time for Curry!

Coco Ichibanya is an extremely popular national Japanese curry house that is luckily located here on Okinawa. There are nearly 1,000 locations throughout Japan. For many military members arriving here on Okinawa; it is usually the first taste of Japanese cuisine you will experience. If you enjoy curry, then you will really enjoy Coco Ichibanya. What may surprise you at first is the somewhat sweet taste. See, Japanese style curry is more sweet, unlike the spiciness of an Indian curry.  Their motto is

“Good smell, Good curry”

They don’t lie, you can smell the curry from outside the parking lot and also as you pass by in your vehicle. But, what I really like about Coco’s are their portion sizes. It is plenty enough to fill even the largest belly. Their menu has many different choices of curry and toppings to satisfy almost anyone. You also have to option to choose the amount of rice ranging from 200g to what is only a myth at this point…The 1500g challenge.

How to order:

Ordering can be somewhat tricky for the novice Coco’s adventurer. So, I have listed a detailed step by step guide that MUST be followed to eat there.

1. Look for a little plastic button on your table somewhere.
2. Press the magic button when you are ready…Don’t worry, you are ready!
3. The all too polite staff will come running over to your booth/table.
4. Point to the pictures on your menu and wait for greatness to arrive.

I am really glad we got through that together.

Helpful Information

• For  Coco’s located near the Kadena area
  • Average Price: ¥600-¥900 per person
  • English Menu: Yes
  • Seating: Booths/Counter Seats
  • Credit card accepted: No
  • Phone# CoCo’s on Rt 23: 098-926-1851

Now that you are armed with all the information, go enjoy some really great tasting Japanese curry for an affordable price. You won’t be sorry you did!