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Ever look at the bottom of the tequila bottle and wonder how the worm would taste? Well, I kind of had that moment last night when I decided to take things one step further by trying some habu sake. If you have no clue, habu sake is made using the poisonous venom of the habu snake and is a very popular drink in Okinawa, Japan.

The strange thing is that habu sake isn’t actually sake at all. It is made with awamori . Unlike sake, awamori is created through the distilling of rice. Generally,  longer awamori aging will produce a smoother more potent awamori that tastes absolutely terrific.

One major concern about drinking habu sake is thinking the snake venom will be harmful to your body. However, the habu sake poses no risk because the poisonous venom dissolves in the alcohol. Actually, the habu is said to contain 19 amino acids that are actually beneficial to humans. So I would suggest drinking this stuff as often as possible!

Here are a couple photos from last night when I got the bartenders from the Tokyo Dai-ichi hotel to join me in a couple shots of habu sake. For some reason some of them were reluctant to have a shot with me.

Click to enlarge

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.