Fertile

(Picture by Diana Middleton)

My mom's good at noticing details. Immediately when we sat down in Fertile cafe, just off Gate 2 Street, she honed in on the chairs. These look like they might be school chairs, or chairs from a church, she noticed. Sure enough there were little shelf things built into the backs that could fit a schoolbook, or perhaps a hymnal.

Fertile is full of quirky, charming details like these; from the delicate light fixtures (a chandelier draped with pink beads here, a lamp of frosted glass there--each is different); to the gorgeous dessert forks; to the precious vintage children's book in the restroom. As my mom put it, "Your eyes just flit from one beautiful thing to the next."

This was my first time at Fertile, which I heard about from Diana, former Oki Hai writer. But almost from the moment I entered, I found myself rooting for it--the service being the kind in which your needs are anticipated and expectations exceeded. For example, just as I sat down and was about to set my purse on the floor, Etsuko, Fertile's owner and our waitress, thought to push up an extra chair for me to place it on. Later, as my mom and I waited for our meal, she handed us two fat Japanese fashion magazines to peruse. How fun! Also, this is one of the first restaurants I've been to in Japan where your water glass is refilled without having to ask.

While the menu we ordered from was in Japanese, Etsuko carefully explained each of the sets to us in English. There was a spaghetti with fresh tomato sauce. A cream sauce pasta with mushrooms. Herb chicken. Sauteed pork. And I think a clam chowder kind of dish and a curry. Each set came with a deconstructed salad (the day we went, white radish in black sesame sauce, purple cabbage, and julienned carrots), a soup (pureed carrots and beans with a kick of pepper), a dessert (chocolate chip banana cake with fresh whipped cream), and tea or coffee.

   

It took awhile to decide, but we ended up selecting the mushroom pasta and the pork chop.  They were both very good.  My pasta dish was really rich and creamy and my mom's pork delicious as well.  We were good and full by the end of our meal, but fortunately were able to burn off a calorie or two strolling over to the fabulous interior goods boutique across the street for some window shopping.  It's owned by the proprietors of Fertile and if you care to, you can find some of the pretty wares from the restaurant for sale over at the shop.  I'll have a followup article available for that next week.

I've gone to a lot of cafes here on the island, but this is one I'd certainly recommend and hope to visit once again.  Although the sets are a bit pricier than some, (ours were about 1300 yen), the food, service, and ambiance not to mention the proximity to their delightful boutique, made it money well spent.  Great place to keep in mind for a girls day out! 

HOURS AND INFORMATION:

Open 11:30 Last order 7:00 Closed 8:00  CLOSED Wednesdays
098-939-6500

DIRECTIONS:

Go straight out Kadena gate 2. Make a left at the 4th light (the corner where Top Embroidery sits). Follow this road past Mike's Tex Mex on the left. You'll pass one stoplight. At the first intersection past that first light you want to make a right (before you turn, there is a building with an orange awning on the right and an "Anew" store on the left). You'll see a sign that s says "Boutique Paris" on the left. Turn left here. Fertile is on the right and their gated parking lot is on the left. Their parking spaces are spots 5, 6, and 7

*** Diana Middleton has this to say about Fertile!***

Fertile is a small, Japanese-owned restaurant with a very homey feeling to it. Some friends and I went together and they pulled some tables together so we could sit as a group. Although I didn't take pictures of the food, everything looked great. A few of us ordered the pork set which came highly recommended. I was not disappointed. The piece of pork chop was delicious! Along with the meal, which I believe was about 1300 yen, came a soup, a salad, a roll, a drink, and a dessert. Others on the table ordered the pasta set and the fish set. Everyone was very pleased with their order.

Mom and Dad are in town!

So, my mom and dad just got into town last night! To honor the occasion I'm doing something I haven't done before (and also because I was super-busy yesterday and the restaurant I was going to profile was closed) -- I am re-posting two articles that I wrote in November 2007 when Oki Hai was just a babe. If I were going to write them again, I'd do it totally different now, but in any case, for your reading enjoyment: Family Dining, Part I and II, or "Where I took my mom and dad to eat the first time they came for a visit". Any place that you've taken guests here that they particularly enjoyed? Would love to know!

Family Dining, Part 2 in a 2 Part Series

So, last week, we read what my mom and dad thought about some of the restaurants we hit during their visit to the island.  To re-cap:  They loved Bambohee for the fun factor of making their own food and learning to use the chopsticks.  And Yomitan Monagatori for the groovy pottery and authenticity factor. 

Well, we're not done yet.  Let's see what else they have to say.  (And, well, what I have to say too.)  *Note, as this "interview" was conducted in about the last 5 minutes before we reached the airport, the comments are, how shall we say - "succinct".

Here's the rest of the list:

"The Noodle Place"

I actually have not the faintest idea what the name of this place is.  But, it's across from the McDonald's in American Village, next to the Sega arcade.  It's a great lunch stop, especially if you are near Camp Foster or Kadena. What makes it so perfect?  Well, not only do you get the "Japanese experience" ie. a bowls of noodles / guys in towel headbands yelling at each other while tossing around soup and dodging fiery stoves, but you ALSO get HUMONGOUS portions.  Really!  I'm talkin' American style big here.  Mammoth portions of thick, hearty ramen soup (not soba) without any hidden chunks of "collagen" surprise lurking in the broth.  What you will find in your bowl are cuts of the most savory, delicious, boneless pork.  And if you ask, you can also get boiled egg, corn and a big 'ole chunk of butter thrown in (for an extra charge). Unless you are allergic, you must ask for all three of these additions.  Oh, and I would also recommend getting the white miso broth.  But that's just my opinion.  And we're here for mom and dad's, aren't we?

Mom:  "Too spicy.  I would have liked it more if I'd taken the spicy paste out."  (What??!  A negative remark?!  No. No. No.  That's not what you're supposed to say!)

Dad:  "I rate it best for food."  (Ahhh...that's more like it.  And that's just after dad had an emergency root canal too!)

Moving on...

"The Sushi Go Round" - Okay so I don't know the name of this place either.  But, we all know what I'm talking about here, right?  It's also in American Village, the sushi-go-round across the street from the Makeman store.

My parents aren't into fish and, despite being married to quite possibly THE most avid fisherman in Okinawa, I will confess that I am not really either.  But, you've gotta take your relatives out to try sushi at least once while they're in Japan, right?  And what better place to go than a restaurant in which the whole array of sushi choices is paraded before you on a conveyor belt.  My personal fave sushi-go-round-across-from-Makeman item, is the tempura shrimp sushi: deep fried shrimp wrapped up with avocado and cream cheese in a seaweed/rice roll.  (Order it off the menu.  It's not on the belt.)  The french fries, chicken, and soup menu options can tide over non sushi eaters, so they can still tell their friends back home they went out for sushi in Japan...and not starve.  Mom and dad's assessment:

Mom:  "I liked that for fun."  (Frankly, this comment surprised me 'cause there was an awful lot of dainty nibbling going on, on her part.)

Dad:  "Different.  Go with someone who's been there before."

Mintama/Buono Buono - "the Italian places"

Both of these are, yes, Italian.  The first, Mintama, is my absolute fave restaurant on island and I'll give you a more detailed report about it later on.  Buono Buono I might have to write about later too.  I personally, don't like it as much as Mintama, but it's still pretty gosh darn good.  Plus, it's in Chatan, which makes for easy access for most folks.  The inside reminds me of the kind of restaurants you see in Germany, for some reason, with its wood paneled walls.  I love their female jazz vocalist music repertoire.  Mintama is up in Yomitan. It's tiny, with about five tables and is built in what used to be a house.  It's the cutest little place with the most fantastic gnocchi.

Mintama

Mom:  "It was fun eating outside."  (We ate in a kind of a porch part.)  "The gnocchi was good."

Buono Buono

Dad:  The Yomitan one (Mintama) was better.  It took a lot of time.  (It did for real.  We went 'cause we were starving after the Battle of Okinawa tour and needed food close by Foster.  But anyway, at least it was good.)

Okay, real quick two more places.  I went to them with mom only on our "girls day."

Kelly: "Mom, what about that place we went to after we got our nails done?"  (Patisserie Porushe, a be-you-tiful coffee shop/ patisserie near Torii Station.  See Joelle's post for details)

Mom:  "Oh!  That was nice...and they serve good tea at the nail place."  (Cocok's)

Kelly:  How about the place we went to with book club?  (Transit Cafe - hipster restaurant/bar/cafe with fantastic view on the seawall.)

Mom:  "I liked sitting and looking out and seeing the scuba divers with their flashlights.  A good place to people watch."  (Mom, I quite agree with you on that one! Especially nice sitting out on the terrace.)

Anyplace else?  Well, in point of fact, yes.  For me, the best of all the experiences we shared with my parents over food here didn't take place in a restaurant.  It was at home actually, sharing dinner with some Japanese friends. Sharing a feast of our American food (like my husband's fried fish and my mom's great potato salad) along with our Japanese friends' Okinawan dishes (somen, champuru, etc.) and sitting down together to enjoy the delicious ensemble.  It was the best mix of comfort, family, friends, fun, and reaching across cultures...and food.  If you have time and energy, I'd HIGHLY recommend you include that in your guest visit itinerary.  Much fun.  And, according to mom and dad,  "A#1.  Excellent."

To Get There:

Mintama:  On route 6 toward Zampa, pass Torii Station main gate, pass a Max Value, a waving policeman, the turnoff to Rt 12, a JA, a t-shirt shop then…look for a red target/bull’s eye sign on the right hand side of the road. That's it.  Parking across the street. It’s open Monday-Saturday. Make reservations even on a week night!

Buono Buono: Going south on 58.  Pass Foster commissary. Turn right at the Lawson's.  Make another immediate right and another immediate right.  Buono Buono is right there (you should be next to a canal).  Park on the street.

Transit Cafe: From Kadena Gate 1.  Hang a left on 58.  Turn right at the Pizza In/gentleman's massage plaza.  Go all the way to the end of the street.  Turn right at see wall.  Transit Cafe is up the stairs, about the second building on the right. Here's a Japanese map.

Family Dining, Part One of a Two Part Series

Well, my parents just hopped on a plane today, back to North Carolina after a 12 day visit to the island.  The last time my dad was here was in, like, the '70s, while in the service.  Since I don't think he ever made it past Gate 2 Street and this was my mom's first ever trip to Asia, I had a lot to show them.

In true Kelly form, food factored heavily into the picture.  Hell, I've been taking mental notes on what restaurants/bars/bakeries I'd bring my parents to ever since I moved here.  The cream puff joint?  Ami's awesome izakaya?  Mintama's perfect, fluffy gnocchi?  Choices.  So, when mom and dad finally bought their tickets, I made up a little "Tour de Okinawa" itinerary for them and labored over the appropriate daily dining/activity pairings.  In my world, this is a serious feat of organization.

Well, whaddaya know. We didn't end up doing half of the stuff I'd had in mind, but that's beside the point.  The point is that we went out to eat.  And on the ride back to the airport, I got moms and pops to give up the goods.  What'd they like?  What sucked?  Could they please enlighten the readers and future mom-and-dad-hosters of Okinawa Hai?

They sure could.  Here's lowdown.

Place #1 Bambohe - "the grill in the middle of the table place"

Bambohe was our first dining experience together on the island.  It's a yakiniku restaurant down near Kokusai Street that we picked out 'cause it's a) near Kokusai Street b) a good intro into Japanese food for my non-fish eating parents c) fun  d) cheap.  There's no menu necessary.  Just get a tray and load it up with vegetables, raw meat, salad, etc.  Take it back to your table and start cooking your food on the grill in the middle of it.  Here's what the 'rents had to say.

Mom:  "Loved it!  Great fun!  Great variety and you can sit around and yak."

Dad:  He gave this restaurant the "highest rating for fun."

Mom:  "A good place to learn how to use chopsticks because you're at your private table and not self-conscious."

*See Aviva's post for directions and great, detailed info on Bambohe here.

Place #2  Yomitan Story (Yomitan Monogatari) - "the macho beer place"

Yomitan Story is this awesome izakaya in Yomitan particularly popular with Japanese tourists to Okinawa.  In my opinion, the ambiance is A+ #1.  My hubby and I wanted to take mom and dad here mainly for the amazing atmosphere and also for the "macho beer", which is served in beautiful liter(!)-sized Okinawa pottery mugs.  The awamori (brought to your table in a gorgeous pottery bottle, which you can't buy, I've asked, but you can rent, which we did) proved to be another popular beverage for the evening.  The food is Okinawan:  think fatty pork, goya, and raw fish.  But, there are enough items on the menu to cover westernized palates too.  To that end, I'd highly recommend the benimo balls, somen noodles, definitely the fish crepe (even for non-fish eaters), and the chicken.  Try the goya champuru too.  Oh and there's an English menu.  The parent's take:

Dad:  "The best for authenticity and atmosphere...the service was quick.'

Mom:  "And even if you don't like the food, you're so overwhelmed by how good the pottery is, you don't care."

Dad:  "I was impressed by the macho beer place just because of the atmosphere.  I'd go back there again."

Mom:  "If you told me I was gonna eat pigs foot, I wouldn't have believed it!...The noodles (somen) were to die for!

*Take route 6 past Torii Station toward Cape Zampa.  When you see the BIG Fisherman's Wharf sign on the side of the building (a Lawson's?) turn left.  Follow the road to the Fisherman's Wharf restaurant.  Yomitan Story is right across from it.  Here's a picture of the entrance here.

On a bummer note, they're really sorry that they don't allow kids.  So, if you need an excuse for a babysitter, here you go.  Grab your in-laws, parents and friends for a "grown-ups night" at the Story.  And don't forget the number to a daiko.

END OF PART I

Hills Dining Sasa...The Izakaya on the Hill

It's been about a month since I've been to Hills Dining Sasa so I thought I'd have forgotten everything about it, but revisiting the photos for this week's post is bringing it all back and I'm getting hungry!  Sasa is an izakaya about a 5-10 minute drive from Camp Foster, in Kitanakagusuku, perched atop a hill overlooking Awase.  It's a classy kind of a place as izakayas go, with a spectacular vista and great food.  Even my husband approves,  amazing since he typically looks down his nose at restaurants that hold the slightest whiff of elegance. But Hills Dining Sasa has a couple of things going in its favor.  One, it serves fish.  Two, it's an izakaya and he loves him an izakaya.  Three it's an izakaya with good fish...even better.  And fourth, it's an izakaya with good fish and few Americans.  Well that's the golden ticket right there.  Sasa passes the test on all counts.

We went with a friend visiting Okinawa on business.  He used to live on island, so we ate and ate and ate -- loading up on the delicacies he missed from here.  Namely, variations on raw fish.  I won't put the picture of the salmon salad, 'cause it was one of those shots where you eat half before you realize you have to take a picture.  (And I still don't know how to crop photos on my "new" mac.)

Instead feast your eyes on the fish head soup. 

Apparently it was very good, but I confess that it ain't my thang.

No worries for non-fish eaters.  You will not starve.  The menu is extensive (in English by the way.)  There's local pork, beef and "fresh young chicken on a skewer".  Even horse, if that's what you've been hankerin' for.  Here's one page whose "Food That Goes Perfectly With Sake" title I enjoyed.  Unfortunately, I was driving so I can't tell you if the food did indeed go well with sake.  It went well with hot tea though.

I liked that sprinkled in with your more typical izakaya fare were some pretty creative offerings.  I mean look at this gorgeous plate of meatballs, placed with mushroom and peppers on a little bed of miso paste.  That was some good stuff.  That it's on a leaf makes it somehow more delicious.  Could they even do that in the States?

(I wish I were a better photographer because, seriously, these pictures do not do the food justice.)

This was an interesting take on your typical french fry.  The "three assorted potatoes" plate.  Fortunately the guys were all wrapped up in their fish, so I got to keep most of it for myself.

Now I had been to Sasa when I first got to Okinawa three years ago.  We went two or three times and then got lured away by the island's myriad of other dining options.  Since then it's changed.  I don't know when it happened and if it's a new owner or just remodeled or what, but it's gotten more upscale.  When we were there the clientele was primarily women.  Even though it was pretty full, it wasn't all smoky.  It seems like it would be a nice group place to go, if you're having a farewell or a birthday dinner or something.  The seating is the kind with the hole in the floor, but with backrests so, it was all pretty comfortable. 

It was dark and cozy, so a little hard to get a good interior shot.
 

And here's a daytime view from the parking lot.

HOURS AND INFO:

weekdays: 6pm-1am, weekend: 6pm-2am

098-935-4888

DIRECTIONS:

From Foster:  Leave Foster Legion Gate (the one w/ Sam's Anchor in near it) and go straight.  Follow the road down the hill.  You'll see a Family Mart on the right and also Ocean Pet Store.  The road will turn red and becomes lined w/ palm trees.  At the light after the Pet Store, make a left. There's also a soba shop on that corner. The road will take you up a steep-ish hill.  Hills Dining Sasa is the first two-story building on your right. 

Peter's Place

CONTRIBUTED BY AMANDA

My husband, son and I love to go to Peter's Place. It's the best Chinese we've had on island! The bottom floor of the restaurant has beautiful furniture for sale, and the actual restaurant is on the second floor. The tables and furniture used are also examples of what you can find downstairs.

The environment is amazing, as are the owners. They are very personable and take a genuine interest in all of their customers. Peter is willing to special order any dish, and if you don't see what you want on the menu (which is extensive anyway) he will try and make whatever you want! One of my favorite dishes is the Kung Pao chicken. My husband likes the Beef and Broccoli and requests it spicy. We also love the fried rice and spring rolls. The other dish pictured is the Chicken Curry on rice that my 2 year old loves. They give you a pitcher of iced tea and a pitcher of water, which with the prices of some drinks off base, is worth it's weight in gold! The food is all very reasonably priced, with Regular size dishes, and Large. I have yet to see the size of a large dish as the regular is plenty!

HOURS:

They are only open Thur-Sun, from 10-2:30 and 4:30-10. But just another example of how willing and accommodating Peter is, he will open any day of the week with reservations for parties of 10 or more. It's a beautiful place for any event!

DIRECTIONS:

From Kadena Gate 2, take a right onto 330. Once you pass the Plaza House shopping center, Peter's Place will be on the left directly after Kadena Oil gas station. The drive for it is right after the building which leads to a parking lot at the bottom of a little hill.

My husband and I would really love to see Peter's Place in OkinawaHai. Other people should be able to enjoy it as much as we do! I hope you give it a try. :o)

Where to get your Piroshki and Borscht fix?... Russian Restaurant Perestroika!

I'm really excited about this post.  I've been wanting to go to this restaurant for months.  Now Stephanie takes us there virtually!

CONTRIBUTED BY STEPHANIE BORUD

When you walk into the Perestroika, you step into a mini version of Russia (like I've ever been!) The music that's playing just makes me wanna squat and kick my legs out! (Stop trying to picture it!)

We're invited to seat ourselves by Chef Ekaterina as she hands us our menus. I opened up the menu to find my favvy...a course menu! I love it when you don't have to make any hard decisions, the menu makes it for you! I had the Moscow Course while my husband chose the Vladivostok Course. Very much the same course except for he got to choose an extra main dish. He chose the Stroganoff..very Russian, right? Yummy!

 

We are started off with a petit potato salad with tiny treasures of peas and carrots.

A Piroshki follows...mine was delicious with just veggies but his was made with my favorite other white meat, pork!

Next comes the Borscht.

The last time we were there the hostess (I believe her name is Elena) tells us that next we should order something more traditional to the Russian cuisine. She suggested that we order the Borscht. Who am I to argue? Check it out! It's red like Rhubarb but tastes nothing like it! I assure you! It was a bowl full of yummy goodness...can't explain...falling back into the food coma!

Here's my husband's Stroganoff! Da da da da!!! Once again, a bowl full of yummy goodness.

Note: I want to tell you that the bowls were cute and small. But after all those courses, we did leave satisfactory full. I usually like to leave a restaurant full to the point of unbuttoning my pants in the car full. I should also note that we snuck in a piece of Raspberry Cheesecake to top off the meal. But we ate it too fast before I could get a picture of it...my apologies, but it was de-lish!

Our beautiful hostess and I believe she is proprietor of the establishment, Elena (Or so I think her name is).

HOURS AND INFO:

1800-2400 Monday - Saturday, CLOSED Sundays
098-863-2206   http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f353400/

DIRECTIONS:

From Kadena Gate 1, go south on 58 toward Naha. You will pass Camps Foster, Futenma and Kinser. You will also pass Arin Krin (Garlic) and Kokusai St. Once you pass Kokusai St. you're gonna want to keep an eye out for this sign:

Now, you will see this sign twice! After the 2nd sign, you'll take an immediate left. Once on this street, you are going to look to your right and you find the Park-per-hour thingies. There are a couple of them so take your pick. There is also one of those tall parking garages nearby so you have plenty to choose from. Once parked, you're going to want to walk down the street going south just a little ways and you will see Perestroika on your right-hand side. There will be this sign directly across from Perestoika.

No relevance here, it helps me to get there though.

A Restaurant for Courtney/McTureous Folks (50s Cafe!)

Okay, so you don't have to live out by Courtney or McTureous to go to 50's Cafe, the new(ish) outpost of the Gate 2 Street burger joint, but it's nice to be able to finally offer a restaurant post for you folks living out there! Actually, this is a combo-post, coming from two, count 'em TWO different readers. Jennifer's came first, then I went to the restaurant to take pictures to accompany it and accidentally ERASED the pictures on post day, (ugh!)  but then Stephanie wrote in a review for the same restaurant with pictures. Yeah!  Oh, and at about the same time Diana sent pictures too! (Okay, so that makes three contributors...or four?) Too much information, I know, but with all these recommendations, pictures,and posts floating about 50's Cafe has gotta be good.  This little diner is begging for some attention!

 

Here's the dish from Jennifer: 

Those of us in the Courtney area finally have a new restaurant to try out! 50's Cafe, burgers and more, opened on Route 36, that's the road that leads out to Exit 5 on the expressway. They have a variety of burgers, plain, American cheeseburger- lettuce tomato onion included, bacon cheese burger, chili cheese burger, what looked to be carmelized onions and cheese, and an everything/loaded burger. 

Burger prices range from 500 y for the plain to 1050Y for the loaded one. Soda and fries are an additional 250Y. If your not in the mood for burgers, they also serve pancakes 2 for 300Y or a combo plate with 2 eggs, 2 sausages, 2 bacon slices and 3 pancakes for 750Y. A variety of American and Japanese beers are available for 400Y. 

It's a 50's setting with red and white checked table cloths and tons of 50's movie memorabilia on the walls and 50's music in the background. The staff at the counter spoke excellent English. I was also told by someone else who ate there that they have an agreement with their neighboring restaurant and if some in the party are in the mood for Okinawa soba, they can order their noodle dish in the adjacent restaurant next door and eat it in the 50's Cafe.

To be honest, the burger was a little dry, the bun it was served on was huge and toasted nicely, and it was a generous serving of fries.   

And from Stephanie (but those are her pictures above): 

When we arrived we immediately saw a giant picture menu! I love pictures, that way I know exactly what I'll be getting! No guessing! Then we opened the doors and there was definitely a '50's vibe. There were pictures of late, great actors and actresses and tons of vintage ads covering the walls. The red booth seats and red and white checkered table clothes tied everything together to make for a great 50's experience! 

I couldn't decided whether I should have one of the A-mazing burgers or one of the mouth watering breakfast plates! But the guy that took our order said that they serve breakfast all day long so I decided that I could bring those same friends back for a brunch! I ultimately decided on an American Cheeseburger Combo plate. The burger was nummy and so were the fries! We reluctantly left the cafe with full bellies and a renewed hunger for burgers! The Fonz, Joanie, Chachi, Ralph Malph and Richie had it so good back in the day! Maybe now the rest of us can get a taste of it! 

 

*The first three pictures are Stephanie's the last three come from Diana Middleton.  Thanks!

DIRECTIONS: Go out Kadena Gate 3. Follow straight until 329. Go left on 329. Proceed until exit 5 of the expressway. Go right at that intersection.  50s Diner is a short distance at the top of the hill on the right. 

PHONE AND HOURS: 098-938-7719 

OPEN: TUE-FRI 11:00am-9:30pm, SAT/SUN 10:00am-9:30pm  CLOSED MONDAYS

If you'd like to contribute a review of your favorite restaurant, bar or cafe send it in with pics, hours, and directions to:  toeatinokinawa@yahoo.com

Adventure to the British Wine and Tea Shop...(while you're on your way north to see cherry blossoms!)

Heather contributed this wonderful article.  Perfect timing for cherry blossom visits up north. A fun post!  Pictures compliments of the lovely Pamela Oliveras.

CONTRIBUTED BY HEATHER MINOR GELORMINE

My husband and I are geocachers, which basically means that we pull out the GPS, plug in given sets of coordinates, and go treasure hunting all over the island of Okinawa. We're still pretty new to the sport, but in the spirit of wanting to explore our still-new-to-us home, we're venturing further and further away with each day that passes. Today our travels took us right to the doorstep of The British Tea and Wine Shop, a fantastically cute and still virtually unknown restaurant a little north of Nago. 

As we pulled into the driveway of the not-quite-well-marked-enough house-slash-restaurant, we were immediately greeted by two tiny and vocal poodles, Ollie and Cromwell. As I stepped out of my car I saw a little head peek around the corner of the wooden porch, and excitedly exclaim, "More treasure hunters, Chef!" The owner/proprietor, John, met us in the empty parking lot, asking if we were there to find lost treasure (there's a cache right there on his property). "We sure are," we told him, "But we're hungry. Can we eat first?" 

That was all John needed to welcome us into his home. As my husband later said, eating here was like eating at an old friend's house. John was not just hospitable and helpful, he was chatty, bright, and genuinely grateful to have English-speaking customers with whom to converse. As we learned throughout the course of our hour and a half stay, John and his wife, Maki, moved to Okinawa two and a half years ago to open a restaurant. John was originally from London, and Maki from mainland Japan, but they met in Hong Kong and decided to return to Maki's homeland, where he could put his PR skills to use while she could ensue her passion for cooking. They ultimately found that Okinawa was a much more feasible venture for them, and opened their restaurant upon moving here. 

I've been told that The British Tea and Wine House has a menu, but I never saw one. Instead, John informed us that they had two types of fresh pasta in the making, and would we like them? "Of course, that sounds delicious," we answered, and with that our meal was prepared and brought to us based upon John's whims and Maki's cooking. We were not disappointed. 

Between my husband and I, we ate full plates of rigatoni with bolognese sauce, and penne with a creamy mint and cheese sauce, each with a pressed salad and local greens on the side. Our children ate off of our plates, but I understand that there's a child-friendly menu available. It's not surprising, as John welcomed our five-year-old daughter and year-and-a-half-old son into his restaurant with open arms, guiding us to a wrap-around couch, encouraging them to stand up on the leather seats, and bringing toys for them to play with while we waited for our meal. 

You should note, if visiting here with young children you may want to bring your own booster seat, as they did not have a high chair available. But John was happy to see that midway through our meal, our children had decided to explore the restaurant. You see, we were the only ones there, and had John's attention to ourselves for the duration of our stay. It was a bit unnerving at first, given that there was seating for nearly forty people on the main floor, and probably ten or more in the upstairs loft, which I didn't have the chance to explore, but we rather enjoyed it once John pulled out his atlas to help me figure out where my ancestors came from in relation to where he hails. 

Our daughter was given the choice of canned pineapple juice or fresh papaya juice from his garden, and my husband and I decided that for our beverage, when in a British Tea Shop... (You should also note that ordering coffee here would be a faux-pas, as they don't serve it. It's a British tea shop, after all.) Our meals were served on Wedgwood china ("These were the plates the Emperor used!" John told us), and our tea was brought to us in a steaming silver tea service, complete with strainer as "Tea bags do not make real tea", and he even allowed us milk, though the proper way to drink British tea is with sugar and lemon. 

After our meal, we were presented with a huge, moist, steaming raisin scone fresh from the oven and lightly dusted with powdered sugar, served with clotted cream and papaya preserves freshly made that morning from the organic fruits grown in his garden. Our daughter was given a hearty portion of some of the most decadent flourless chocolate cake I've ever eaten, with a hearty portion of homemade ice cream on the side. Fortunately for me, she liked the ice cream better than the cake, and I was able to eat more than my fair share of that treat. John also brought a much smaller portion of the chocolate cake for my son, who very unceremoniously shoved it all into his mouth and signed, "More! More!" 

To my understanding, this tea and wine shop also has a small winery attached to it. We didn't sample any of that fare, but from what I've read on our geocaching site, the wine was quite tasty. I also learned that the menu has quite a few choices, and the prices are reasonable. I didn't ask the price of anything; I had been enjoying the experience so thoroughly that I happily paid our bill, which for all our fresh, homemade food came to just over 4100 Yen. We left with full bellies and full hearts, and promises to return again. And again. And again. And we will.

Info:

Hours:  11:00-18:00 (I'd call just in case they close early!)  CLOSED FRIDAYS 

098-047-7133 (John and Maki both speak excellent English.)

Izumi Motobu-cho, Okinawa, Japan 905-0221 

Directions: Leaving from Kadena Gate 1, go north on 58, or get on the Expressway to Nago. Pass through Nago proper, following the signs for the Ocean Expo Park and Churaumi Aquarium. Take a left onto 84, and follow past the Nago Pineapple Park. About 2 km past the Pineapple Park are signs for a shrimp shop and a cafe on your left. You'll have two chances to make this left turn; if you miss the first you can turn about 100 feet later. You'll see a small sign for the British Tea and Wine Shop here. (If you see the first of the fish topiary on the side of the road, you've gone too far.) 

Once on this small auxiliary street, turn onto the downward sloping paved road, and follow for another km. At the bottom of the hill will be a small cafe. Continue driving on the road to your left, and follow until you see a sign for a cafe and the Tea Shop. Take a right onto this driveway, but bear left. Up the very steep hill, the restaurant will be on your right. There's parking in front of the house, enough spaces for probably five or six cars total. This house is located in the middle of seemingly nowhere, surrounded by woods and orange groves. Don't worry if it looks like you're in someone's driveway; you're in the right place.

Sam's By The Sea...Got Pics?

Sam's by the Sea. It's an Okinawa institution. Reading this description provided by Mariann makes me want to go back! She does a fantastic job describing the scene. So, I'm wondering if YOU have been to Sam's By The Sea? (the one out by Awase)  If so, did you take PICTURES by any chance? I thought for this post we could add a little picture gallery to it!   Send them along to toeatinokinawa@yahoo.com  and I'll post them up here with the article. Kind of like Joelle did with her Cocok's article awhile back.  Remember? 

 *Hopefully this is as easy to do as it is in my mind!  Be advised that my computer skills are a tad lacking though!  But, I'll do my best! -Kelly  OH! One more thing.  If you want to read a little about Sam's Anchor Inn check out the article HERE

  

 







 

      

 

CONTRIBUTED BY MARIANN

When I asked the hub yesterday where he wanted to go for his final dinner before deployment, he quickly answered Sam's By The Sea. For New Year's, we went to the Rose Garden (little Italian joint on 330) and had run into the owner and he was swell... Ranted and raved about his cooks, his bakers (who bake all their breads from scratch), and his 12 restaurants that he owned. He was a sweet 'ol guy. Got us thinking about his other restaurants we wanted to visit... including Sam's. So the hub's last dinner was the perfect opportunity to try a nice expensive restaurant. It took us about 30 minutes to get to from Yomitan. And, boy, was it worth the trip! Unfortunately, I didn't grab my camera on the way out the door. 

When we found it, the tiki torches were blazing. We pulled into the gravel lot where the giant tiki statue and the Duke stood guard. Getting out of the car, we could hear the birds squawaking, which of course we had to go and see. They've got two beautiful parrots (i think they were parrots) in the back near the patio. Then near the front door they had a cockatoo (maybe? with a sign that said "this bird bites" so keep those fingers away!) Upon entering, we were greeted by a welcoming staff dressed in sailor uniforms (so adorable). Now, since I had no camera, you'll have to close your eyes and imagine... hawaiian music playing (just a little too loud), a dark room with wood walls, rattan chairs, brass oil lamps on the tables, fishing nets and a boat hanging from the ceiling, shells and masks adorn the walls. There's also a huge iron soup pot that apparently took years to scavenge and build in the 70s, filled with the day's piping hot soup (ours was curry). 

Of course, the hub ordered the surf n turf with Maine lobster. The kids really enjoyed it when the waitress brought over the beautiful blue lobster and it stuck out its arms and gigantic claws to let us view our meal. The meal came with soup, salad with choice of dressing, rice or bread, and vegetables (corn on cob and mix of seasonal veggies). And the filet melted in the hub's mouth. I ordered a prime rib with king crab legs. The rib was delicious as well as the crab legs. The kids split a chicken kids meal, which came with an entire serving of shrimp-stuffed-chicken, fries, veggies, salad, soup, bread or rice, and a drink, and dessert, which was a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream served in an actual shell (if you order before 630pm). It was more than enough food for both my 3 and 5 year old. For dessert, we ordered a piece of their Mile High Coconut Pie. It literally stood off of the plate 8 inches and had the most divine crust. Oh, and I had a coupon out of the Okinawa Living magazine for a free shrimp cocktail with each dinner entree, so we had two of those also. Also the hub got a beer and a coffee. (wow- are we pigs or what!?) The only thing I'd say negative (about the whole experience) is that the crab legs I believe had been previously frozen, as they were a little on the dry side. The food, the staff, and the service were superb. 

Our total bill was around Y13000. I wouldn't go there every day just because of the price, but a great special-occasion dinner kind of place! Oh- and one more thing that I wish i'd thought of when paying... their yen rate was 98Y to the dollar, which is 7Y more than the normal rate for today, which means that if I'd paid with dollars instead of Yen, I'd have saved about 7Y per dollar, which would have been around $9. Which is a pretty good discount if you ask me. So check to see which money is cheaper to pay with for the day. 

DIRECTIONS: In Awase. Drive down Gate 2 Street, pass over the 85, continue to the end near the water and follow to the left. Take a left at the end and the restaurant's on the right. Big boat and tiki torches. Can't miss it. 

HOURS AND INFO:
098-937-3421
Open:  4:30pm-midnight  EVERDAY!  Credit Cards Okay
Click HERE for website.  It's got menu and little map on it too.

Kid friendly, as in they had children's menus, not as in they had toys or a play area.