Local Eats Japan

I went there back on my first visit to Japan in 2023, and it still stands as one of my favourite meals I have had to date. 

While the unfortunate reality is that Okinawa isn’t a place many people will be able to get to on a short trip, it is somewhere that people visiting Japan should try to get to at least once.

It is often referred to as the Hawaii of Japan, and I would have to agree, and even going as far as to say it one-ups it in some areas as well. 

One being that there are a lot less tourists in some parts, making it a lot less busy, and the second being that you can find incredible food (like Eibun) and at a quarter of the price of some places in Hawaii. 

Eibun’s located just outside of “Kokusai Dori” which is Okinawa Prefectures main shopping district and likely the place with the most hustle and bustle out of any of the varying islands Okinawa has to offer (I know this sounds hypocritical with me saying there aren’t many tourists, but it is still significantly less than Hawaii so rest assured!). 

Why this is such a good location is because I imagine a lot of you will be going to kokusai dori to begin with, so why not stop into a local restaurant serving traditional Okinawan food? 

Also, Eibun has a system where instead of having to line up, you can write your name and how many people you have in your party and go do what you please in the meantime.

This would be the perfect opportunity to go explore the shopping street, but do be aware that there is no way for them to contact you if your spot is approaching, so be conservative with how long you decide to separate yourself from the restaurant relative to how many names were before you. 

I myself had maybe 10 names in front of me but still just stayed in front of the shop to be safe. 

The food is actually soba, and I am sure that doesn’t pique a lot of your guys’ interests because it is probably something you have heard of before, but what makes it special is what it is topped with. 

Generally speaking, soba is often eaten just on its own, or has the odd exception of tempura on it as well, but “Okinawa Soba” throws big pieces of Okinawa style braised pork belly which is cooked in soy sauce and brown sugar. 

Additionally, and this is a big part of the dish too, but traditional soba is usually made with buckwheat which gives it that darker black/brown colour, but Okinawa “soba” noodles are made with wheat flour which is why is looks (and tastes) similar to udon or ramen noodles. 

In terms of visuals alone, this is by far the best picture of food I have ever taken, and the reason why I put it on the home page of my blog. 

But the flavour matches, or maybe even exceeds how it looks. The hand-pulled noodles’ elasticity, the various cuts of tender, braised pork, and the light warming soup that made me drink it all even though it was 30 degrees celsius and sunny outside. 

The combination of these finely-crafter portions of the soup paired so well together that I have been craving it ever since. When I go back to Okinawa I know I will be heading straight for this bowl. 

Additionally to this, while potentially off putting to some of you, I ordered a raw egg which can be eaten in whichever way you’d like really, but I mix it up and dip my pork or noodles in it. 

As they still have some soup dripping off of them, it makes for a super creamy delicious bite with the egg. If you are in Japan, the quality of their eggs are incredible, so you do not have to worry about getting sick. 

Obviously the rice looks a bit different from its standard white equivalent, but this is because it is “takikomi gohan” which is a Japanese form of cooking where the rice is cooked with various vegetables and seasoned with dashi and soy sauce. It was so flavorful and really opened up my eyes to what potential rice had as a cooking ingredient. 

If (and when) I come back here I will be sure to order exactly what I did in this picture above and relive the nostalgia as well as deliciousness that Eibun’s food brings. 

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More about me

Different types of ordering systems in Japan explained

Purchasing an onigiri to keep me fuelled throughout my journey 🍙