wendy's Reviews Page 12/28

What I liked most about Ishigaki Island was its relaxed and comfortable pace. The deep blue sea, lush natural scenery, and distinctive Okinawan island culture create a strong tropical atmosphere everywhere you go.

Ishigaki Island isn't just a place to enjoy ocean views and unwind on vacation. You can also try authentic local specialties such as Ishigaki beef and seafood, strolling around at your own pace and experiencing the rhythm of island life. There isn't much hustle and bustle, just sunshine, sea breezes, and beautiful scenery.

Besides Ishigaki beef, seafood is also something you shouldn't miss on Ishigaki Island! This time, we visited the locally well-known Uminchu Izakaya Gen Main Branch. The restaurant has two floors, with the main dining area on the second floor, so you need to take the stairs up.

This isn't just a simple seafood izakaya. It mainly serves a variety of island-style dishes, letting you experience many local Okinawan flavors all at once. May to June happens to be bluefin tuna migration season, when fresh tuna from the surrounding waters is at its most delicious. If you like seafood, I highly recommend visiting during this season to enjoy the fresh seasonal flavors.

The restaurant is located in central Ishigaki City, so you can also explore the surrounding area after your meal. It's worth adding to your itinerary when visiting Ishigaki Island!

When we visited Naminoue Shrine on the first day, it happened to be cloudy, so it felt like the blue-sky-and-ocean atmosphere was missing. We made a special trip back the next day! Naminoue Shrine is really popular, and there were quite a few visitors. This time, instead of crowding around the front, we walked along the road behind it and looked back at the shrine from the bridge. With Naminoue Beach below and the pale blue water, the view from this angle was unexpectedly beautiful.

It takes quite a bit of extra walking to get here, but we treated it as a stroll, and it was pleasant to enjoy the scenery along the way. When the weather is good, Naminoue Shrine with the ocean view really feels like Okinawa. It's worth making a special trip to see!

When visiting Naha, you definitely shouldn't miss Naminoue Shrine, built on a coral reef cliff! The vermilion shrine buildings combined with Ryukyu style are solemn and distinctive, and you can also look out over Naminoue Beach from beside the shrine. The grounds are quiet and peaceful, making it a comfortable place to worship or take a walk. You can also pick up a unique omamori as a souvenir. Unfortunately, it was cloudy when I visited, so I missed out on the blue sky and sea, but the gray sky gave the shrine an extra sense of tranquility and mystery. It's still well worth a visit!

Compared with the bustling Shurijo Castle, I prefer the relaxed atmosphere of Shikinaen Royal Garden. It was the largest royal villa in the Ryukyu Kingdom. The garden is shaded by lush trees, and as you stroll along paths paved with Ryukyu limestone, you can admire the heart-shaped pond, hexagonal pavilion, and rustic stone bridges. The scenery is very distinctive.

The garden blends Chinese and Ryukyuan cultures, with details worth seeing everywhere. Admission is JPY 400, and there are relatively fewer visitors. It's very pleasant to walk around, and I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historic sites and garden strolls〜

My first A&W experience was in Okinawa! With the American-style interior, a burger, and a classic root beer, the place is filled with a strong retro American vibe〜

The burger is a moderate size, but I really liked how well balanced everything was. The bun, fillings, and sauce worked perfectly together, and the seasoning wasn't too heavy. It was a comfortable, just-right meal for one person.

If you want an affordable steak in Okinawa, give this long-established steakhouse a try! It's considered one of Okinawa's iconic everyday foods, and there are many locations. The menu has plenty of options, so both adults and kids can find something that suits their tastes.

You can choose steaks of different grades and sizes depending on your budget. It comes with an all-you-can-eat salad bar, with unlimited rice and salad, while drinks must be ordered separately. I thought the food was pretty good this time, and most importantly, it came out quite quickly. It's a good option for anyone who doesn't want to wait too long and just wants a simple steak meal.

There are three meat options for the signature noodles: ribs, pork belly, and diced pork. The meat has a natural sweetness that I really liked. You can also order a half portion of noodles for the same price. If you have a small appetite, I recommend ordering the “mini set” directly, which comes with a small bowl of noodles and a small bowl of seasoned rice. The rice is a bit like Taiwanese sticky rice, but with almost no flavor.

The house-made spicy miso is also very good. Adding a little gives the whole bowl more depth with its fragrant heat. Maybe it was because of the rain, but we arrived a little after 4:00 p.m. and didn’t have to wait at all, which made for a super comfortable meal.

If you want to try a different kind of shabu-shabu in Okinawa, give this place a try! It's tucked away in the basement, down a short flight of stairs. Reservations are recommended on weekends.

We chose the Kin Agu set. The broth was very good, and the Agu pork was delicious, though the portion really wasn't that large. Fortunately, the vegetables are unlimited, so anyone who loves vegetables should be satisfied.

You can also help yourself to ice cream after the meal, which I really liked. It was surprisingly delicious! It seems you can also finish the hot pot with noodle soup or rice in broth, but we ate too much ice cream and simply couldn't fit anything else, so we had to skip it.

Naha's famous Fukusuke Tamagoyaki is an extremely popular takeout shop specializing in tamagoyaki in Okinawa. The extra-thick tamagoyaki made right in front of you looks so tempting! This time, I tried the JPY 450 "Original Tamagoyaki," which combines tamagoyaki with SPAM luncheon meat, known as "PORK" in Okinawa, and wraps them into a rice ball. The tamagoyaki is moist and slightly sweet, while the luncheon meat is savory and salty, perfectly balancing the sweetness of the egg. They go surprisingly well together without being too rich. Order at the self-service kiosk and wait for your number to be called. There are benches nearby where you can eat it right away. If you want to try something new in Okinawa, give this local soul food a try.