Okinawa: No Car, Just a Bus Tour (Local Cuisine in Southern and Central Okinawa)

Day 1
Accommodation: Okinawa LCH Hotel Prefectural Office
Dinner: Ryuya Ramen, one of the three best ramen shops in the area
Features: The broth is rich but not overly salty, and the noodles are perfectly firm. The restaurant is small, so the wait is about 20-30 minutes. The nori seaweed is printed with the restaurant's chibi logo. They also sell Agu pork pan-fried dumplings 🥟, which have a slightly sweeter pork flavor than Taiwanese pork dumplings, but without any porky smell. After your meal, they thoughtfully provide a small plate of flavored shaved ice 🍧.
Dessert: Shioya
Features: The ice cream 🍦 is vanilla-flavored, thanks to the addition of local salt, which balances out the sweetness. Those who don't like sweets should try it. You can also order the local Jinchugao snow salt biscuits, which have a relatively dry and sweet texture. The shop also sells snow salt sandwich cookies, which are a combination of corn chips and vanilla cream for a crispy texture. You can try three to five of Shioya's specialty products in one stop.

Late-night snack: There's a FamilyMart downstairs from the hotel itself, with a wide selection of Japanese fried foods. The dessert section and snack section are crazy, but I still love hot dogs and chicken nuggets. Paired with a local beer, they're a perfect way to satisfy a late-night hunger pang when you're too lazy to go out.

Day 2
Attraction: Naminoue Shrine & Beach 🏖️
Feature: This cliffside shrine is crowded, so close-up photography is difficult. There's a wide variety of amulets for sale, but the only thing I bought was a cute little schoolbag-shaped amulet. I sewed it into a small backpack to pray for my child's academic success. The beach stall is located downstairs from the shrine, a great place to cool down on hot days. It's fenced off with nets to prevent jellyfish and other creatures from getting on tourists and swimmers, a thoughtful precaution.

Breakfast: A&W, a local burger joint.
Features: Located on the second floor of a building, order the combo. The fries are salty and bring out the potato's natural flavor, while the curly potatoes are visually appealing. The burger features smoked bacon and pork patty, generously topped with mayonnaise and a creamy cheese-like texture, making the meat even more smooth. For drinks, order an Okinawa rootbear, which is similar in flavor to Taiwanese black pine root beer, but with a special local ingredient. You'll never know for yourself.

Lunch: Itoman Fish Market
Features: The dining area's set menu includes a butter-grilled fish dish. The fish is covered with white paper to prevent it from being sprayed with oil from the grill. It comes with a bowl of miso fish bone broth, a sweet and sour local orange, and sashimi and tuna belly. The locally caught ingredients are delivered directly to the market, ensuring freshness. Luckily, I happened to catch a fish butchering demonstration, enjoying the process while I ate. The fresh food section in the adjacent building is clean and tidy, with a single route. They sell sashimi, various lobsters and seafood, fried items, and bento boxes. Prices are affordable for the average consumer. Try the baked lobster, which comes generously with mayonnaise, ketchup, and teriyaki sauce for a rich, flavorful dish.

Attraction: Senaga Island
Snack: Shrimp Rice by the Shirmp
Feature: This spot, also known as Okinawa's Little Greece, offers a place where you can watch planes take off and land while eating. The shrimp are thoughtfully cooked in a scalloped, unsalted state. The dish is available without rice and served with lettuce. A drizzle of lemon juice is added before eating, along with the restaurant's rich, homemade garlic paste. The lettuce and shrimp are perfectly balanced, fresh and chewy.

Dinner: Toritama (🥚 Egg Specialty Shop)
Feature: Rice options include white and brown rice, and a variety of chicken dishes are available. The restaurant prides itself on producing its own eggs and chicken, ensuring a seamless process from ingredients to serving. The tamagoyaki (seaweed flavored) set menu is incredibly moist, and the Nanban fried chicken, served with a mayonnaise-like dipping method, is tender and fresh. The soup comes with a choice of miso or the restaurant's own chicken broth. I was curious about the color of the broth, but after trying it, I recommend it to travelers who don't usually drink chicken broth, as it can be too rich.

Dessert: Blueseal
Features: A wide variety of flavors, vibrant colors, and an eye-catching array of colors.
Recommended flavor: Blue Wave. It has a soda-like flavor, and the ice cream is filled with small mints. The ice cream itself is sweet enough, and the candy inside is perfect for travelers who don't like sweets.

Day 3
Breakfast: JEF Burger
Features: Hidden away near Makishi Market, taxis can't reach the shop. The bitter melon burger with egg is refreshing, and the potato fries are firm. The fried chicken is considered the king, with a nearly unbreaded frying method that still locks in the juiciness. It takes fifteen minutes to order, but it arrives piping hot, and the chicken's sweetness explodes in your mouth. The simple seasoning made me take a taxi to the airport to enjoy it before my flight back to Taiwan.

Attraction: Makishi Public Market
Features: Local rice balls, tamagoyaki, seafood, cusine, pickles, and fresh fruit are all available. I came across a rice ball shop and bought two luncheon meat-based rice balls, each with its own unique seasoning. You can choose seafood on the first floor and have them prepared on the second floor. For pickles, you can buy locally pickled soba, which comes in three flavors: original, spicy, and with shiso. They are fragrant and flavorful. For those who don't like the taste and texture of soba, they also offer spicy bitter melon and spicy green papaya for tasting. Taiwanese customers are very welcome!

Lunch: Minatogawa Outer District Residence - Ishikyu Kungfu Soba
Features: Champion of an Okinawa noodle competition. The wait time for meals is approximately 30 minutes. Remember to register before entering, or you'll be waiting in vain! The restaurant offers a promotion where you can get your own pair of chopsticks if you spend a certain amount. 🥢
There are three noodle sizes to choose from. Since there's so much delicious food in this area, I opted for the small bowl. As expected of a champion restaurant, the chicken broth is sweet and mellow without too much chicken flavor. The grilled chicken broth, with its subtle barbecue aroma, is appetizing, and the chopped green onions enhance the broth's flavor. For a drink, try the restaurant's homemade ginger ale, which is sweet and refreshing.

Dessert: ohaocffee

Feature: The local architecture consists of low-rise buildings painted in different colors. The outdoor dining area is uniquely designed, but there are only four tables inside. If you want to enjoy the dessert properly, you'll have to wait in the cold. The signature fruit tart has a perfectly balanced crust, without the fruit losing moisture and becoming soft. The custard cream sauce inside, when sliced and eaten slowly, perfectly complements the crust and sauce. Paired with a cup of black coffee, it's a truly enjoyable experience.

Afternoon Tea: Clay Pot Rice Pokapoka
Features: I'd been craving Wagyu beef for a while, but couldn't get a reservation. Before leaving the area, I saw a newly opened clay pot rice specialty shop offering a Wagyu set menu and decided to give it a try. The decor is simple, with a bamboo forest-style feel. To minimize the wait and the heat, a fan is placed at the table, allowing guests to relax while waiting for their meal. The rice, cooked in the clay pot, is moist and fragrant, its texture and sweetness radiating as you chew. The Wagyu beef, lightly fried and topped with soy sauce and egg yolk, flows smoothly down my throat. The set menu also comes with a cup of tea and a dessert sprinkled with purple sweet potato flour, which looks both romantic and delicious.

Attraction: American Village
Features: Authentic American architecture, delicious food, clothing vendors, and a beautiful beach. Enjoy the beautiful weather and the sun shining down on the sea. Sit on the steps of a beach stall, enjoy the cool sea breeze, and sip a refreshing beer. A row of palm trees evokes an island atmosphere. At night, the buildings light up, and the unexpected fireworks display is a spectacle.

Dinner: Island Pig Agu Pork Grilled Meat Specialty Restaurant
Features: The pork neck is rich in fat and has a chewy texture. The pork belly is grilled without being dry or tough, and the marbling lacks the typical porky smell. The original flavor melts in your mouth, revealing a unique aroma and sweetness with each chew. Paired with onions, it makes Agu Pork unforgettable.

Day 4
Breakfast: Muscat grapes, Fukuoka peaches, and cantaloupe. Lunch: Ukaji Soba Shuri Castle
Specialty: Remember to avoid stepping on anything immediately upon entering. Shoes should be placed in the nearby shoe cabinet when using the restaurant. I ordered the signature noodles, which came with two pieces of pork belly, about a centimeter thick, cooked in a bonito broth base. They were tender, thick, and not sticky. The most amazing thing was the cartilage, which was stewed until it became a paste, making it completely chewy. It was like salty maltose that melted in your mouth. Noodles are available in different sizes. I also ordered a bowl of fried rice, which tasted like rice with some broth shrunk in it. It was paired with some vegetables and diced meat. It was quite good.