First remote island trip
I have been in Okinawa for 18 years, but I have never been to a remote island. I had no opportunity. I’ve never been to Iejima, a 30-minute ferry ride from Motobu Port. Kouri Island, which was once a remote island, was connected to the main island by a bridge. At the time of opening, Kourijima Ohashi was the longest free road in Japan. The view from the bridge is so wonderful that it is a very popular spot. Currently, Irabu Ohashi, which connects Miyakojima and Irabujima, is the longest in Japan.
Finally, I got the opportunity to go to a remote island. It’s a business trip, not a trip. I go to Ishigaki Island.
Parlor Anburera (Umbrella)
One hour by JTA flight from Naha Airport to Ishigaki Island. Ishigakijima Airport where I got off was downpour. A local came to pick us up by car. The meeting will start in the afternoon. We go for lunch. We went to Okinawa soba shop recommended by locals.
We arrived at the Okinawa soba shop after 11am. Several people were already in front of the store. Although the parking lot was full, I thought there were few people in a line. Indeed, many people were waiting for the shop to open in the car. The shop opens at 11:30am. After we waited about 10 minutes, the shop opened a little earlier. The seats soon became full. The room is rather large. I seem there are only local customers. We didn’t see people who looked like tourists.
In Okinawa, “parlor” means a store that serves light meals. It never means a pachinko parlor. Elderly people in Okinawa call a pachinko parlor as “machine shop.” Okinawa was once ruled by the United States. Since American culture has taken root in Okinawa, slot machines have been the mainstream of gambling. I remember Okinawa is the highest in Japan that the population ratio of the number of pachinko parlors. Because there is no public gambling in Okinawa.
Menu
I read the menu. Beef champloo, Sponge gourd champloo, pork fry set meals, and other dishes that are unfamiliar to Okinawan main islands. In Okinawa, “pork” does not mean pork. It refers to pork luncheon meat such as SPAM. Is pork fry deep fried pork luncheon meat? I think it’s better to bake pork, but if I get the chance I’ll try it.
One person ordered a fried noodle. I should eat Okinawa soba because I ate a fried noodle at home last night. Another person ordered a beef soba (large). According to the menu, there are three sizes of soba, small, large and extra large. When I asked a waitress, she replied the large size is normal. I decided to eat Beef soba (large). And includes rice balls.
Okinawa soba noodles are not buckwheat noodles. It’s neither udon nor ramen. Okinawan noodles made from wheat flour, salt, water and wood ash. And yakisoba also uses Okinawan soba noodles. There are salty, sauce and ketchup flavors for yakisoba. The dish called “Napolitan” in Okinawa used to be fried Okinawa soba noodles and vegetables and seasoned with ketchup. Mainland Japan’s Napolitan uses pasta. Neither exists in Italy. It is a dish created by the Japanese in the image of Italy.
Beef Soba Noodles
The thick yellow meat and beef show off the presence in the bowl. Okinawa soba on the main island has white noodles. The noodles on Ishigaki Island are colored like ramen. I took a bite of soup. It is fatty. It tastes like beef. I had another bite of soup. Yeah, the firm beef taste spreads in my mouth. I added koregusu (awamori pickles of pepper, awamori is traditional and popular liquir in Okinawa.) to the soup and drank the soup again. that? The soup is not warm but spicy. Was it not well mixed? I sipped soup after I mixed the contents of the bowl with chopsticks. Changed to light taste.
Next I ate noodles. The noodles are yellow and the texture is normal. The noodles have a round cross-section unlike noodles made in Okinawa. I will eat meat. A deep flavor comes out from the softly cooked beef. I felt a scent other than meat. I was wondering and scooped up the meat of the Dombri. It’s the Japanese mugwort. I love Japanese mugwort. The scent of beef becomes a smell, but the scent of the Japanese mugwort matches to create a unique taste. Is it a feature of this store? Or is this way of eating common in Ishigaki?
I saw the beef soba (Extra Large) that my neighbor was eating. A heap of meat is already disappered, a lot of fat was floating on the soup. I ate rice balls. Rice with a little salt refreshes my mouth. Beef soba has a different taste from Okinawa soba, which is mainly made of pork. This was also delicious.
Where is the restroom?
Even if we finish eating, many people come here continuously. It’s lunch time. The shop will be even more crowded. It’s still raining outdoors. We decided to withdraw.
I think it’s a unique shop because I couldn’t imagine that the toilet was in the neighbor factory. I wonder if everyone would be lost in finding a toilet.The meeting is about to begin. It’s more than 4 hours but let’s do our best. I’m hoping that it will stop rain by night. We left the shop.
Parlor Anburera (Umbrella)
Ishigaki city, Okinawa
https://retty.me/area/PRE47/ARE275/SUB27501/100000767670/
I ate at more than 1,000 restaurants in 3 years!!
I am a Japanese middle-aged man living in Okinawa. I was an office worker until the corona shock. I went on a business trip all over Japan, and sometimes abroad. I visited more than a thousand restaurants in three years. (more info…)
