Kaishin: My First Taste of Okinawa Cooking

We ended our first full day in Tokyo with dinner with our good friends, M and J. I say friends, but M and J are more like family. My mother has known them longer than she has known my father and they are like my second parents. Every time we visit Tokyo, we stay at their house, and it is always so much fun. For me, in addition to the array of delicious foods, hanging out with my Uncle M and Aunt J is the highlight of visiting Japan.

For dinner this evening, M and J took us to a very tiny restaurant near their office, which specializes in Okinawa cuisine. To quote from wikipedia: "Okinawan cuisine incorporates influences from Chinese cuisine and Southeast Asian cuisine due to its long history of trade…Besides vegetables and fruits, they use lots of spices…Okinawan cuisine's condiments consist mainly of salt, miso, katsuobushi, or kombu…Another characteristic of Okinawan cuisine is its reliance on meat, specifically pigs." It's a fascinating, delicious, and diverse food culture. Of all of the regions in Japan, it is said that Okinawans live the longest. (Okinawan Cuisine) This was my first time eating Okinawan cuisine and I absolutely loved it!

Kaishin

This is a tiny hole in the wall restaurant that can accommodate maybe 15 people - if not less

It was tight, but all five of us squeezed together to sit at the counter. I've heard wonderful things about Okinawan food, so I was really excited. Since my uncle and aunt come here frequently, we left it to them to order a selection of dishes. They ordered left and right, and each dish was more delicious than the previous dish. We enjoyed such a feast! In addition to the food, the drinks were most excellent, as well as the company. My uncle M and aunt J are such funny people and I love chatting with them. They always make me laugh to the point that I cry!

Okinawa sake

Tofu made from peanuts

Textured seaweed --- the bubbles pop in your mouth

Simmered pork belly

Goya (bitter melon) chanpuru. This is one of Okinawa's staple dishes. 

Pig's ear served with veggies and a miso sauce

Fried purple yam croquettes

Fried seaweed

Seaweed pancake

Squid ink yaki-soba

By the time dinner concluded, I was incredibly full, but I enjoyed every mouthful. These were all new flavors and dishes to me. When I think of Japanese cuisine, I think of light foods and seafood, but the fact that the food was a bit heavy and more meat based was a pleasant contrast.

The one dish I didn't love was the chanpuru. I feel bad saying this, since this is one of Okinawa's national dishes, but it's just not for me. I've never been a lover of goya (bitter melon). As the name implies, it's really bitter and just so unpleasant, in my opinion. Although the egg and pork in the dish was delicious, the goya was just too strong for me.

One of my all time favorite dishes was the pig's ear. Now, I know this sounds gross, but it was really tasty. It was very crunchy, since it's all cartilage, but that's fine with me. I enjoy eating cartilage, so this was totally my cup of tea! The yaki-soba was also fun. Not only was it delicious, it turned your mouth and teeth black. We all looked like zombies or something.

All in all, what a delicious meal!