Updated November 12, 2024

Okinawa soba may have the word "soba" in its name, but unlike regular soba noodles, Okinawa soba is not made with buckwheat like traditional soba noodles. The noodles are thick and chewy, and made from flour. Toppings on Okinawa soba usually include kamaboko (fish cake), sliced scallion, pork belly (san-mai niku, lit. "three layered meat"), and beni shoga (pickled ginger). The broth is flavored with seaweed, bonito flakes, and pork. We went to three of Okinawa's most famous soba joints to try it for ourselves. 

The first restaurant we went to was Shuri Soba in Naha City, which is the capital city of Okinawa and on the main island. This restaurant is pretty famous and shows up in a few guide books, even! We went at lunchtime, and there was a huge line of people waiting outside! 

Despite the long line, the turnover was fast and we only waited about 10 minutes for a table. Inside the restaurant there is table seating, and Japanese-style bamboo-mat rooms at the back of the restuarant. I ordered Shuri soba (500 yen) and nitsuke (450 yen), which is a dish of braised meat or fish and vegetables. The best things about the Shuri soba are its thinly chopped ginger topping and the delectable chewiness of its noodles. It's a classic example of Okinawa soba! I received a huge serving of nitsuke, and the bonito based soup made it seriously delicious. And the way that the bowls feature the name of the restaurant is a really nice touch. The classic entranceway with the Japanese-style noren curtains was also really cool! 

As you step inside this restaurant you can't help but notice an air of nostalgia, as the kind of older ladies that you expect to see taking care of business at a restaurant like this are busily rushing around.

Miyazato Soba is a really nostalgic-looking restaurant, both on the inside and out, that is reminiscent of old Okinawa. It's mostly locals, which makes it really fun to visit! 

The inside of the restaurant is really casual, with  picnic-table style dining. 

You order your meal using a high-tech meal ticket machine... the menu even has options like curry or spaghetti with toast! Customers can help themselves to water and green tea. I ordered soki soba (soba noodles with stewed pork spare ribs on top) and san-mai niku soba (soba noodles with stewed pork belly on top). The very generous helpings of soki soba and san-mai niku soba that arrived at my table were each topped with some tasty konbu. The flavor of the bonito based soup was beautifully balanced, perfectly matched by the noodles. The soba at Miyazato Soba is my kind of soba!

The last restaurant we went to was Yae Shokudo. 

Yae Shokudo is located on a somewhat dilapidated little street. For some reason the building looks more like a bar than a restaurant. In contrast to its outside appearance, the inside of Yae Shokudo is rustic and quaint. We got there before the lunch rush, but as it came round to lunchtime the restaurant immediately became packed.

The menu is simple. I ordered a large soki soba and a san-mai niku soba. Yae Shokudo's speciality is its flat noodles, but they're served without any soup! Instead, someone will come to your table carrying a kettle filled with bonito based soup. Halfway through the meal I helped myself to some extra soup. There are only three items on the menu- soki (pork rib) soba, san-mai niku (pork belly), and mixed soba, which is the two combined. I tried both the pork rib and pork belly soba, and as I was eating I combined my soki soba and san-mai niku soba to create the final item on the menu, mixed soba. As Okinawa soba goes it was pretty unique, and it opened my mind to the many possibilities that are out there.

Okinawa is really different from the rest of mainland Japan, and is really interesting! The difference in culture is really evident through food, and just eating in Okinawa was an adventure!