What kind of food do  you want to try in Okinawa? There are many delicious foods in Okinawa such as soki soba (noodle soup with spareribs) and goya champuru (bitter melon stirfry), but we also recommend kaisen-don (seafood bowls).

Although it is not widely known, Okinawa is one of the top producers of maguro tuna in Japan. In fact, fresh maguro can be enjoyed year-round in Okinawa.

Besides maguro, there is seafood that can only be found in Okinawa, such as gurukun (double-lined fusilier), mibai (grouper), and umibudo (sea grapes).

This article is about kaisen-don (seafood bowls), which are full of the blessings of Okinawa’s seas.

Nago Gyoko Shokudo in Nago City

Nago Gyoko Shokudo is located in Nago City in the northern area of Okinawa Island. The restaurant has an eye-catching sign that replicates a flag that fishermen hoist when they get a big catch.

The interior of the restaurant has a nostalgic feel with photos of fish wherever you look and a triangular big catch flag on the ceiling. With tables that can seat 4 to 6 people, the restaurant can accommodate large groups.  

Our recommendation is the maguro-don (tuna rice bowl). As fresh fish caught that day is used, you can try extremely fresh maguro here.

For details see the following (Japanese only)▼
Casual Restaurant in Nago Fishing Port where you can have Fish Dishes and Seafood

Restaurant Information

Nago Gyoko Shokudo
Address：3-5-16 Gusuku, Nago-shi, Okinawa
Phone：0980-43-0175
Hours：11:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed： open daily
Parking： available

Roadside Station Itoman – Fish Center in Itoman City

Have fresh seafood at the Fish Center run by Itoman Fishing Cooperative in Roadside Station Itoman in Itoman City. Here, you can even make your own original kaisen-don.

First, buy rice, then choose from the great variety of sashimi (raw fish) such as maguro, mibai (grouper), salmon,  and whiskered velvet shrimp. Then, just top your rice with the sashimi, add soy sauce, and enjoy!

As your original kaisen-don only contains what you chose, you are sure to love it!

Restaurant Information

Fish Center
Address：4-19 Nishizakicho, Itoman-shi, Okinawa
Phone：098-992-2803
Hours：10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed: open daily
Parking： available

Eito Shokudo in Ginowan City

At Eito Shokudo, located in Ginowan Yui Marche in Ginowan City, you can enjoy the taste of homemade food prepared by Okinawan women. It is very spacious, with counter seats, table seats, and tatami seats.

The expansive menu includes fresh seafood, Japanese cuisine, and Okinawan dishes. Kaisen-don is very popular quite substantial, with a wide variety of sashimi, such as shrimp, maguro, and squid.

For those who want to eat a large amount, we recommend the Gokai Kaisen-don, which is a heartier kaisen-don. There is also a Ryukyu Mega-don, which consists of over 2 kilograms of seafood.

Restaurant Information

Eito Shokudo
Address：7-1350-81 Oyama, Ginowan-shi, Okinawa (located in Ginowan Yui Marche)
Phone：098-890-0577
Hours：10:30 am – 7:00 pm
Closed： New Year’s holiday (Dec. 31 to Jan. 4）, Bon Festival of the lunar calendar
Parking： available

Toya Fishing Port – Uminchu Shokudo in Yomitan Village

Toya Fishing Port is known for its freshly caught fish and on the 2nd floor there’s even a restaurant called Uminchu Shokudo. There are several tables in the bright, spacious restaurant. Enjoy the amazing view as you dine!

The kaisen-don we recommend here is the Umibudo-don, which is made with fresh sea grapes. Rice is topped with a generous serving of sea grapes, along with fresh sashimi and ikura (salmon roe). The sensation of the sea grapes popping in your mouth is sure to grow on you as you enjoy this unique kaisen-don.

Besides the Umibudo-don, there’s also Uminchu-don (fisherman’s rice bowl), Teichi-don (made with fish caught by Yomitan Fishery Cooperative’s large fixed shore net marinated in soy sauce), and Sashimi Teishoku. 

For details see the following (Japanese only)▼
Unbelievably Fresh Seafood, Great View, and Fishing Experiences at Yomitan’s Toya Fishing Port!

Restaurant Information

Toya Fishing Port – Uminchu Shokudo
Address：33 Toya, Yomitan-son, Nakagami-gun, Okinawa (2F)
Phone：098-957-0225
Hours：11:00 am – 4:00 pm （Fishing Port Hours: 9:00 am – 6:00 pm）
Closed：irregular
Parking： available

Oujima Kaisanbutsu Shokudo in Ou Island

Oujima Kaisanbutsu Shokudo is located on Ou Island, an island in Nanjo City that can be reached by car. There is a fishing port right in front of the restaurant, which serves freshly caught fish daily, making it very popular.

The interior of the restaurant is wooden, making it bright and easy on the eyes. Customers can choose from counter seats, table seats, and tatami seats.

The kaisen-don at Oujima Kaisanbutsu Shokudo consists of vinegar rice with 10 types of fresh fish caught in Okinawa. You are sure to enjoy trying the various types of sashimi!

Enjoy the small side dishes made with local ingredients, as well as the delicious soup that comes with the kaisen-don.

Restaurant Information

Oujima Kaisanbutsu Shokudo
Address:  41 Tamagusuku-Ou, Nanjo-shi, Okinawa
Phone：098-948-7920
Hours：［Mon. – Fri.］11:00 am – 3:00 pm、5:00 pm – 12:00 am
　　　　　［Sat.］11:00 am – 12:00 am［Sun.］11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Closed： Mondays （if Mon. is a holiday, open Mon. and closed Tues.）
Parking： available

Tomari Iyumachi in Naha City

Tomari Iyumachi is a market located in Naha City’s Tomari Fishing Port.

Here, you can order all types of fresh seafood dishes, and out of the many shops and stalls in the market, we recommend Don Sushi – Maguro-ya Honpo. With both counter and table seats, the welcoming atmosphere of the shop makes it a great place to eat even if you’re by yourself.

There are many delicious kaisen-don options, such as the Maguro Sanshoku-don (rice bowl topped with 3 types of maguro meat: minced meat, spine meat, and lean meat) and the Churaumi Kaisen-don, but we recommend the Negitoro-don (rice bowl topped with minced tuna and Welsh onions), which is extremely reasonably priced at just JPY 500! Despite the unbelievably low price, you can choose from many options, such as vinegar rice and white rice, asa-jiru (sea lettuce soup), ikasumi-jiru (squid ink soup), and ara-jiru (fish scrap soup).

Restaurant Information

Tomari Iyumachi
Address： 1-1-18 Minatocho, Nahashi, Okinawa
Phone：098-868-1096
Hours：6:00～17:00
Closed： irregular
Parking：available

Hamanoya in Onna Village

The owner of this restaurant is a former fisherman (called uminchu in Okinawan) and selects only the very best seafood for use at the restaurant.  Enjoy a relaxing meal in the open restaurant.

Besides rice bowls, the butter-fried fish is also a popular menu item! The taste of the whole fish fried on the iron plate combined with the richness of the butter is indulgent and delicious.

Basic Information

Hamanoya

Address：1656−9 Nakadomari, Onna-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa (located in Onna-no-Eki Nakayukui Market) 
Phone：098-964-6099
Hours：10:00 am – 7:00 pm
Closed： irregular
Parking：available

Cafe & Restaurant Yoshika in Kouri Island

Cafe & Restaurant Yoshika is located at the entrance of Kouri Island, which can be reached by car from the northern area of Okinawa Island. From the restaurant there is a beautiful veiw of the ocean and the Kouri Bridge, making it a popular spot to enjoy the scenery.

What’s more, the entire interior of the shop is hand-crafted! The floors and walls are decorated with seashells and you can feel the warmth of the wood in this relaxing, carefree environment.

It’s most alluring menu item is the Yoshika 4-Color Rice Bowl, which includes maguro sukimi (thinly sliced tuna), uni (sea urchin), sea grapes from Yagaji Island, and salmon roe shipped straight from Hokkaido. 

Restaurant Information

Cafe & Restaurant Yoshika

Address：321 Kouri, Nakijin-son, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa
Phone：080-2055-4000
Hours：11:00 am to sunsent
Closed： open daily
Parking： available

Maguro Tuna is Always in Season in Okinawa!

Although it is not well-known, Okinawa’s maguro is superb! One of the reasons for this is because of its freshness. As the fishing spots are near land, the maguro can be brought to shore quickly, while they are still very fresh.

Another characteristic of Okinawan maguro is that you can enjoy the various seasonal maguro throughout the year. Maguro are typically only caught from September through December, but in the seas near Okinawa, there are 4 types of maguro that can be caught depending on the season. The 4 types are: hon-maguro (Pacific bluefin tuna), kihada (yellowskin tuna), mebachi (bigeye tuna), and bincho (albacore tuna).

Although there are many unique types of seafood in Okinawa, we recommend classic Okinawan maguro.