Cho-Cho-Rino Hawaiian Cafe

CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES

Okay, I’ll admit.  We visited this place because I was expecting full on Hawaiian fare. I was expecting plate lunches with a choice of meat, two scoops of rice and mac salad on the side.  I was drooling at the thought of having something barbecued, or maybe lau-lau or kalua pig.  I was a bit disappointed at the small amount of actual Hawaiian things they had here.  They did have the Poke, the Poke Bowl, Mac Salad, Hawaiian Burger, Loco Moco and Hawaiian Fried Rice.  The rest of the menu included non-Hawaiian chicken plates, burgers, and steak plates.  

We had the steak plate, the Hawaiian Burger, a regular burger and a bowl of soup.  Everything was great and the prices weren’t bad either.  What surprised me was how tiny the kitchen was.  The man who made our dinner worked out of a little kitchen—think smaller than a ½ bathroom (you know, those bathrooms with just a potty and sink).  I was amazed.  Never will I again complain about how small our kitchen is.  The man did wonders in that little kitchen.  That goes to show that you don’t need to a huge kitchen to prepare good food.  

Seeing the man create his wonders there reminded me of Theodore Roosevelt’s quote, “Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.”  They definitely practice this here.

Directions: From the Foster Commissary Gate, take a right and take an immediate left.  It’s right behind Lawson’s.

Telephone:  098-98-5444

Hours: 12:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Closed Mondays.

Payment:  Yen and credit cards

Menu:  Click to enlarge

Out of the Archives: Tanabata - The Star Festival

This post was originally published on June 30, 2008. We're pulling it out of the archives for you to enjoy.  Make a wish!

CONTRIBUTED BY STACEY HAWLEY

Your mission: head to Jusco, check the second floor for a bamboo tree that is adorned with slips of paper called tanzaku. Tanabata is celebrated on July 7th and is somewhat of a Japanese version of Romeo and Juliet. According to the legend, a king of the heavens separated his daughter from her husband because their intense love kept them from their duties. They only meet once a year - on the eve of July 7th - by crossing the milky way. If it rains, the star crossed lovers will have to put off their reunion for another year. Sort of a Punxsutawney Phil kind of weather prediction.

To celebrate the love story, people write poems and special wishes on colorful strips of paper called tankaku, and hang them from the limbs of bamboo trees.

Two tasks for you dear readers, if you want to get in the spirit of things:

* If you want to stop the dreary rain, so the ill-fated lovers can meet, make a teru-teru-bozu (rainy day boy). You can make these little dolls from tissues and hang them in the window to stop the dreary rain.

* Next, make your own colorful strips and hang them from your artificial rhododendron. This guy went all out on his blog. Check out his groovy printable strips.

* Better yet, comment on the original post and we can all share in the plethora of goodness:

What is your tanabata wish for this year?

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For continuity's sake, comments have been closed on this post. We still want your feedback, though, so please head here to comment on the original post. Thanks!

"To See" the Calendar - VII

Many of you ordered the 2011 Okinawa Hai Calendar for yourself and friends and family.  But for those who were not so lucky, we wanted to give you the chance to see the photographs and stories that currently grace our kitchen walls!  

In the next couple of months, we will begin asking you to contribute your favorite stories and photographs for NEXT year's calendar.  So keep your eyes peeled for experiences to capture!

Featured on the July 2011 page:

                                                                          Photo by Brian Delaney

"You're safe and dry, right?  And your lawn or sidewalk is piled high with typhoon carnage.  And your power is on.  And the windows are quiet.  And the dog isn't a quivering parasite on your left leg.  And you've stopped panicking about the possibility of the windows blowing in.  And the ants are back.  So they're also safe.  We made it, we did.  You and me."      

                                                                 Vignette by Meredith Novario

To see the features from January & February click HERE, for March & April click HERE, for May click HERE, for June click HERE.

Futenma-Area Produce Market

CONTRIBUTED BY MEGAN PARKER

I have been searching high and low for a produce market that isn’t too far off the beaten path and yet still has a large selection.  I finally found it, at the suggestion of two friends, and it fits the (Yen) bill perfectly!

The market is conveniently located to Foster, Futenma and Kinser.  I live on Lester and don’t think the drive is too far, and because it is right off of 58 it is in close proximity to other errands I might need to run.  Perhaps most importantly, the price is DEFINITELY right!  

Check out what I bought on this particular occasion:

Two small heads of lettuce 100Yen

Box of cherry tomatoes 138 Yen

Two medium tomatoes 100 Yen

Two medium yellow onions 98 Yen

Three small potatoes 128 Yen

One huge bunch of bananas! 180 Yen

Grand total 744 Yen!

You can’t beat that price, and everything is so fresh!  Aside from what I bought today, they also carry other staples like carrots, cucumbers, eggplant, cabbage, and various types of lettuce in addition to other less-common items such as asparagus, pea pods, strawberries, kiwi and mushrooms.  Of course, they carry lots of Okinawan items (goya, various noodles, etc.) and typically have cartons of fresh brown eggs for only 200 Yen.  

A great find and a quick stop – with such close parking, I was in and out in less than 10 minutes, even with my 1-year old!

Hours:  Due to conversational ineptness on the part of the author, the hours are unclear. However, I can tell you that I have visited this market as early at 9:30 a.m. and as late as 3:00 p.m. during the week, and I know friends who have visited there on Saturday.  

Payment: Japanese Yen only

Directions:  Take 58 South past Foster.  Turn left at the traffic light for MCAS Futenma and then make a quick right at the first opportunity.  Follow the road down about one kilometer and you’ll see the produce market on your left-hand side, almost directly across from the Family Mart on the corner.  There are four parking spaces available.

River-Rock Billiards & Darts

 CONTRIBUTED BY CHRISTOPHER ANDREWS

If looking for a place to throw some darts or play some pool, there is a great bar that recently opened up in Uruma City, near Camp Courtney, on Route 329.  The River-Rock opened in mid-April 2011 by a very friendly Japanese fellow, Ichiro Ohama.  These games translate around the world, plus he speaks decent English, making this place very comfortable to hang out for an evening.  The atmosphere is low key, and the music is a mix of hits.   

There is one large high-end pool table and 2 high-end electronic dart boards.  You can rent the table for just $5/hour.  Being new, the bar menu is simple with the offerings of pizza and pasta.  The draw here is the chill atmosphere and the games without a rowdy crowd.  He plans to have pool and dart tourneys in the future. Give it a go.

Directions:  5 minutes from Camp Courtney. Travel north on 329 from Kadena through Uruma city.  River Rock is located on 329, on the right side just before Coco’s which at the corner of Route 329 & Route 6.   If you are coming from Route 58, take Route 6 east until it dead ends into Route 329, there you will see the Coco’s on the right.  Turn right onto Route 329, River Rock will be almost immediately on your left. Park in front of the building.

Hours: Sun-Thur 6pm-3am, Fri-Sat 6pm-4am

Phone: 098-989-7399

Bian Izakaya

CONTRIBUTED BY JESSICA TIUSECO

Bian is an Izakaya, an establishment that serves food to accompany drinks. On a typical weekend the place is packed with wedding guests from the local NBC Building. While there is a good amount of parking and tables, reservations couldn’t hurt. 

We went midweek since they are closed Tuesdays and had no problem being seated.  You will be asked to remove your shoes, and they will quickly be stored in a nearby shoe cabinet. Don’t be discouraged by the floor seating, it actually has space under the table for your legs.

The staff is extremely friendly and English Speaking staff is available, though we had no problem communicating with our waitress. Once seated we were offered a welcoming snack, mine was fish with pickled veggies while my husbands was fish with an almost egg salad type side. 

The menu has a wide range of appetizer type items -- from Japanese items, American Items and a hybrid of both. We ordered Yakitori, Beef Yakisoba, and Buta (Braised Japanese Pork Belly). While neither of our dishes disappointed, they did take some time to get there..  so just focus on the gorgeous night views of Love Valley and it will help pass the time.  As for the drink menu, there is something there for everyone including soft drinks for the DD. 

Bian also offers Set Menu prices including a Ladies Day Set and an All You Can Drink Set. There is a seating capacity of 150.

Hours: Monday -Thursday:  1800-0200  (last order 01:00), Friday - Saturday:  18:00 – 03:00  (last order 02:00), Closed Tuesdays

Address: 2030-3 Hiyane, Okinawa City,Phone: 098-932-7300

Payment: We paid in Yen but they do accept all Major Credit Cards. 

Link to English guide: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f185200/lang/en/

Japanese Guide: http://r.gnavi.co.jp/f185200/

Directions: From Foster -- Go out The BX Gate turn left onto the 330, make a right at the 85, at the third light make a left, turn right into the Family Mart and park in the lot in front of Bian or turn left into the lot directly across from the Family Mart. 

Parking: Available directly in front of the building or directly across the street from Family Mart. 

Sea Glassing

CONTRIBUTED BY JOY BARNES

As a “Florida Girl” I’ve spent much time around the water and in the sand.  I’ve collected pretty shells, an occasional shark’s tooth and even some beautiful sand dollars.  However, it wasn’t until I spent time on Okinawan beaches that I discovered sea glass.  Now, searching for sea glass has become one of my family’s favorite weekend activities.

Sea glass is broken pieces of glass that have been tumbled in the waves, on rocks, and on sand, until it has a smooth, worn appearance.  It is usually made from broken bottles or discarded jars, but occasionally the sea glass on Okinawa comes from the antique fishing balls.  I’ve also found little bits of pottery with the same worn effect, as well as some glass bits with kanji on them.   Most of the glass we find is white, brown and light green, but we’ve found some nice blues as well as a few rare amber-colored glass.

Some people enjoy the hobby of researching the origins of their sea glass, while others make beautiful jewelry from the pieces they find.  For me, I simply enjoy the hunt.  It is an activity that brings together two of my favorite things in life- time with my family and a beautiful day at the beach.  I’ve always thought there is something so relaxing, even healing, about a walk on the beach; add to that the sweetness of the excitement my kids get from finding little “treasures” on these walks and I have the perfect combination.  

It’s a great activity for any age.  My two year old son gets so proud when he spots a piece of glass by himself and my six year old daughter likes the challenge of finding a rare blue glass or a piece of pottery.   Even my husband and I like the satisfaction of finding a unique, beautiful colored glass.

We’ve found sea glass on beaches all over Okinawa, but the best beaches for sea glass tend to be rockier and more secluded.  We have the best luck finding sea glass out on Ikei and Hamahiga Islands.  We love a quiet stretch of rocky beach out at Ikei Island’s Big Time Resort.  It usually costs 500 yen to park at the resort but the beach is beautiful and in addition to searching for sea glass, there are great tide pools for the little ones to explore.  (My kids always find sea cucumbers and an occasional star fish there.)  There are also secluded stretches of beach tucked away on both Ikei and Hamahiga so if you see a glimpse of sand, pull the car over, hop out and go exploring!

Okinawa is perfect for sea glass hunting year round.  In the winter, throw on your sweatshirt and go for a nice stroll on the beach.  In the heat of the summer, the beach is one of the few places outdoors to keep cool.   What’s more, it’s a great free activity for the family!

After an afternoon of searching for sea glass, my husband cleans off the glass and my kids like the task of sorting the glass by color.  We proudly display our treasures in glass jars in our kitchen. They are a simple souvenir from Okinawa that will eventually adorn our Florida retirement home. Our sea glass will always serve as a reminder of fond family times on the beaches of Okinawa. 

Birdland Cafe

CONTRIBUTED BY MONETTE EAMES

When one thinks of the military base houses built in Okinawa in the 1950’s, rectangular boxed shaped homes with low ceilings, typhoon proof windows, mold and dehumidifiers, and vinyl tiles would probably come to mind (yes, I’m guilty of sometimes just focusing on the negatives when living in base housing). Beautiful jazz music like the Lullaby of Birdland probably wouldn’t be drifting in and out of that picture you’re imagining.  

Well, maybe it’s time we (or maybe I) start playing some jazz and just think about how blessed we are to even be in a place to call home.  In fact, why not play different versions of the Lullaby of Birdland right now and get ready for lunch, pasta and sweets, or dinner at Birdland Café just a few minutes away from Koza Music Town?      

We came across this incredible diamond in the rough while on a date night and we will definitely be regulars here.  We parked our car not expecting much, but we were more than pleasantly surprised.  From the outside, all you see is some kind of base housing from the good old days.  However, when you walk in, you feel a sense of coziness, peace, openness, and relaxation.  

We were tenderly welcomed (there was something about the people that worked here—soft-spoken, gentle, benevolent) and were led to a room that could have sat about twelve comfortably. There were three other rooms. One room could have seated about ten, another, maybe twelve and the last, eight. Two of the rooms were probably the bedrooms once upon a time, as we noticed the storage space above the closet just like our house on base. We’re guessing it was a three bedroom home with a living and dining area.      

The menu is in Japanese, but our waiter explained what everything was perfectly in English.  There was the pasta section with a few types of pasta: three different sauces—tomato, cream, and olive oil.  Then there was the rice section.  For a set, it was an extra 500 Yen.  The set included a drink, small salad, and dessert.  Then there were the sweets.  We asked the waiter for his recommendations and ordered those.  We got the pasta with shrimp and mushrooms in cream sauce and the steak dish with rice.  Both were absolutely SUPERB!!!  Excellent tasting, everything was delicious, and the presentation was simply beautiful.  

As we enjoyed our dinner, the cars passing by and the open windows with the breeze gently blowing in made us feel as if we could watch the world pass us by without having being a part of it.  It felt like we were next to the ocean and the entire experience was relaxing, peaceful and very enjoyable!  The décor of the restaurant was incredible, with character-wooden tables, soft comfortable couches, and interesting photos and memorabilia everywhere you looked.  The soft jazz music playing in the background completed the total dinner experience leaving the guests with a memory that will last a lifetime and maybe some ideas on how to redecorate base housing if we just wanted tables and chairs! 

Everything we experienced here was exceptional, including the prices.  Birdland Café has been in business for eight years and the owner loves jazz and plays the saxophone.  The restaurant is named after the jazz song, Lullaby of Birdland.

Address:  7-4-3 Goya, Okinawa City, 904-0021

Directions:  From Kadena Gate #2, head straight out, pass Koza Music Town, and cross through the 330 intersection.  Once you are through the intersection, start counting the stoplights.  At stoplight #7, take a right (it will be at the bottom of the hill past the Esso Gas Station).  You’ll pass a driving range on the right, and then about 1km later, you will see the Birdland Café on the left with parking on the left and right.

Hours: Lunch-- 11:30am - 3:00pm,  Pasta & Sweets-- 3 - 6pm,  Dinner-- 6 - 10:30pm (last order)      

Phone: (098) 933-0232

Payment:  Yen

Cafe Ukelele

CONTRIBUTED BY KATIE CLARY

My husband and I had seen this building before on an excursion to the "Kaichu Doraibu," or the "Sea Road" that leads you across the ocean to Henza Island, Miyagi Island, and Ikei Island to the East of Okinawa, but we didn't realize that there was a restaurant inside until my husband rode past it again on his bicycle. We had been too enthralled with the ocean view directly across from the building. But if you're looking for it, you can't miss it- it's a huge tan and burgundy building with a large parking lot and several "Cafe" banners outside.

We had headed towards White Beach for lunch, but decided last minute to try Cafe Ukulele. There were also signs for the “Pan no Ki” or "Tree of Bread" Bakery, which we later discovered supplies all the bread for the sandwiches at the Cafe upstairs.

There was a cute little sign outside that listed the full menu along with prices. It was written in Japanese, but between the pictures and the little Japanese I know, we decided it looked like a really good place to try! Plus, the highest price we saw on the smaller menu was only ¥1,000 for a full meal set.

Once we made our way upstairs, we walked up to the counter, where they handed us an English menu to look at. There were a few items with interesting translations, and the staff didn't speak especially good English, but we were able to order without any problems. There were three categories of meals: light meals, which cost between ¥300 and ¥400 or so for a small lunch set; "Don" or bowl lunches that seemed to be around ¥1,000 with a few ¥850 Japanese style curry options; and Soup sets for ¥1,000 or so.

 
We ordered at the counter then sat down and they brought our food out to us. We chose to sit at a bar on the window, so we could admire the ocean view, but there were also tables, and even some lounge chairs that looked like a perfect place to sit down with a good book and a cup of coffee.

The lighter lunches looked like the perfect size for my smaller appetite. My husband ate through an entire bowl lunch and a small set, but he'd been cycling that morning. I barely made it through half of my bowl set, but wanted to keep eating since it was so delicious!

There was a very nice free drink bar, which offered iced tea, water, grape juice, and orange juice, along with some hot drinks (coffee and tea). They also sell sodas for ¥350, and Orion beer, though I didn't see the price.

My husband ordered the Loco-Moco meal. It was a hamburger steak with garnish over rice, and it also came with a Japanese salad and an egg over easy. He got a small bowl of soup with it as well. The soup was a cross between a typical egg drop soup and a Japanese seaweed soup. It was different than he expected, but he said it tasted good.

I ordered a Tonkatsu Don, or pork cutlet bowl. The pork cutlet is deep fried in a special batter, and served piping hot over steamed rice and sautéed onions, with an egg cracked over top. The food is hot enough to cook the egg to an over-medium consistency. It was on par for a Tonkatsu Don- there isn't really too much a restaurant can do to make this dish uniquely their own, since the pork cutlets have such a distinctive taste, but I really enjoyed it. I got a bowl of soup as well.

My husband's second lunch was a ham sandwich from the light meal menu. It was small, but with the side salad and potatoes, it makes a decent sized lunch if you have a smaller appetite. The bread was very good, but my husband said there wasn't much meat to the sandwich. The salad had a nice sesame dressing.

I would love to go back and try their curry, or some of their light lunches, like the pizza bread. Luckily, it's cheap (we got out for ¥3,000 exactly for 3 meal sets and 2 sodas) and only a short 10-15 minute drive from Courtney!

Directions: From Courtney Housing gate, turn right onto Route 224. Continue around the curve and over the bridge. You'll make a left on Route 8. Continue on this road until you come to a Y intersection. Keep left onto Route 37. Continue along this road until you see a tan and burgundy building on the right.

From McTureous, turn right out the gate onto Route 8. Stay on Route 8 across Route 75 and across Route 224. At the Y intersection, keep left onto Route 37. You'll see Cafe Ukulele on the right.

From Kadena or Foster, I would recommend taking the Okinawa Expressway north to Exit 5, Okinawa-Kita. After you exit there, continue straight on Route 36 for a while. Turn left onto Route 75, and continue north until you find Route 8, and turn right. Follow that road until the Y intersection, and then bear left onto Route 37. Follow this road straight until you see Cafe Ukulele on the right.

There is a Google map showing the exact location of Cafe Ukulele on my blog.

Hours: Cafe Ukulele is open from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, last order at 5:30 pm. Lunch is served between 11:00 and 3:00 pm.

Phone: (098)983-0160.

Payment: Yen only, as far as I could tell.

Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai (Martial Arts)

CONTRIBUTED BY PENNY VA HEERDEN

In the comments section of my Why Martial Arts? post, someone asked for links to local Martial Arts Association websites.  There are so many top notch dojos in Okinawa that I was, at first, a bit hesitant to list only one association.  However, since coming to Okinawa I have received so much support and gained so much knowledge from all the people in my association that I decided to share its details with Oki Hai readers.  

Okinawa is the birthplace of both Karate and Kobudo (weapons) and as such the quality of both teachers and techniques is the best in the world.  If you have even a slight interest in starting martial arts I would recommend you get out into the local community to visit and try a few different dojos.  In Okinawa you have tiny hole-in-the-wall dojo to large international associations and everything in between so the main challenge is to find a dojo, teacher, style and association that suits you.

My husband and I train Kobudo and Karate.  The style of Karate we train is Shorin Ryu but our main focus is Kobudo, the ancient Okinawan art of using weapons.  The two main weapons are the bo and the sai.  The bo is a long staff and the sai looks like a large fork with the middle prong much longer than the two side prongs.  There are also a variety of other weapons including the nunchaku, tekko, tonfa etc.  

Kobudo is a completely separate art from Karate although most Kobudo dojo’s practice Karate as well.  In our association any Karate style is welcome and we are represented by Goju Ryu, Shorin Ryu, Uechi Ryu and others. Kobudo gradings are also kept completely separate so even if you have a black belt in your particular Karate style you would still be expected to start your Kobudo training as a white belt.  This past week we had a Karate Teacher from the UK who has practiced Karate for the past 41 years.  He was just as clumsy with the weapons as any other beginner, which really brought home to me the wisdom of this policy.  

People who have absolutely no experience in Karate are welcome to join the association. Most teachers will teach some Karate basics before allowing new students to pick up a weapon.  These basics, such as punching, blocking and stances will help make your weapons training that much easier.  When you do pick up a weapon you will be able to concentrate on mastering the use of it rather than worrying about your feet and so on.  That is the theory anyway.  In practice juggling feet, hands, stance and still using the weapon to perform an effective strike can seem like an insurmountable task in the beginning.  Over time with patience from both you and your teacher it becomes second nature and that is the beauty of Kobudo.  The sense of accomplishment when you start to see improvement is amazing.

Our particular association doesn’t encourage free sparring with weapons as injuries are too frequent and can be severe.  However, we do have Yakusoku Kumite.  Yakusoku means promise and kumite means sparring.  In the bo against bo sparring there are twelve sets of attacks and defenses.  In each set one person will attack and their opponent will perform a defense and counter-attack.  In this way students develop focus and learn the meaning of the moves they practice as basics as well as in the kata forms. As both people know the sequence chances of injury is reduced and control, especially by the more advanced partner, is expected.  

Anyone interested in learning more about Kobudo and our particular association, Ryukyu Kobudo Hozon Shinko Kai can visit the official website at the link found after the article.  The head dojo of the association is located in Tomigusuku just south of Naha City.  Akamine Sensei, the head of the association, speaks excellent English and is used to teaching foreigners from all over the world, including UK, India, Australia etc.  We also have a branch dojo located in Chatan which is probably more convenient for most readers of Okinawa Hai. They teach Uechi Ryu Karate and Kobudo.  There are a few foreign students that practice at the dojo although Arakaki Sensei speaks better Spanish than he does English.  Details of the Chatan Chibu Dojo and address can be found on the dojo listing on the website. 

Please contact the sensei’s before visiting so they will be prepared to meet with you.

If anyone has any questions about the association feel free to contact the webmaster who also happens to be my husband, Emile van Heerden.  We look forward to seeing a few new faces in the dojo.

For an overview of our association go here: http://www.ryukyu-kobudo.com/

For a list of both local and international dojos go here: http://ryukyu-kobudo.com/members_dojo/dojo_list.htm 

For an explanation and photos of the various weapons used go here: http://ryukyu-kobudo.com/buki/buki.htm