6 Recommended Foodie Spots in Naha, Okinawa
The Naha area of Okinawa is full of restaurants where you can casually enjoy Okinawan cuisine while walking around. The appeal of these restaurants is that they are rooted in the local community, and you can encounter delicious cuisine that is loved by locals as well as tourists. Here we will introduce a selection of spots where you can enjoy popular local gourmet food while walking around. Why not visit them while you are strolling around the city of Naha?
1Matsubaraya Confectionery
Stroll through the shopping district with a snack of "Brown Sugar Popo"
An old-fashioned sweets shop in a corner of the shopping district. Traditional Okinawan sweets are lined up in rows on the storefront.
One of the familiar snacks in Okinawa is the Okinawan-style crepe made from wheat flour dough; the ones wrapped in oily miso are called "popo", and the sweet ones with brown sugar are called "chinbin". At this shop, the sweet ones are also known as "brown sugar popo" rather than "chinbin", and are as popular as the "miso popo". The secret to their deliciousness is that they are baked with a homemade mixture of wheat flour and brown sugar depending on the weather of the day.
A wide selection of traditional Okinawan sweets perfect for eating on the go or as souvenirs
Other sweets on sale include "Muchi," steamed rice cakes wrapped in shell ginger leaves, and "Nantoo Mochi," rice cake dough mixed with miso, ginger, and sugar. Both sweets are often eaten during lunar calendar events in Okinawa, and are popular among locals. Butter cream cake is a long-selling item that has been on sale since before Okinawa was returned to Japan. Its nostalgic taste has many repeat customers.
Another great thing about sata andagi is that they have a wide variety of them. In addition to the standard flavors like plain, brown sugar, and purple yam, you can also enjoy sesame and banana flavors on some days.
- Matsubaraya Confectionery
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https://www.instagram.com/matsuichi299/
2-9-9 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
About 10 minutes walk from Makishi Station on the Yui Rail
9:00～18:30
Closed on Wednesdays * May change during lunar calendar events
098-863-2744
none
2Goya Tempura Restaurant
Enjoy Okinawan tempura with its thick, fluffy batter
A tempura restaurant located in an arcade street close to Kokusai-dori. Tempura made with local ingredients such as "mozuku tempura," "squid," and "vegetables" are all sold for 80 yen each. The restaurant's appeal is that you can taste tempura unique to Okinawa, such as "fish tempura" and "bitter melon," made with tuna caught in nearby waters.
The tempura has a thick, fluffy batter that is filling and has a slight salty taste. It can be eaten as is without any dipping sauce, making it perfect for takeout or eating on the go.
The very satisfying "Sata Andagi" is also a must-try
The shop also serves tempura and sweets that are enjoyed on celebratory occasions such as the New Year and engagement ceremonies in Okinawa, such as "Kataharanbu", a batter-only tempura, and "Machikaji", a bright pink baked confectionery. A beloved local favorite, it is constantly packed with customers from opening until closing time.
The fist-sized sata andagi are also popular and are very filling. Even when cooled, they are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside, making them a great souvenir to buy.
- Goya Tempura Restaurant
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- 2-11-1 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 11 minutes walk from Makishi Station on the Yui Rail
- 9:00～18:00
- Wednesdays *May be closed on Thursdays depending on the week
- 098-868-8782
- none
3Thousand days
A long-established "Okinawa Zenzai" store that is well-known among locals
This long-established store was founded in 1952 and is famous for its "Okinawa Zenzai." When you hear "Zenzai," you might imagine a warm sweet made with red bean paste, but "Okinawa Zenzai" is a cold dessert made of sweetly cooked kidney beans topped with shaved ice.
There are six types of shaved ice you can try at this shop. The four types of shaved ice containing zenzai (red kidney beans) are the most popular, including "Ice Zenzai," "Strawberry Kintoki," and "Milk Kintoki." All of them are full of fluffy shaved ice and make a big impact. The fluffy texture and the sweetness of the red kidney beans, which are slowly cooked for over five hours, are irresistible.
If you're going to eat while walking around, we recommend the traditional taiyaki.
Zenzai can be taken out for an additional 30 yen for a container. There is an eat-in space inside the store, and in the summer it is crowded with many people, from locals to tourists.
If you enjoy eating on the go, we also recommend the piping hot taiyaki, which combines a simple tasting dough with bean paste. In fact, this shop was the first to sell taiyaki in Okinawa. At first, there were long lines due to the popularity of "Swim! Taiyaki-kun". It is a menu that has been loved for many years along with "Okinawa Zenzai".
- Thousand days
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- 1-7-14 Kume, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- Approximately 11 minutes walk from Asahibashi Station on the Yui Rail
- 11:30〜19:00
- Mondays (open on public holidays, closed the following Tuesday)
- 098-868-5387
- none
4H&B (Heart & Berry) Gela Okinawa
Enjoy fresh Okinawan fruits in "raw gelato"
This shop specializes in "raw gelato," made by kneading fresh raw fruit into gelato. The shop is located on the second floor of the Makishi Public Market.
Instead of using frozen fruit, they mainly use fresh fruits such as mangoes and shikuwasa from Okinawa. The fruit is mixed on the spot after an order is placed, so you can enjoy the texture and juicy flavor of the ingredients. You can enjoy a variety of flavors, including refreshing fruit flavors, brown sugar zenzai with a mellow sweetness, and bitter gourd, which has a strong bitterness that comes after a while.
Enjoy a tropical atmosphere with a wide variety of gelato and seasonal fruits
There are always more than 15 different gelato flavors in the lineup. Popular flavors include Okinawan flavors such as mango, pineapple, dragon fruit, and red sweet potato. Other popular items include the "Cup Three," which is three gelatos in a cup topped with fruit, and the "Fruit Parfait," which uses an abundance of seasonal fruits. The fruits used change in the summer, with mango in the summer and strawberry in the winter, so you can enjoy it no matter how many times you visit.
They also offer fresh juices made with local seasonal fruits, giving you a tropical feel in Okinawa.
- H&B (Heart & Berry) Gela Okinawa
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- https://au09087089047.seesaa.net/
- 2-10-1 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- About 9 minutes walk from Makishi Station on the Yui Rail
- 10:00～18:00
- Every Wednesday and the fourth Sunday (except December)
- 090-8708-9047
- none
5Hama Foods
Enjoy Jimami Tofu while thinking about history and culture
This directly managed store of the long-established Jimami tofu specialty store "Hama Foods" opened in the public market in 2022. It sells Jimami tofu, which was previously only sold wholesale to restaurants and shops.
The shop's "Ama-mami Tofu" is made by hand every day using traditional methods, so it is sold in limited quantities. The smooth texture and rich flavor of peanuts go well with the handmade sugar and soy sauce.
The "Trial Jimami Tofu" is served in a traditional Yachimun pottery dish at the store. The third-generation owner will explain the history and manufacturing method of Jimami Tofu in detail, so you can enjoy the taste while feeling the tradition and culture.
Pay attention to the difference in texture depending on when you eat it.
The "Oki-mami Tofu" is prepared every morning and is smooth and thick in the morning when it is freshly made, but as time passes it gradually becomes sticky and chewy. The different textures you can enjoy depending on when you eat it are the charm of handmade products. If you want to enjoy the taste of freshly made tofu, we recommend visiting right after opening.
The three-packs are packaged for take-out and sold in a specially designed cooling bag, so they are safe to carry around in the summer. You can also take them back to your hotel or purchase them before boarding your flight as a souvenir.
- Hama Foods
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- https://www.jimamitofu.com/
- 2-10-1 Matsuo, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- About 9 minutes walk from Makishi Station on the Yui Rail
- 9:00 - until sold out (average time 14:00 - 15:00)
*Sold-out status will be announced on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/hama_jimamitofu) - Every Wednesday and the fourth Sunday
- 098-884-0697
- none
6Andagi Goroya
Crispy "Andagi" that you can't stop eating
This sata andagi restaurant is located about a 5-minute walk from Tomari Pier Passenger Terminal, known as the gateway to the remote islands accessible from Naha.
After deep frying, "Andagi" is left to rest for a day and then the oil is thoroughly drained off, resulting in an addictively crispy and light texture. It keeps for about two weeks, so it's recommended not only as a souvenir but also as a snack during your stay in Okinawa.
The homey interior also has an eat-in area with two seats. You can also order coffee along with your "Andagi."
Great bite-sized snacks for eating on the go or as a snack
The shop opened in 2016. They sell bite-sized "andagi" that are easy to eat, and coordinators often come to buy them when they are doing photo shoots for TV shows or magazines. The recipe is based on the one made by the owner's mother, who is from Okinawa, and it is a dish that you won't find anywhere else.
We want to be a restaurant that is loved by locals, so we have located our restaurant in a residential area away from tourist spots, but recently we have seen an increase in customers, not only from locals but also from tourists.
- Andagi Goroya
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- 3-15-6 Maejima, Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
- About 10 minutes walk from Miebashi Station on the Yui Rail
- 12:00-19:00 *Ends when sold out
- Sundays and holidays
- 080-7982-3438
- none
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