If you are at a loss to choose a restaurant in Naha, I highly recommend the restaurant “Tsuchikaoru（土香る）”.
It is located on a side street off Kokusai Street, just around the corner from Hotel JAL City.
I have been to Okinawa many times and this is the restaurant I often go to when I stay in Naha.
[Tsuchikaoru（土香る）] (Japanese-style pub)
The restaurant is located in the basement down a flight of stairs.
Since it is located in the basement, everyone is concerned about not knowing what the inside of the store looks like, but the staff welcomes you cheerfully, so there is no difficulty in entering the store.
The interior of the restaurant has a stylish atmosphere with beautifully decorated sake and utensils.
There are three tables and a counter right after entering the restaurant, and three kotatsu seats(japanese style seats) in the back. The garden-like structure in the back is also stylish.
I was able to get in without a reservation that day, but it is better to make a reservation as the restaurant is often full.
Here is the appetizer: Mozuku seaweed, Yushi-tofu, and Nambanzuke.
It is good to use materials that are typical of Okinawa.
Mozuku is seaweed pickled in vinegar, which gives it a crunchy, thick texture.
Yushi-tofu is Okinawan tofu. Soft and fluffy food.
Nambanzuke is deep-fried fish tossed with sweet and sour sauce with green onions and chili peppers. A little like marinade.
Habu sake was placed on the counter.
The habu is a snake endemic to Japan.
Although the appearance of habu sake gives it a harsh image, it is actually quite easy to drink.
It has an herbal aroma, no odor, and is more refreshing than it looks.
It is marinated in Awamori, which is supposed to have a high alcohol content, but the taste is so good that you don’t feel it.
（Awamori is Rice-based Okinawan sake)
Next to it, there is also an old Awamori sake that is not listed on the menu.
A wide variety of sake is also lined up in the back of the room.
Of course, there were many drinks other than Awamori, and the cocktail-like drinks that other customers were ordering looked good.
Sea grape and seafood salad.
I appreciate that this can be ordered in half sizes, which is a good size for one person to drink alone.
Some items could be made half-size and some could not, but most of them could be made half-size, so I was able to order a variety of dishes.
Island carrot, leaf garlic, and salt pork chanpuru（fried food）.
Island carrots are a winter vegetable and are in season from December to February. They are soft and have a nice sweet taste.
The plates used to serve the dishes are also Okinawan, creating a nice atmosphere.
The menu at this restaurant has a lot of Awamori on it, but there are also many items that are not on the menu.
Old sake called Coral Reef by Yamakawa Shuzo lined up on the counter.
It has about 43 degrees of alcohol.
However, even if you drink it on the rocks, you can enjoy a smooth mouthfeel with a firm aftertaste that is hard to believe it has that kind of alcohol content.
The waitress was very knowledgeable about Awamori, and told me that the Yamakawa Sake Brewery in Motobu-cho is a brewery that is particular about old sake, and all of the sake they make is old sake.
He also told us that Motobu-cho has the earliest cherry blossoms in Japan, and that a cherry blossom festival is held in January.
I also ordered other drinks besides old sake, but all the drinks were delicious with a refreshing taste, including a 25% Harusame Mild Awamori on the menu.
The use of Okinawan Ryukyu glass is also a nice touch.
This is one of the recommended menu items called Umu-Kuji Tempura.
It is deep-fried red potatoes and is also a local Okinawan dish.
They are brought freshly fried and the sticky texture and sweetness of the red potatoes are addictive.
Somen Chanpuru（fried food）.
Somen is a Japanese noodle made from wheat flour. It is characterized by its thinness.
It is an Okinawan home-style dish, and the seasoning differs from household to household.
The somen chanpuru here is not available in half sizes, but it is light in flavor and goes easily into the stomach.
Tuna sushi.
There were also Wagyu sushi and Seafood chazuke.
Chazuke is a little like rice soup.
This tuna sushi is also half-size, so you can enjoy it in just the right amount.
For dessert to finish off the meal, I ordered Chinbin.
The crepe-like dough wrapped around the outside is called Chinbin.
It is an Okinawan sweet with brown sugar.
The sugarcane ice cream inside is also a very nice combination with just the right amount of sweetness.
This one’s a half-size, but it’s plenty.
Part of the recommended menu.
Finally
All of the dishes at this restaurant have a gentle taste without any peculiarities, and you can enjoy delicious Okinawan local cuisine.
I had the delicacy of Tofuyo, which was easy to eat without much smell, and the texture was like cheese.
It was delicious with Awamori.
(It is usually eaten as a snack with awamori, and is not often eaten by itself.)
And the wide variety of alcoholic beverages makes it ideal for those who are particular about their drinks.
As far as we were told, they have more than 100 kinds of Awamori alone.
This is one of the most outstanding restaurants (izakaya) in the Kokusai-Street neighborhood.
If you stay in Naha, please visit there.
It is good to make a reservation on the [Tabelog（食べログ）].
When you open the site, it will appear in Japanese.
After that, you can change the language by scrolling down the screen.
Searching for “Tsuchikaoru” may not show up.
In that case, try searching for “土香る“.
You can copy and use the text from “ 土香る “.
Thank you for reading to the end.
