CONTRIBUTED BY KAY MILLS

Seaside Terrace l Okinawa Hai

My husband and I are always on the lookout for new local restaurants, especially near the Sunabe Seawall as it makes for a wonderful after dinner stroll. We recently discovered such a place called the Seaside Terrace. It is literally across the street from the seawall, offers both indoor and outdoor seating, and  the menu, well, simply put, is AWESOME!

We first perused the list of appetizers available and the choices included tomato bruschetta, avacado caprese, and assorted cheese (prices ranged from 500 to 1,200 yen). There were also numerous types of salads available such as a garden salad, a chicken caesar salad and a beef teriyaki salad (costing between 600 to 900 yen). We decided to begin our dining experience with the tomato bruschetta and, when it arrived, our mouths began to water – it looked absolutely scrumptious! We were certainly not disappointed when we ate it – the bread was toasted just crispy enough to maintain the freshness of the bread and the tomatoes were combined with other seasonings that created a completely fresh and natural taste.

Seaside Terrace l Okinawa Hai

We then moved on to examine the variety of entree choices. This part of the menu was divided into sections including a seafood section, a pasta and rice section, and a meat/beef section. I decided on the penne with vegetables in a cream sauce while my husband chose smoked salmon over linguine with spinach and vegetables in a cream sauce. Our meals were fabulous! Each was prepared with very fresh veggies, the pasta done to perfection and the sauce was not only extremely tasty, but poured just right (enough for the pasta, but not so much that the pasta was swimming in it). The smoked salmon was prepared perfectly – the flavor of the salmon was actually enhanced by a subtle smokey taste. The dinners ranged in price from about 850 yen (for the smoked salmon and spinach omelet with fries) to 2,400 yen (for the chef’s beef steak).

Seaside Terrace l Okinawa Hai

To supplement the menu, specials are listed nightly on a blackboard and change regularly. As in most restaurants, there is a dessert menu to tempt you after a very filling and satisfying meal with such options as a banana chocolate parfait (680 yen) and the chef’s assorted dessert for two (850 yen). However, we were much too full to partake and opted to wait to try a dessert – or two – during our next visit!

Seaside Terrace l Okinawa Hai

The owner/chef – Taka-san, who is a trained wine/sake sommelier – and his staff are also wonderfully pleasant and welcoming. When Taka-san has time, he enjoys meeting his guests, conversing with them, and inquiring about their personal preferences for their meals’ preparation. His ultimate goal is to create dishes, which reflect an American-Japanese fusion. His English, along with the staffs’, is good and they are more than willing to make sure you have a truly pleasant dining experience. The atmosphere in the Seaside Terrace is also quite pleasing; lighting is somewhat low and soft music plays in the background – a nice romantic and/or relaxing ambiance. The furniture has a somewhat contemporary edge and very comfortable. It provides a perfect opportunity for a quiet dinner with the one you love, for groups to get together or for friends to enjoy an evening. It would also be a perfect spot for a first date. For those of you who are familiar with the Sea Side Café on Araha Beach, this is its sister restaurant and is operated by the same family. So, if you are looking for a great night out with quality food at a reasonable price, this is definitely a place to try! Enjoy! (Oh, by the way, there is also a variety of beverages as well, from soda, to cocktails, to beer and wine – 500 yen to 850 yen.)

Seaside Terrace l Okinawa Hai

Directions: *Rt. 58 S make right at 1st light after Kadena Gate One – at Family Mart (Rt. 58 N make left at light at Family Mart one block before Kadena Gate One)
*Go to third light (last light before seawall) and make a left
*Go two blocks and turn right (you will see a sign for Sunabe Smile Dental Clinic there)
*Go all the way to the seawall and turn right
*Go one block and look right – you will see sign for Seaside Terrace

Parking: You can park anywhere along seawall. There are 2-3 spots across the street from the restaurant.

Phone: 098-936-2556 Reservations are suggested

Hours:  8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. weekdays and 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. weekends. Closed on Tuesdays and the 1st Monday of the month.

Payment: Yen or U.S. Dollars

24 COMMENTS

  1. A friend told me about this place and said they had amazing French toast. So we wanted to try it. It was going to our date breakfast. Upon arriving my husband and I waited over 30minutes before someone took our order. After taking our order we waited an other 30 minutes for our food. The food was okay. It would have been better if we would not have waited so long.

  2. Took my family of 4 there this morning and it was amazing! By far our favorite breakfast spot here. Awesome friendly staff! Amazing prices and plate sizes. I’m sure we’ll be trying to make reservations at least once a month 🙂 We all ended up getting French Toast of some sort! We loved the idea that the kids plates came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream (yep for breakfast)! This was home on a plate that we didn’t have to make.. Very Fresh! And location is on spot! Beautiful Seawall walk when your finished

  3. The times have changed to: 8am – 5pm on Weekdays and 8am – 4pm Weekends Closed on Tuesdays and the 1st Monday of the Month

    Just ate at the Seaside Terrace yesterday for a late lunch. Breakfast is served all day. They have a great french toast menu and it’s so good! Friends had some of their special flavored sodas, smoothies, bruchetta, salads, etc.

    They only accept Yen and U.S. Dollars

  4. Editor’s Note: Due to technical difficulties this comment was not saved on our server. We are re-publishing it now to continue the conversation on this post.

    From Jenn on 9/22/13:
    “We ate here for lunch and it was very good. Great service and food was delish. We’ll be back!”

  5. They do not open until 6pm in the evenings. We had dinner last night, it was amazing! They play live music on Sunday evenings, the food was awesome and the owner is very kind! I highly reccomend this place for a date night!

  6. My husband and I went here last night for date night. It’s now one of my favorite places in Okinawa, I’m really in love with it! I made a reservation but it doesn’t seem like it was needed, at least not last night. The overall feeling of the place is very nice. My husband ordered a glass of wine and I had an Earl Grey tea. We ordered two appetizers, the tomato and avocado caprese and the smoked salmon salad. Both were amazing! I was expecting a normal tomato/avocado salad but the seasoning and sauce he added made it extra special. For dinner I had the B.L.T.E sandwich (bacon, lettuce, tomato, egg) which came with fries and a pasta salad side. The egg was made over-medium/hard which was just the way I love it. The fries taste and look exactly like McDonald’s fries, amazing! My husband ordered the Grilled swordfish with a teriyaki/wasabi sauce. His came with bread and the same pasta salad. He said it was very good as well. The owner came out and introduced himself and thanked us for our reservation, I thought that was super sweet. I can’t say enough about this place really! Try it!

  7. Carol and I have been in Okinawa for 4 years now. We have been to many restaurants in Okinawa and have our favorites. This was our first visit to the Seaside Terrace. We had lunch today celebrating the 4th of July.. We split the pumpkin soup and the salmon and cream cheese bruschetta. I had the fish and chips Carol had the salmon meuniere, then we split the tiramisu with vanilla ice cream, enjoyed with ice tea. Well, well, well. We must add this establishment to our short list of top restaurants in Okinawa. We will be regulars at the beautiful place.

  8. Absolutely fantastic! Thank you for the recommendation. I started with soup of the day (pumpkin), followed by the fish and chips sandwich. This restaurant would not be out of place in NY or LA, and it would be twice the price there.

  9. I normally don’t post on here but chose to make an exception in the case of this establishment. This place hosts a great, quaint, and welcoming dining experience. All the food; the appetizers, main dish, and deserts, were prepared from scratch with fresh ingredients, and obviously created/ arranged with the personal pride of the owner.

    There is limited seating and reservations are worth making. The owner came out and personally greeted my wife and I when we came and left. You can tell that he took great pride in his work and wanted everyone who came to have a great dining experience.

    This is a great place for a romantic dinner for 2 and a walk on the seawall afterward!

  10. Okay my initial impression of this place was not the best. One, the place had only a few seating for customers inside the restaurant but did have a couple of tables outside. Two, the owner tells you that it will take about 30 min. since he is the only one in the kitchen and have had people turn away because of this. Three, his dog was roaming around freely inside the restaurant. I love dogs but just not in restaurants(health and sanitation reasons). So for those who have dogs this may be the place for you and your companion. I do have to say this, “the dog was so cute!”

    I had every intentions to just walk out and try other restaurants that were nearby but my husband convinced me to give it a chance. And gladly I did because the food was great! I had the tuna sandwich set, which was prepared fresh, and it had avocado and the dressing with it was just so good. The set came with salad and soup all for under 900 yen. My husband ordered the seafood pasta set, which we were told the owner makes his own sauce,this too, was delicious. By the end of my meal, I found myself really loving this place. Furthermore, the owner was so friendly he makes sure to greet and have a little chat with each of the customers. This place gives you a more personal feeling. We are definitely coming back to this place and will be suggesting to friends and family!

    • Just a heads up this is Japan, not the U.S. You will come to find that meals in small establishments can take longer to prepare, but its well worth it. Not only are the meals presented in a 5 star dining appearance, but also with the utmost care to ensure the flavor is just right they take a lot of pride in what they do. The spark and uniqueness of this place is that there are so many small business and has the most eating capita per square mile. Most have very little seating which is why many do not want to share a good find because they want to ensure they get a seat when they want. Come to Okinawa with an open mind, its a different culture and hopefully like our family you will come to appreciate all it offers.

  11. I also had tried it several weeks ago. I was craving a burger, especially since the sausage patties at Seaside cafe was so delicious. The burger served was not your typical american burger on a pattie, instead it was served with a homemade tomatoe sauce on top, with a side of salad and toast…it was incredible! Its time to go back and try the many other dishes on the menu 🙂

  12. We just came back from dinner here and it was amazing. The place is small maybe five tables. The food is delicious and decently priced. We made reservations just in case but it didn’t get busy until about 7pm. Highly recommend this place for cozy atmosphere and delicious food.

  13. Had dinner here last night with a Japanese friend. The food was fantastic and wanted to post a heads-up that I learned through translation. The owner does all of the cooking himself and will only be allowing parties of 4 or less with no more than 6 people seated for dinner at any one time. There will be other seating for drinks and snacks only. I think reservations will soon be the only way to get in because the food was that good. Scott