CONTRIBUTED BY: LAURA PITA
My girlfriends and I had lunch at this little Cafe a few weeks ago and the food was so delicious I knew I had to share it with you guys. Ima Café is just a few minutes outside of Kadena Gate 2, on 20, and the perfect lunch spot! *Be sure to arrive a few minutes before 11:30 because apparently it gets very popular at lunch time.
They have a small lunch menu that has 5 sets w/ drink included, one of them being the weekly special. There is also a great coffee selection, but be ready to wait a long time. If you’re a coffee lover I suggest you order it as soon as you get seated.
The three of us tried different sets, the salmon sashimi bowl with avocado and raw egg; the hamburger set with sunny-side up egg; and the set of chicken cutlet with cream cheese sauce. Sets included cabbage salad with homemade carrot dressing, soup, and rice. The food was absolutely amazing!
Like their homemade carrot salad dressing? You can actually purchase a little container of dressing by the register. Like many Okinawan Cafes there is a small section of handmade goodies, including jewelry and pottery, among other fun things.
Hours: Open Tuesday through Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Lunch is from 11:30 – 4:00
Last order for food is 5:00 and for tea is 5:30
Closed on Mondays
Phone Number: 098-989-1534
Payment: Japanese Yen Only
Address: 904-0031 Okinawa Prefecture, Okinawa, Uechi, 3 Chome−2−26
Directions: From Kadena Gate 2 go straight, on the second traffic light take a right onto 23. At the first traffic light in front of the Koza City Stadium sign take a left onto 20. The Café will be on your left before the next traffic light. There are only 3 parking spots.
Coordinates: 26.332533, 127.792819
Website: https://imacafe.ti-da.net/
My wife, daughter and I were in Okinawa over the Christmas holidays visiting relatives. I lived in Kadena in the late 1960s because my father was in the air force, but haven’t been back since. My aunt and uncle still live here along with my three cousins and their kids and grandkids, most of which we met for the first time during our stay. My youngest cousin was born in 1970 so I had never met him until this trip, and it turns out his wife owns the Ima Café. My second cousin Atsuko took us there for lunch and it was a wonderful surprise. The café had a sort of new age charm and limited menu but what they had was delicious. The deserts were very enjoyable as was the customer service. It’s only about two blocks from my uncle’s house so we stopped here on our way to visit him. We only stayed a week so unfortunately we didn’t make it back to the café, but are planning another trip in 2019. My sisters are coming with us this time so we are looking forward to eating here again.