CONTRIBUTED BY LARISSA TRAQUAIR

Teppanyaki style cooking is easy to find on Okinawa and very entertaining.  If you like to watch your food being prepared in front of you while acquiring a few new tips for your own adventures in the kitchen than my recent find, Jam’s Steak House, is what you are looking for.  Located a few kilometers from the Renaissance Hotel this restaurant is worth the drive.

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You first notice the incredibly large and artsy building from the outside as you drive North on 58.  Their neon, palm tree sign may also grab your attention as the day turns to night.  Once you are inside you enter into an experience like no other.  The long wooden stairs will lead you to the main level of the restaurant.  This is where the visual stimulation will grab your attention about the same time all the wonderful smells envelope you.  Jam’s is an experience!

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Like many upper scale restaurants, Jam’s offers an extensive drink menu and their presentation will not disappoint.  Even your soda comes in a beautiful cup.

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We ordered the Couples Special and, with tax, your total is Y8,000 without a drink.  This is the most expensive dinner we have paid for on the island, so far, but you will not be disappointed in your service or your meal.  Our meal combination came with soup, salad, the main course and dessert.  Jam’s salad dressings are very creative with choices like Goya Mayonnaise, Cheese Pineapple, Japanese with Miso and French.  Their signature soup is curry.  The curry soups on this island are to die for and if I could get the recipe I would be one happy clam!

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Our combination, for 2 people, came with 150 grams of Tenderloin, 200 grams of Sirloin and 2 large prawns along with many grilled vegetables and your choice of rice or noodles.  You can even order Garlic Fried Rice for a little extra.  We would recommend paying extra as Jam’s knows how to use garlic in their food.

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You can also order appetizers from their extensive menu such as ostrich sashimi and grilled salmon.  Other meal options include ground beef, steak, large prawns, fish, squid and scallops.

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One unique aspect of Jam’s is that you are escorted away from your dinner table to enjoy your dessert (sherbet and fruit) along with hot tea.  This makes for a great way to transition from your meal to dessert, never feeling rushed.

Happy Eating!

Jam’s Steak House

Payment:  This restaurant takes Yen, American Dollars and Credit Card

Hours:  Lunch: 11:30-14:30 (Last Order at 13:30) Lunch time closed Tuesday & Wednesday (Lunch is a great deal with sets starting at Y950.)

Dinner: 17:00-24:00 (Last Order 22:30) Dinner time closed Tuesday

Phone: 098-965-2626

Address: 1518 Fuchaku, Onna Village

Google Maps Coordinates: 26.452527342, 127.805738107

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Directions: From Gate One of Kadena head North on 58.  You will pass Kadena Circle, pass 6 and then you’ll pass the Renaissance Hotel.  3.5 Kilometers past the Renaissance start looking for Jam on the left.  When it’s dark you won’t miss the neon palm tree sign.

22 COMMENTS

  1. Well Hubby and I FINALLY got around to going to this one. We’ve driven past it often and kept telling ourselves we were going to go so we finally did today. Hubby isn’t adventurous when it comes to food so our choices are pretty limited when venturing out and since we live in Nagahama Yomitan, Onna is pretty close for us. The food was good, the ambiance was relaxing/romantic and we left with overfull bellies. Just like everyone says, it’s a bit on the pricey side. We had an English speaking waitress with English menu and even our chef spoke some English so everything was quite easy. I especially liked that I got to try Goya, and grilled purple sweet potato, some grilled acorn squash, and some cheese/pineapple salad dressing so my (slightly) more adventurous taste buds weren’t left out. However……for teppenyaki, we prefer Four Seasons on Hwy 58 by the American Village. It costs less and the food is more flavorful and tender. Actually, flavor-wise, even Jack’s Place on Kadena AFB is better. Please don’t misunderstand, Jams’s food is not BAD by any stretch of the imagination, it’s actually quite good…..it’s just that there are other places that are better and less expensive IMHO.

  2. Jams is probably our favorite restaurant on Okinawa. It is a bit pricey, but we have never had a bad experience. We have been here about 10+ times. Every time we take our friends to it we warn them about the price, but after they eat there they always want to go back. The food is amazing, the atmosphere is great, and I would recommend this place to anyone for a date night or after a hard week at work.

  3. This place is very mediocre and expensive. I heard from a friend that the had chef left to start his own restaurant. My guess is that is why the quality has declined a lot.

    His restaurant is called Shige located down the street from Jam. The food there is amazing and reasonably priced.

  4. I took my wife here for a nice date night. You can spend anywhere from $50 for 2 all the way to around $300 for two. Either way you get great service and the perfect atmosphere to have a relaxed evening. Either way, the food is great and worth the price.

  6. Lunch is open at 1130 and well worth it. I took my husband there for Father’s Day today and we tried a little bit of everything on the menu. The staff was fabulous and we were greeted very warmly when we went in and they held our seats for us to sit down. The seafood lunch is Y1300 and the steak lunch is Y1500 and you can choose other meal sets or choose just a side. The bakery in the back area is wonderful and you can pick up some treats for Y100. I am very glad that we went here and I will be going back again in the very near future.

  7. My husband and I have been here 6 times. We love this place. The menu is a little expensive, but worth it. It is a great place for a date night. We usually spend around 70 dollars every time and we usually get the Kobe steak dinner. The atmosphere is amazing and a nice place to just have a great dinner and relax.

  9. If you don’t have some cash to drop, don’t eat here.
    But, the food here is worth every penny. Best food I’ve had on Okinawa.
    Great ambiance, too. Service was excellent.
    You won’t regret it. Just go there expecting to spend $200-300 for a meal for two.

  10. My husband and I went for our anniversary on Nov 23rd. It was a wed night and we had the teppenyaki grill to ourselves when we first arrived (1745) It got much busier as the night went on. We ordered a couples set (2 different types of steak, 2 lobster tails) along with garlic fried rice. I had a fancy non alcoholic drink and my husband had an XL beer. It came with curry soup, salad and bread. The set also came with dessert and a picture of us with a souvineer frame. It was 12,500 yen. Definately worth the money with the best teppenyaki I’ve had on island. This place puts all the others down to shame.

  11. This is one of my Favorite Japanese Steak houses on Island. I feel people are exaggerating the Prices somewhat, while more expensive than say four seasons I don’t think I’ve ever spent more than 6000-7000. It’s pricey enough that I don’t go there every weekend, but affordable enough to stop by on special occasions when you want some nice atmosphere, and good food.

  12. This place stays busy year round and has only become busier with the new aquarium open. When demand goes up, so do the prices. They cater to the Japanese tourists that visit Okinawa and stay in the area – an area with top 5 star hotels. You are not only paying for the food but also the atmosphere. Top notch place if it is within your budget or if the person you are dining with is worth it 🙂

  13. We went to Jams’ on a recommendation of a friend. Great Food and Ambiance. A lot of little things that made this visit a pleasure. Went for our Anniversary and will highly recommend Jam’s to all for that very special occasion.

  14. I’m glad you posted about Jam! It’s our favorite teppanyaki place on the island. While it’s expensive, we only go there for special occasions, just like Sam’s by the Sea. We took our friends there promising some of the best steak they have ever eaten…they were not dissapointed!

  15. We ate at Jam and the food was just delicious! The menu was a bit cost-prohibitive, however, it was for a special occasion and we felt it was okay to splurge. The iced tea alone was heavenly. I would definitely not bring my kids to Jam due to the combination of price and “interesting” decor. When we take the kids out for teppanyaki, it’s Capital’s all the way- Where we pay 6500yen for the total dinner bill as opposed to 6500yen for one item.

  16. Shopgirl – One of the reasons I posted on Jam is to give people a heads up. We had no idea of the cost before we arrived either. Like Paul we had eaten at Jam’s years ago and I remember it being more reasonable. The great thing about Okinawa, though, is that there are a lot of teppanyaki choices. Rumor has it that Sam’s Anchor Inn offers a great meal for less. Have you tried them or any others on the island?

    Bingata – I’m posting on Moa Moa next week. Great garlic shrimp!!!!

    Linda – Celebrating your anniversary at Jam’s is a great idea. Glad you enjoyed it. The ambience is great and the bathrooms are very “interesting”. Some of the “artwork” in the restaurant is “interesting” as well!!!!!

  17. Me and hubby ate here for our Annv. last year. Again Annv. so the $$$ was justified. We enjoyed it very much. The food delicious, the service great…ambience very enjoyable. My hubby did love the mens room..”if you know what I mean”….
    I am glad we went, it was a very nice night. 🙂

  19. My husband and I were visiting Okinawa in November and stayed at the Moon Beach Hotel which is just a few blocks away from Jam. We didn’t eat at Jam, but picked up moa moa chicken from the “shack” next door to it. Too bad Jam is so expensive — I recommend the Moa Moa chicken and shrimp from the little shack next to it for a reasonable meal. Here’s a link to their sign —
    http://picasaweb.google.com/bingata744/Okinawa2009#5407048756307256802
    and our lunch — http://picasaweb.google.com/bingata744/Okinawa2009#5407048776359457730

  20. yeah, this used to be a great little spot for lunch or a reasonable dinner…but they’ve gotten out of hand. You used to get a meal for around Y1,000, and the sauces were awesome. A friend of mine is a chef there and luckily he taught me how to make the sauces, so not much need to go there now.

  21. I ate here about 3 weeks ago with a few friends. I had no idea where we were going to eat that night and I need to say that the menu prices shocked me!! I searched and turned page after page trying to find something I could afford…every dinner was over $100 or 10,000 YEN…finally I found sirloin steak that was under $40 a plate. I did get the soup, salad, rice, sirloin, veggies and the dessert…the garlic rice was $3 extra….my total meal was 3600 yen and I had only water to drink. The sirloin was good, not the best I have ever had but over all not worth the money in my opinion. They do have a gift shop attached with some interesting items…including some “adult toys” 🙂