CONTRIBUTED BY KASSIE O’DRISCOLL
Another new restaurant and I’m happy to report that it is close to our house! Recently, I noticed a new sign on 75 near Exit Cafe and wasn’t sure if it was actually for Exit or for somewhere else. Well, it was for Ruriiro Restaurant and I’m glad we did the investigating to find out.
When we walked up to this little house the chef was hanging out by himself and there was a dog relaxing by the door. At first, the air conditioning wasn’t on and I was thinking about how awful it was going to be to eat in such a hot place. Luckily, he was quick to turn it on and everything was fine!
Right away, I knew that we found another cute (and a little Japanese hipster) spot. The menu, which was a photo album with pictures and written descriptions, was in Japanese and English. The chef was very nice and hospitable, too! The decor leaves much to desire, but it’s pretty average for a place like this. I’m not there for the decor anyway!
Did you know that these all used to be base housing? By “these” I mean Soupçon, Exit Cafe, Cafe Blue Shore, and now Ruriiro Restaurant! Pretty cool, right? I think they’re really smart to turn these Americanized spaces into something profitable. I digress…
The menu isn’t big, but the options are great. I went with the Soft Mustard Chicken Curry with a side salad …
… and Mark got the Hushed Pork Set.
They also sell beer and wine. We didn’t see pictures of desserts, but the sign on the wall says “Sweets” so you might have to ask.
We both really liked our meals. I will say that the mustard was so “soft” that you couldn’t even taste it. Ha! Mark’s pork dish was a mix between gravy or BBQ and the pork was incredibly tender.
Something that I thought was really cool is that the chef went over to the window sill and plucked fresh basil for our food! It really gave it a “home-cooked meal feel.”
Overall, our experience was great and we’ll definitely be going back. The only thing that it’s missing is a nice view of the ocean, but we can’t always have everything!!
Hours: Unknown (if you find out please share in the comments!)
Directions: From Courtney Commissary gate, make a left onto 75 towards Hansen. Take that right at the light in front of the driving range (the Hansen shortcut). Wind down the road a bit about a mile or so. Right before you get to Exit Café, you’ll see the sign. Make a left and it’s sits behind Exit Cafe.