CONTRIBUTED BY KELLYERACE
Below are some websites to surf to help you research your first post lock-down celebratory dinner, or just to help you kill some time on the computer.
Oh, also, as you might find yourself doing more eating “out” on base, I’m curious to know about your favorite on-base dining establishment. What is it? Why do you like it? Is it the food? The service? The speed? The location. As I’ve mentioned in the little “Who’s Hai” bio., I give top prize to the Subway at the Spot on Camp Foster. Why? It’s not the food. And certainly not the atmosphere. But I’m just constantly amazed at the efficiency of the place. That manager has made that Subway a well oiled machine. Never a wrong order, always fast even if there’s a line. I must give him props. Honorable mention goes to Charley’s in the food court, ’cause hey, they’ve got a damn fine cheesesteak going on there. Please feel free to throw in your two cents as well. Who knows, we may rediscover some on base dining gem.
And now for your websurfing pleasure:
The Dining Guides
Okinawa Index This is a fun site to explore. There’s a listing of over 70 restaurants/cafes on it with phone numbers, hours, and a little descriptive blurb about most of them. You can also search for restaurants by region on an interactive map, which I think is a pretty nifty tool. https://www.okinawaindex.com/index/?tid=3&cid=98&id=20 The guide is by no means comprehensive, but a great little resource if you are tired of going to the same old places all the time.
OkinawaJET.com This a wonderful website to waste your time on. And I mean that in a good way. Created for participants in the Okinawa’s JET (Japan Exchange and Teaching Program), it’s got all kinds of useful information for any English speaker living on the island (or Oki’s outer islands for that matter) — from info about diving, to being vegetarian in Japan, to regional guides. The regional guide link is the one I’ve pasted above because it’s got long lists of great sounding restaurants. Here’s an example of one: Cinnamon Café – This place has a great atmosphere along with some of the best coffee and chocolate cake in Naha. Coffee and cake sets cost about Y900. Also, there is a good selection of artsy / fashion / culture / architecture / interior decoration type magazines, as well as a few photography books. They usually play cool music, too. See Map, 24. (That’s written by Lynn Miyahira, btw) Good chocolate cake??? Count me in.
Food Language:
Hey, so always wanted to know how to say “onion” in Japanese. This interactive picture dictionary (click on the picture and hear how it’s said in Japanese) through languageguide.org is pretty neat.
For vegetables click here
For fruit click here
And for kitchen utensils click here