Friday, October 19, 2012

Kitakeisen: Sushi, Noodles and Pizza?

Conveniently located in central Okinawa on Route 23,  near Kadena Air Base , this restaurant is perfect for those who are new to Okinawa and want to give the cuisine a try.



 

First's let's get all of the basic "must know" bits out of the way. The restaurant opens at 5PM and has English speaking staff and English Menu. They also accept yen and major credit cards, although I am not sure if they accept american dollars because I never pay with that type of currency. Reservations can be made in advance via telephone although I am sorry I did not get the number. The staff is happy to take your reservation in English as well.

Ok moving right along. . . . .

When it comes to food the menu has a great deal of variety. You can get anything from sashimi (raw fish or meat sliced for consumption) to pizza. Dishes in between include many favorites to include yakisoba, tacos, tempura, sausages, salads, fried rice, french fries and so much more. There is also a sushi bar where you can get some of your favorite types of sushi.



A majority of what is on the menu is meant to be enjoyed as a family style meal with the group sharing although sets are available if you prefer to order your own mean. Personally I have never tried the sets so I cannot speak for portions or the value of the sets themselves.



Overall this is a decent place to go out and get a meal. The portions are reasonable in comparison to the price although the sizes have gotten slightly smaller over the years. The restaurant also welcomes children and families so you do not have to hesitate when thinking about heading out to dinner. I should mention, however, that if you do not make a reservation you may want to head out for an early dinner. Especially during busy times of the week like on the weekend and as it starts getting later in the evening the restaurant gets more and more crowded. At times it can be hard to get right in to eat and you will be required to wait. TIP: My husband and I generally do our best to have dinner early when going to this restaurant as it is almost always an immediate sit down rather than having to wait in line for a table and feeling rushed through our meal. 

If you have been in Japan a while or if you are looking for strictly authentic Japanese food for an experience this might not be the place to visit. The food is good, there is no doubt about that, however, the food has been changed to accommodate the more american palate that are patrons of the restaurant. As I have said before this place is perfect for those who are looking to try something new but not commit to the full authentic Japanese meal.

 

 

1 comment:

  1. I went in to a place like that when I was over there.

    Sent from my iPhone

    ReplyDelete