A Recommended Restaurant that is not on any Guidebooks at this Moment. “Uchinoyamachi” Serves Delicious Tacos, and Almost 100% of Customers are Local Residents (Nanjo City).

“Somewhere that cannot be on guidebooks,” or “Well-kept secret spots that you don’t want to tell anybody.” Don’t you get to see catch phrases like these when you check websites? Since most people love new and unique things, these phrases might get everybody’s attention. 



By the way, I am going to write about a small restaurant called “Uchinoyamachi” this time, and it is located in a quiet farm in peaceful Nanjo City. The staffs are proudly serving Tacos and Taco rice at the restaurant. Since 1 room of housing is renovated to start a restaurant, it is filled with relaxed atmosphere. Also, it is always crowded with local residents.



“Uchinoyamachi, Uchinoyamachi, Uchinoyamachi…”After repeating it several times, I felt like something good might be happening to me soon. By the way, this restaurant is not on any guidebooks at this moment. And this is one of my favorite well-kept secret spots and honestly, I did not want to tell anybody. But I am hoping for many people to know about this place and go there to eat. 



It is because the restaurant features simple but good “Staffs,” “Location,” and “Taste.”

First, “Staffs.” The owner is Hideo Yamauchi, and his parents support him. The way they support their son and help each other look excellent. Also, they treat customers very friendly, and it reminds of typical Okinawan family itself. It expresses their personalities, and some parts resemble my own family, so it is kind of fun to look at them.



Second, “Location.” The restaurant is located at the foot of wind power station, in an area where is surrounded by sugarcane fields. Unlike along a busy highway, it is a quiet tacos restaurant which is in a quiet area. It is fancy to eat tacos while looking at idyllic scenery. For your information, the Yamauchi family uses vegetables that they grow at their home garden as much as they can. 



Finally, “Taste.” Hideo continued trial and error for nearly 10 years to make taco shells. According to him, he had tacos for the first time when he was about 20 years old. “One day, my friend bought tacos at a famous tacos restaurant for me. When I ate it, I had a shock on its taste that I never had before.” He inherently likes to cook and eat, and he told me his memorable moment. He got into tacos since then, and he started making his original tacos in the meantime. 



“I went to many restaurants to eat, and sometimes I searched some information about tacos on the internet. I tried to learn how to make it by watching other examples and repeated trial and error. I sometimes purchased different types of flours, and sometimes I changed the amount of water every 10cc. Finally, I was able to make tacos that can make me satisfied a little bit.” However, there is a continuation on this story.

“But the dough gets softer when it gets cold, and it also gets greasy at the same time.” 

Hideo tried out hundreds of recipes after that, and he was finally able to make Tacos that he aimed for. It took 10 years after he started his challenge. 

When I had it, I felt crunchy texture of the taco shell. Its taste is not too plain, but not too strong. I had it again after a short moment, and it is not greasy and its taste is simple, and crunchiness still remains as the way it was. Usually fast food gets bad when it gets cold, but this Taco gets better more and more when it gets cold.





Besides Tacos, other unique dishes including Mayo Taco Rice (L: 780 yen / M: 680 yen / S: 580 yen) are served at Uchinoyamachi. Plus, Akita Komachi, famous rice brand, produced in Okayama Prefecture is used for it. Hideo’s cousin got married, and she is currently living in Okayama Prefecture. Rice which is produced there is famous for its deliciousness. Thanks to the extreme temperature difference and famous water.





The most recommended dish is 4 kinds of reasonable lunch plate (700 yen - ). Side dishes including burrito (380 yen), homemade soup of the day (150 yen), homemade ice cream made by Hideo’s sister (130 yen), homemade shikwasa juice (150 yen; served from July - December) are good as well. You can also order take-out, so why don’t you stop by at this restaurant when you come to Southern Okinawa?  

 

Uchinoyamachi　
Address: 754 Sashiki Tedokon, Nanjo City
Tel: 080-6480-5467
Business Hours: 11:00-18:00
Closed: Wednesday 


Okinawa CLIP photo writer Nobuya Fukuda