Popular with the Locals, these are Okinawa Soba Restaurants Around Shurijo Castle that You’ll Want to Stop By!

Shurijo Castle is probably the most famous sightseeing spot on the main island of Okinawa. The famed Castle stands at an altitude of 130m, and with the height of the building combined, it proudly stands about 146m above sea level. The location commands a fantastic view and after sunset, the evening view with the city lights is also impressive. The area around Shurijo Castle is also full of attractions such as the Ishidatami Michi or cobblestone road, which has been selected as one of the "100 Scenic Roads in Japan", and the large Akagi trees are also attracting attention as a power spot. If you get a chance, enjoy a stroll around the neighborhood during your stay in Okinawa. After you work up an appetite with a nice walk, of course, a delicious lunch awaits! In this article, we would like to introduce three popular Okinawa Soba restaurants in the vicinity of Shurijo Castle.


 

---

Enjoy “Haiga Suba” with wheat germ blended into the Soba noodles, at an old Kominka residence that dates back 150 years

---

The first spot is "Udunyama," an Okinawa Soba specialty restaurant located on a hill in Shuri. The building is an old private home that was built over 150 years ago that has undergone some remodeling. The noodles offered here are made with the old-fashioned method and are very popular with the locals. The ash made by burning banyan wood is dissolved in water, and after several weeks, the lye that has been aged is used to make their noodles.



Shown below is their "Haiga Suba," with noodles made from plain dough kneaded with wheat germ and topped with Sanmainiku pork. The noodles are flavorful the more you chew, and they’re also highly nutritious and so, this menu is especially favored by their health-conscious customers. The soup is made by adding onions and Awamori to pork bone broth, and after the excess fat is removed, bonito tuna and kelp stock are blended. It has a richness and sweetness that’s just right, and you’ll enjoy it to the very last drop.





 

Ryukyu Korai Suba Udunyama
Address: 1-121-2 Shuri Ishimine-cho, Naha City, Okinawa
Telephone: 098-885-5498
Website: http://udunyama.com/　 


 

---

A simple and delightful Okinawa Soba enjoyed in an old Kominka house registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property

---

Next is the Okinawa Soba restaurant, "Shimujo," housed in a 60-year-old Kominka home registered as a National Tangible Cultural Property. Such a traditional structure with its red-tiled roof, cobblestones, and Hinpun (that stands at the front of the structure to give privacy), is not so common to see in Okinawa anymore and is very much appreciated by tourists. When you step inside the restaurant, the atmosphere makes you feel like you’re visiting your Okinawan grandma’s house in the countryside. The warmth of the wood used in the interior gives the illusion that time flows slower here.





Their signature dish is the "Soki Soba". The soup is made by carefully boiling Okinawa pork bones and adding bonito, and the resulting taste is delightfully light and smooth and goes perfectly with their chewy, thin, and flat noodles. Before you finish the whole bowl, try adding some "Koregusu” (Shima Togarashi, or local chili peppers, pickled in Awamori), and enjoy the change in taste. If you’re looking for a comfortable place to relax and enjoy Okinawa Soba, this is a great place to go.






 

Shimujo
Address: 2-124-1 Shuri Sueyoshi-cho, Naha City, Okinawa
Telephone: 098-884-1933


 

---

For noodles with a texture that seems to “dance” in your mouth, head over to Tishiraji Soba!

---

Last on our list is "Tishiraji Soba," a restaurant cherished by its many regulars. Their main menu consists of just one item, the "Okinawa Soba". Most people order their side dishes, the Jushee rice (Okinawan-style seasoned rice) or Inari sushi, to complete their meal as a set.



Their house-original noodles have a great texture and are so plump that you might find it hard to carry your bites with chopsticks. The clear soup stock is prepared with dried bonito that has been aged to develop a healthy mold and has a simply delicious taste. The triple delight of the noodles with a lively texture, the light soup with plenty of Umami flavor, and the Sanmainiku pork meat on top which are so delicate that they melt in your mouth, are wonderful on their own, but together, this is one perfect Okinawa Soba. There’s no doubt that once you try it, you’ll want to go there again and again.



 

Tishiraji Soba
Address: 1-1 Shuri Tera-cho, Naha City, Okinawa
Telephone: 090-7989-0257


That concludes our introduction of three Okinawa Soba restaurants highly reputed in the local area and located conveniently near Shurijo Castle so you can make a stop when you’re in the neighborhood. There are many, many more Okinawa Soba restaurants throughout the island, so we hope you’ll visit several of them and find your favorite one.



Okinawa CLIP Editorial Dept.