Simple yet exquisite. Okinawa Soba with a wonderful, clear taste at Tamaya, Maeda (Urasoe)

Popular restaurants introduced in various travel guides are certainly wonderful, but I also think that many visitors to Okinawa are looking for “great Okinawa Soba restaurants where the locals go!” If you’re thinking the same, I recommend a visit to Soba Dokoro (restaurant) Tamaya, Maeda Branch. It’s conveniently located just three minutes on foot from the Urasoe Maeda Station of the Yui Rail.



Tamaya, Maeda Branch has a strong following of local customers and is cherished for their wonderfully delicious Okinawa Soba. It’s a branch shop from the famous main shop, Tamaya, which is located in the southern city of Nanjo on Okinawa Island. Kento Tamaki, the owner of the Maeda Branch, apprenticed at the main shop in Nanjo City for three years before opening up this branch in 2005.


Time and effort are never spared in the careful preparation of their famous soup.

One of the biggest reasons why the regulars keep coming back to Tamaya is for their delightful soup. Both pork bones and dried bonito flakes are used to make the soup, which is carefully prepared with much time and effort. In pursuit of a transparent and tasty soup, Tamaki-san prepares it over low heat, meticulously removing the lye. This is how their rich and fine-flavored soup is created.



Thin, flat, and straight noodles are used for their soba, carefully chosen to match the soup. Despite their thinness, the noodles have a perfect, firm consistency and go very well with the light soup.


Collagen-rich Tebichi Soba

One of the most recommended choices is the Tebichi (trotter) Soba. You might be familiar with this popular Okinawan dish which you’ll find in Oden and stewed dishes.


 

At Tamaya, the Tebichi is carefully cooked over low heat for over five hours so that they don’t fall apart, and has a delightfully supple texture that will melt in your mouth. Because they’re rich in collagen, this is a popular choice among their female customers.

They offer three sizes: Small (150g of noodles), Large (210g), and Extra Large (300g), to accommodate all appetites.


Topped with soft, jiggly, and tasty tofu, you’ll enjoy the Yushi Dofu Soba

Yushi Dofu Soba is also another popular choice. It is served with slices of fatty pork, Kamaboko fish cakes, green onions, and of course, the Yushi Dofu(soft and supple tofu made by adding bittern to soy milk). The tofu is stewed in the Okinawa Soba soup for more than an hour so the flavor is deep with an overall consistency.



The jiggly Yushi Dofu has a silky texture and its delicious taste is one that you’ll never forget.



There’s nothing flashy about Soba Dokoro Tamaya, Maeda Branch, but they certainly offer wonderful Okinawa Soba that is both classy and delicate, bringing out the best of the ingredients that they use. The simplicity of their dishes leaves no room to disguise the natural flavors. Their Soba dishes are flavorful, well-balanced, and exquisite, you won’t find a taste like this anywhere else. I recommend a visit to enjoy the delightful creations of the owner, Tamaki-san.


 

Soba Dokoro Tamaya, Maeda Branch
Address: 1-3-1 Maeda, Urasoe City, Okinawa
Telephone: 098-874-0121
Hours: 11:00 to 15:00
Closed: Wednesdays



Okinawa CLIP photo writer, Sachiko Tachi