There are many Okinawan restaurants in Tokyo, but this one stood out for its great value. The name of the restaurant, Nankurunaisa Kibaiyansei, is a bit hard to remember (lol). In addition to Okinawan cuisine, they also offer dishes using mentaiko and Miyazaki Jidori chicken, so it can be considered a Kyushu/Okinawa regional cuisine restaurant. We started with an Orion beer. We ordered dishes like Miyazaki Jidori chicken Nanban, mentaiko potato salad, and sea grapes. I can't remember what else we ordered in my tipsy state, but the atmosphere inside the restaurant had a Okinawan vibe.

I visited for lunch after a long time. I ordered the Chicken Nanban, Rafute, and Nankuru Lucky set meal with sashimi. The sashimi was ordinary, but the Chicken Nanban and Rafute were quite delicious and well-balanced. The portion size was just right, not too much or too little.

On Friday, May 19th, I attended a farewell party for a colleague who will be moving to Germany next month. The venue was like a food court with several shops and many salarymen chatting away. It felt like the pre-COVID days. We had a 3-hour all-you-can-drink course for 4,500 yen including tax. We started with a toast with Orion beer. It was my first time trying Orion beer, and it was delicious in a frosty cold glass. The food kept coming one after another. The course included: - Umibito salad (seafood salad) - Okinawa appetizer platter with 3 varieties: sea grapes, mimiga (pig ear), and shimaraccho (Okinawan pickles) - Goya champuru (bitter melon stir-fry) - Rafuti (Okinawan pork belly stew) - Okinawa mozuku tempura (a unique texture) - Okinawa soba - Curly potato fries The drinks included: - Orion beer - Awamori (Okinawan distilled spirit) "Zanpa" I don't usually eat Okinawan cuisine, but the Orion beer and Zanpa awamori left a lasting impression. We drank Zanpa in glasses, but we ordered so much that the staff brought a bottle. It was a close call... I might have had too much to drink since the pandemic. I somehow ended up at Iidabashi Station on the way back, but managed to catch the last train home. Let's remember to drink in moderation next time (laughs).

Today, I decided to have lunch at Terrace Square again. I went up to the 2nd floor and visited this place that I hadn't been to yet. After looking at the menu board, I couldn't find anything that caught my eye, so I ended up ordering the usual bitter melon stir-fry set meal for 950 yen at the counter, received a buzzer, and found a seat at the empty food court. By the way, you can pay with cash or PayPay. After about 6 minutes, the buzzer went off and I went to pick up my order. The portion looked decent, so I thought my stomach would be satisfied. I took a bite right away. The taste was a bit strong, but it might be just right as a side dish for rice. At first glance, I thought there wasn't much bitter melon, but as I ate more, I found a good amount of bitter melon at the bottom. The plentiful bitter melon made the rice go down smoothly. The rice was a bit firm, maybe because it had been kept warm for too long. The wakame seaweed soup was light in flavor, not very impressive. I enjoyed my meal in the relatively quiet food court, took my time, and checked my phone after eating. Overall, it was just an average lunch, nothing special.

Terrace Square is located in Kanda Nishikicho 3-chome. On the second floor, there is a stylish food court called "Terrace Table." It has sofa seats, counter seats, and is very user-friendly. You can even use the outlets. There are four restaurants in the food court: Nankurunaisa Kibaiyanse, Menamunohotori, Youfuku, and Hakodate Robatayaki Shigezo (open from February). There is also a separate restaurant, GARB pintino. I visited Terrace Table around 8:00 PM. Only Youfuku and Nankurunaisa Kibaiyanse are open for dinner, so it is very quiet. Hakodate Robatayaki Shigezo is scheduled to open in February, so it might get a bit livelier. I went to Nankurunaisa Kibaiyanse at the back of the food court. It is a concept under the GYRO HOLDINGS umbrella, with over 200 domestic food and beverage outlets operated by the TKS Group. The Nankurunaisa brand has seven stores in Tokyo and Saitama. Although it is within the food court, there is a dedicated floor for this store, with eight counter seats and 28 terrace seats. There were two male staff members managing the place. I started with a draft beer (450 yen) at the quiet counter seat. The appetizer (300 yen) was salmon and bonito with vinegar miso dressing, which was refreshing. I also had fried horse mackerel (280 yen) and mozuku seaweed tempura (450 yen). The fried horse mackerel came with tartar sauce. I tried to write in sauce on it, but it ended up a bit messy. The freshly fried mackerel was delicious and crispy. The mozuku seaweed tempura was a bit sticky due to the high binder content. I enjoyed it with salt and Worcestershire sauce, which surprisingly went well together. For my refill, I had the original shochu Nankurunaisa Kibaiyanse (450 yen) mixed with soda. I enjoyed two drinks in the quiet back of the food court.

On a regular weekday night, I visited a food court-like area on the second floor of an office building in the business district. The concept was to allow customers to bring their own food, but it didn't catch on due to the pandemic. Now it operates as a regular restaurant. The interior is spacious and clean. There is no partition between smokers and non-smokers (you can definitely smell the smoke from the guy next to you). It was very empty, probably due to the pandemic, even during the year-end party season. They offered a course with all-you-can-drink for 4000 yen. The food selection was decent and I left feeling satisfied. For 3 hours in the city center, the price was not bad. They had a variety of drinks including unique options like awamori and shikuwasa. The dishes were average overall, nothing particularly outstanding, but the Rafute was delicious and the Okinawan soba at the end had a nice flavorful broth. The service from the staff was average.

It's not because of the big controversy surrounding a certain morning drama, but sometimes I feel like eating Okinawan soba. Today, I ordered the "Chukan soba" in large size for ¥980. What's "Chukan" you ask? It seems to be somewhere in between the normal Okinawan soba (light) and the rich one. I was curious about how it tastes, so I ordered it... I shouldn't have. This is just a note for myself, but when it comes to Okinawan soba, don't be tempted by the word "rich"! Absolutely not! Don't fall for the sound of it! I didn't find it tasty at all. I had to pour a lot of red ginger on it because it didn't suit my taste at all. I don't know... It's not even close to tonkotsu broth, more like a thin, cloudy broth. If this is what "Chukan" is like, then "rich" must be dangerous.

Today I came to the restaurant again for the one-coin bento. I will refrain from writing too much honestly as I have been warned before for causing interference with business. Just leaving a delicious picture is enough, but it's hard to write something different like a diary. Today's bento was juicy and made me doubly happy. There were plenty of side dishes, and my stomach was full before finishing the rice, thanks to the thoughtful consideration of the restaurant. It's interesting how the menu options vary between those eating at the food court, those getting bento, and those dining in the restaurant. I am full again today! I might just take a nap in the afternoon. It was delicious. Thank you for the meal!

I visit for the luxurious one-coin bento. The grilled saury, chicken nanban, pickles, and simmered kombu are packed with plenty of side dishes, and I look forward to it every time. Lately, it's rare to find dried saury, so when I found it, it brought back nostalgic memories. This bento with rich flavors gives me energy for the afternoon. Thank you for the meal!

Grilled saury, fried horse mackerel, fried chicken with tartar sauce, mozuku seaweed tempura, shredded carrots, and a lot of white rice. Unfortunately, the prices went up in September, but it's still cheap. Some people buy lunch for their coworkers too. There are various side dishes, and I'm very satisfied. Thank you for the meal!

I decided to try this restaurant again because I enjoyed it so much last time. Today, I had their one-coin bento which seems to be quite popular. A colleague from work asked me to get one for them too. The variety and quality of the food in the bento box is similar to convenience store bentos, but more satisfying. I had ginger pork, carrot stir-fry, bitter melon champuru, and pickled vegetables as my side dishes today. The colors were vibrant and the flavors diverse, making it a satisfying meal without feeling too heavy. Just a heads up, the price of the bento has increased by 100 yen since September, but the portion and quality of the food remains the same. Despite the price increase, I still think it's worth it. I'm considering trying their Okinawan soba next time as I've heard it's delicious. Overall, another delicious meal today. Thank you!

Today's lunch was at a Okinawan restaurant in the Kibaianse Building in Jimbocho. When it comes to Okinawan cuisine, you might think of Okinawa soba, right? So I ordered the Meat Topping Soba, which turned out to be a hearty dish with plenty of noodles, pork, and vegetables. It also came with chicken karaage and a mini rice. The cost performance was great!

The restaurant seems to specialize in Okinawan cuisine, but it also serves Kyushu and Okinawan dishes. The lunch menu is quite affordable for the portion size, especially the set meals which are very filling. The Okinawan soba is decent, but the pork belly topping is of high quality. The chicken karaage comes with half a serving of rice, so you will definitely leave satisfied.

Located on the 2nd floor of Terrace Square in Jinbocho. This place is like a food court where you can buy food from surrounding shops and eat at the central tables, which is nice. There are Thai and Okinawan restaurants here, offering some unique dishes, making it convenient for groups with different preferences. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is also a part of the dining experience. Today, I decided to dine in and ordered the "Meat Topping Soba" with a light flavor. The Okinawan soba here allows you to choose between light and rich flavors, but the rich one is more like tonkotsu soy sauce, so be careful. The dish arrived in about 5 minutes. Due to the pandemic, there are fewer people even during lunchtime, which means the food comes quickly, a plus point. The taste is quite ordinary, but the portion size and cost performance are excellent. Look at the amount of pork belly topping! It's incredibly satisfying. I think I consumed a lot of fat due to the collagen content. (A bit tough...) However, the spiciness and refreshing taste of the soba make it enjoyable. I'm so full. The noodles and pork belly have a strong instant feel for an Okinawan restaurant, but you can eat to your heart's content. Thank you for the meal!

The day didn't have great weather from the morning. On days like this, I like to explore restaurants in the nearby area of Kanda-Nishikicho. A perfect spot for such occasions is the Terrace Square in Kanda-Nishikicho 3-chome. This complex facility was established in April 2015 and is managed by Sumitomo Corporation's Sumisho Building Management Co., Ltd. The building, with 17 floors above ground, has a restored exterior of the old Hakuhodo headquarters on the 1st floor. The Terrace Square houses various food and beverage outlets on the 1st and 2nd floors, with a compact food court on the 2nd floor and a walking area on the 1st floor. The dining tenants include unique and trendy restaurants like Mangalorean cuisine at Bangalaz Kitchen, and a collaboration cafe between Hakuhodo and Pronto called "Hassou Cafe with Pronto." My restaurant is also located on the 2nd floor food court, operated by TKES Co., a subsidiary of Gyro Holdings. TKES operates various food and beverage outlets, including Nankurunaisa, Magurojin sushi chain, and Nandeya pub, among others. Nankurunaisa has multiple locations, including Saitama Shintoshin, Morishita, Kasumigaseki, Kyobashi, and Tachikawa. The food court offers a daily special set meal for 900 yen and a self-service all-you-can-drink option for 623 yen from 3 pm to 7 pm. I ordered the daily special set meal consisting of cream croquette, shrimp cutlet, and mini Okinawa soba. The Okinawan influence was not very strong in this set, but other menu items like Okinawa soba and Goya Champloo set meal were a bit pricey. I received a buzzer after payment and waited for my order at the table. The buzzer went off in about 3 minutes, and I went to pick up my meal.

I visited a food court in Jimbocho in September 2020 after hearing about it. I really like food courts where you can eat various dishes. I was drawn to the eel bowl, salmon roe bowl, and Okinawan soba set here. The salmon roe in the salmon roe bowl was plentiful and perfect for salmon roe lovers.

Shikwasa sour, delicious Umibudo, sometimes I feel like eating them. I wonder why. They have a salty and mineral-rich taste, which is nice. The fried food is also delicious. During the early days of Corona, it was empty and there was no one around, so it wasn't crowded. The staff members were friendly and easy to talk to. The interior of the restaurant had a Okinawa-like atmosphere, which made it fun. I hope they continue to do well.

Okinawan dishes are oily, but it's unavoidable. It's lucky that the score didn't change on my second visit. The meat lunch was okay, only the Rafute was good, but the Chicken Nanban seemed frozen and too oily. The sausage was plain with just ketchup. It's not cheap at all.

The meat portion is small and thinly sliced, the soup lacks flavor, and the noodles are dead. Even with rice included, it's not worth 1020 yen. It was a disappointment.

Okinawan cuisine is delicious, so we visited this restaurant for the third time with 7 people. Orion draft beer was as tasty as ever, and dishes like sea grapes, goya champuru, salad, and Okinawan soba were all high quality and delicious. I learned something new today - apparently the sea grapes are prepared slightly differently in Tokyo to suit the local taste. The awamori (Okinawan distilled spirit) was also delicious. Highly recommended!

Opened on May 15, 2015, this restaurant is located on the 2nd floor of the "Terrace Square" building in Jinbocho, specializing in Okinawan and Kyushu cuisine. The building has 17 floors, with the first 2 floors dedicated to convenience stores and restaurants. As the name suggests, there are terrace seats around the building. I tried the "Okinawa Soba - Standard, light flavor" and found the soup delicious, with the noodles having a unique texture.