On this day, I arrived at Ario Yao in the early afternoon. I decided to have lunch around the Kintetsu Yao Station area, and found this place under the elevated tracks! I've occasionally seen Okinawan restaurants serving lunch, but this is the first time I've come across a place specializing in Okinawan soba. The interior has a slightly stylish atmosphere typical of ramen shops, with Okinawan songs playing endlessly. - Charred Okinawan Soba 880 yen While Okinawan soba is typically made with bonito flakes and pork bone broth, this one has a stronger presence of bonito flakes. It might suit the tastes of Kansai people who are particular about broth. The flat, thick noodles have a slightly chewy texture. They're somewhere between udon and ramen noodles. I think they would be quite delicious if made into yakisoba (^ ^). Toppings include pork belly, green onions, fish cake sticks, and pickled ginger, with the charred pork belly being particularly soft and tasty! - Jushi (Okinawan mixed rice) 350 yen (250 yen during lunchtime) This dish includes pork, carrots, hijiki seaweed, and shiitake mushrooms. Unlike the light mixed rice I usually have, this one has a stronger flavor that goes well with the light Okinawan soba broth. While eating, I noticed a "Pork and Egg Onigiri" sandwiched on top of the counter seats, made with pork luncheon meat and eggs. I really love pork luncheon meat! Alright, that's what I'll have next time!

I went to a restaurant that I had been curious about but hadn't visited before it was relocated under the Yawatahama overpass! The Okinawan soba itself had a gentle flavor, was very easy to eat, and the noodles were to my liking. The pork was also very delicious! It was even better when I added pickled ginger for a change in taste! After the meal, I also had Blue Seal ice cream, and they let me choose up to two flavors, which was also great! I will definitely go back!

A friend suggested wanting to eat Okinawa soba, so we decided to go together. It was my first time trying it (I think). The restaurant is located very close to Kintetsu Yao Station, so it is easily accessible. They use a ticket vending machine system and only accept cash payments. I ordered the seared Okinawa soba and "juushi," which is a mixed rice dish. The Okinawa soba had a very light soup and thin udon-like noodles. It was a gentle and comforting dish. However, the large slices of pork on top added a bold flavor that contrasted with the gentleness of the soup. The pork was a bit tough but had a juicy and flavorful taste. The "juushi" rice dish was chewy and seemed to use glutinous rice, with a hint of hijiki flavor. It was also very delicious. Although it's a bit far from Yao, I would like to try eating Soki soba next time!

When I went to Ario Yao, I decided to have Okinawa soba for lunch. The restaurant that used to be there had closed down, so I was disappointed, but surprisingly it had relocated close by under the train tracks, which was a relief. The menu was the same as before. You can still enjoy sanmainiku (three-layered pork), sooki (Okinawan braised pork), and their famous "heart bowl". This time, I also ordered juushii. The soup, noodles, and pork all had the same comforting taste. The juushii had a slightly charred aroma which was nice. And then there's the "heart bowl" on the hot plate. It's packed with meat and feels like a good deal. For dessert, I had Blue Seal ice cream. You can't order it from the ticket machine, but you can ask for "half & half" when you hand in your ticket. This time, I chose a combination of sugarcane and salted chinquapin. I hope they stay in this location and continue to do well in this area.

When I visited Okinawa several times back when there was no Yui Rail and Makishi Market still felt like a maze, Okinawa soba at that time seemed to be mostly like this. Nowadays, there are many rich and flavorful soups created by young shop owners' efforts and creativity, but this shop's soup is the opposite, very clear and light in flavor. It reminded me vividly of the Okinawa soba I used to eat in the corner of the market (I forgot the name) or at the Mitsukoshi food court. The bright and clean interior design, along with the young shop owner and staff, created an open atmosphere where even the elderly and families could easily enter. I ordered the seared Okinawa soba. The seared, flavorful chashu with a good balance of fat and not too strong flavor was to my personal liking, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had been interested in this restaurant for a while. I had to work late and all the other restaurants were closed by the time I finished, but I remembered that this place was open until 3 am on weekdays, so I decided to check it out. There was a menu next to the ticket machine, and everything looked delicious, but I decided to order the "Luxury Soba" (one of the Okinawan soba dishes) that I had seen in an online article. The entrance area was a bit narrow, so if you go with a large group, it might be a good idea to decide on your order from the menu outside before entering. I went alone and wanted to sit at a table because my legs were not feeling great, and the staff kindly seated me at a table without any hesitation. The smiles of the staff were wonderful, and I was convinced that this was a great restaurant at that moment. The interior was bright, with Okinawan-style music playing in the background. The music was Okinawan in style, but not exactly traditional Okinawan music. When I arrived, there were only two other groups of customers in the restaurant, and the slightly loud background music made it easy to have conversations without feeling uncomfortable. The restaurant was pleasantly warm, with just the right amount of air conditioning, making it very comfortable. The wait for the food was not long, and the efficiency of the staff was excellent, as the Okinawan soba was served to me shortly after ordering. The "Luxury Soba" was topped with a very large (about 1 cm thick and 15 cm long) piece of pork belly and a thick spare rib. There were also two slices of white kamaboko, chopped green onions, a half-boiled egg, and pickled ginger on a separate plate. The pork belly and spare rib were simmered in a sweet and savory sauce, with the pork belly providing a firm texture and the spare rib being incredibly tender, but still retaining a solid meat texture. The soup had a delicious umami flavor from the bonito, without any strong fishy or briny taste, and the taste of the bonito and broth stood out, creating a high-quality and tasty soup that truly impressed me. I was so happy and felt incredibly satisfied. The noodles were flat and not very curly, allowing them to absorb the soup while still retaining their own flavor. In terms of impact, the soup was the most impressive, followed by the pork belly, then the noodles and spare rib. If you don't need a lot of meat, it might be better to order just the spare rib. Additionally, there were condiments like pickled ginger, shichimi pepper, black pepper, bonito powder, and citrus juice available for seasoning. Overall, it was a very delicious and impressive Okinawan soba restaurant. The staff mentioned that they aim to make dishes that customers can enjoy even after drinking, but as I don't drink, I still found the food to be delicious. The fact that they are open late at night is also a plus, and I hope this place becomes more popular. I want it to be popular, but not too popular that I can't go there anymore (laughs). It was that good, so I highly recommend it.

I visited "Okinawa Soba Chuka Soba Kokoro," which reopened on January 30th with a new location. The menu includes dishes such as Grilled Okinawa Soba (880 yen), a luxurious soba (1400 yen), Pork Soba (980 yen), and more. The soup is a blend of pork, pork bone, and seafood broth with a light soy sauce flavor and a hint of acidity. The noodles are medium-thick, straight noodles with a good texture. The grilled pork in the dish is tender and flavorful. Condiments like pickled ginger, shichimi pepper, bonito powder, and garlic are available on the table to enhance the flavor.

Grilled Okinawa Soba (Pork + Seafood 880 yen) ★★★☆ The soup is a fish sauce soy flavor based on pork. The noodles are slightly wavy flat medium straight noodles. The ingredients include pork belly chashu, green onions, kamaboko, and pickled ginger. This restaurant, located about 300 meters northwest of Kintetsu Yao, was relocated and renewed on January 30th. The soup, made from pork, pork bones, bonito flakes, etc., is light and gentle with a hint of sweetness from soy sauce and a bonito flavor. The noodles are made by Inoue Seimen and have a supple firmness that goes down smoothly. The large and thick grilled chashu is well seasoned, tender, and has a deliciously fragrant taste. You can enjoy different flavors with separate plates of pickled ginger and provided island red pepper, garlic, shichimi, bonito powder, and shikwasa. 2023.02.09 Okinawa Soba Chinese Soba KOKORO [Main Menu] Grilled Okinawa Soba: 880 yen Grilled Okinawa Soba Three Pork Large: 1200 yen Luxury Soba: 1400 yen Okinawa Soba: 880 yen Okinawa Soba Three Pork Large: 1200 yen Original Soki Soba: 1200 yen Meat Soba: 980 yen Half: 780 yen Plain Soba: 700 yen Mini Okinawa Soba: 300 yen Chinese Soba: 800 yen Grilled Chashu Noodles: 1100 yen Chashu Noodles: 1100 yen Meat Chinese Soba: 950 yen Greedy Chinese Soba: 1200 yen Grilled Three Pork Chinese Soba: 880 yen Grilled Three Pork Large: 1200 yen Egg Over Rice Noodles: 500 yen Flavored Egg: +110 yen Spam: +110 yen Original Soki: +400 yen Pork Belly: +400 yen Large Serving: +110 yen

I was hungry late at night, so I went to eat Okinawa soba here. I was really happy that they were open late at night. I went at 1 o'clock and there were about 3 groups of customers. I ordered the Special Soki Soba. It had a very impressive spare rib on top, which got me excited. The spare rib was delicious, with no unpleasant smell. There was also island chili pepper on the table, which added to the Okinawa vibe when added. I would like to visit again late at night.

The restaurant EAZY DO DANCE is open until late at night. It seems like they recently moved to a new location. It might be a bit slow during busy times because they only have one staff member. The extra pickled ginger is a nice touch. Be careful not to put too much red pepper paste, as it can make the dish too Okinawan. The seared Okinawan soba costs around 880 yen.