Akashi Shokudo – (not just) a Bowl of Ramen
So here we go again. After many noodle meals in Okinawa already, Yasuko came up with one more “impossible to leave this island without sampling these noodles” restaurant.
It has won prices and is all over the social networks galaxy. A must. It opens at 11 in the morning and the queue easily grows to a one-hour game of patience.
To avoid a queue and make sure to get on the first round, one recommends to get there half an hour before the opening time. So we were at 10:35 in front of this local, rather unexciting and non-descriptive noodle joint, beating all other noodle-crazy Japanese : ) Philippe secured the first seats outside this eating place and noted down our names at the top of the waiting list. Yes!
While waiting, cars and mini-vans appeared from all directions into this tiny village with otherwise no attraction – a fascinating spectacle. After all theses years of visiting Japan, it is still amazing, heart warming and surprising to see how (good) food drives a nation…
At exactly 11:00 we were promptly ushered into a simply-decorated restaurant and we made our order which we could study to the details while waiting. There are only around five menu options : )
Philippe’s choice was Soki soba, an Okinawa speciality consisting of noodles with fatty pork cooked so long that the pork melts in the mouth. All of served in a fantastic pork broth.
Yasuko ordered vegetable soba with salt soup base, which came with a mountain of cooked cabbage.
The total bill for both of us was 14 USD. We did not linger in the place because we felt obligated to free up space for over 20 people waiting outside in the heat….
Fly, Hike & Travel. 