Cafe detox felicidad

This small yet popular cafe is located in Itoman, not too far from the Ashibinaa outlets area. They offer raw food, vegan and gluten-free menu choices. They also have a vegan/gluten-free sweets counter for takeout.

There is a parking lot next to the building, park in the spaces labelled for the cafe. The inside of the cafe is not very big, but there are a few tables. They have a variety of fresh lunch choices, as well as some smoothies and desserts. While the bill is not cheap, this detox cafe offers some delicious and unique choices here in Okinawa, so I still recommend it. Today we tried the raw food lunch set with the veggie norimaki rolls and the curry lunch plate. I also decided to add on a raw food “rainbow cake” for dessert.

Overall, everything was really good, so if you are looking for a healthy option in the southern part of the island, this place will not disappoint.

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address: https://goo.gl/maps/Q9SY6T58kYJ2

Cafe Mondoor

Yes… ANOTHER coffee find from the magazine (Coffee & Donuts in Okinawa City, More Coffee in Okinawa). Cafe Mondoor is located in Itoman, in the southern area of Okinawa. It was not the easiest to find, located off some back street. And parking is not obvious… I parked in a location with a sign (in Japanese) that said for people visiting the surrounding neighborhood establishments, so don’t panic when you get here, there is parking next to the alleyway that leads to the cafe. Maybe when they finish the construction in the area, it will be a little less of an adventure to find.

Cafe Mondoor is located on the second floor; inside is a little trendy, but in a good way, with lots of wood accenting. The atmosphere was pretty relaxing and comfortable. I ordered the Einspanner coffee (Viennese Coffee which is espresso and whipped cream) and tiramisu, both were really good. This was yet another excellent find– I have certainly gotten my 500yen worth out the magazine. I can recommend this lovely stop if you happen to find yourself visiting the Itoman fishing port area.


address: https://goo.gl/maps/bguBBzSg82v

Cokofu: Sweets shop in Okinawa

Cokofu is located in the eclectic Minatogawa Stateside Town in Urasoe. The name stands for: Coconut × Kokuto 黒糖 (brown sugar) × Fu 麩 (wheat gluten).

It is a mix of Okinawan style and some Kyoto style… it is interesting!

The best part? Vegan-friendly! I ate delicious soy milk and Okinawa brown sugar ice cream, drizzled with brown sugar syrup and sweet crispy fu on the side. I also had the fizzy kumquat juice drink (so really more like a soda than a juice). All the sweets and cafe drinks are made with soy milk, no regular milk is even available. There are several types of teas, coffee, and natural juice drinks to choose from. The menu is in Japanese and English, with pictures, so it should be easy to order.

Everything looked so good, and I actually wanted to try some of the Kyoto-style sweets, but it was warm out, I had already ate lunch (and was kinda full), so I opted with something a little smaller. Overall– AMAZING! I will definitely be back here to try everything else.

**There are some parking spots (maybe 2-3) for the store so you do not have to pay for parking!


address: https://goo.gl/maps/UMpyHoHjoNG2

Jimmy’s Bakery Okinawa

How has it been this long and I have never made a post about Jimmy’s? Well, Jimmy’s is a local Okinawan chain: part bakery, part import foods store, and part restaurant. And it is SUPER popular. I always get gifts from Jimmy’s– the cakes, cookies, and such are decent. Not really spectacular, but just fine. I guess they are sort of “American-style,” or at least that’s the idea. I wouldn’t go in expecting American cakes or anything, but it is definitely a little different than a lot of the Japanese-western dessert shops.

I have never eaten at their full restaurant (Jimmy’s Island Grill), but maybe one day I will try them. They also have a few shelves of random import goodies.

There are several of them around island; some are big stand alone stores, and others are smaller size stores in the mall, airport, Makeman メイクマン (DIY/Home store), etc.

People really love Jimmy’s, so I recommend getting gifts or omiyage there. Or if someone special is having a birthday, order a cake and see what you think.


Just put Jimmy’s or ジミー into Google Maps to find locations; or be sure to check out their website for locations: http://jimmys.co.jp/

 

Sunny Side Cakes: サニーサイドケークス

Today I needed a little cheering up, so I decided to check out a place offering sunshine– Sunny Side Cakes, located in the northern part of Ginowan.

Just some quick info: here are a few parking spaces by the shop building, so no need to park on the street. There is an eat-in area of the shop as well, and they offer some drinks and dessert sets, or you can do take-out. They also do custom cakes.

Anyway, I entered the bright and cheery shop. Some info was English but most of the labels were in Japanese, so of course I was asked if I understood. Well, yes, of course, but it may be nice to know for those of you uncomfortable with reading/speaking Japanese that someone who speaks English is available.

There were a fair number of choices, but I had already decided that the shop’s “cookie sandwich” was a must. There were quite a few flavors, but I predictable ended up with “Cafe Nuts” which was a coffee and nuts flavor… delicious!! I also went ahead and got what was labeled as a “German Cake” of some sort (I forget the name now); it tasted similar to a non-chocolate German chocolate cake. Anyhow, I liked both confections quite a bit, and they were reasonably priced. I would definitely recommend checking out the cute shop if you find yourself in the northern part of Ginowan near Rt 330 (not far from the Ginowan town office).


address: https://goo.gl/maps/gT2aKxFuXyj

Yamada Coffee: 山田珈琲

Yes, another coffee post (read the previous post). But I cannot help but hit all the spots in the Porte magazine.

Today’s stop was Yamada Coffee in Ginowan, not far from the intersection of Rt 32 and Rt 330. I have actually passed this coffee roaster dozens of times, always meaning to check it out but just never getting to it. So I pulled up, but there are only 3 parking spots, so luckily there was just 1 left. The outside is a little plain, and the inside is sort of that industrial-hipster kind of vibe.

I sat down at one of the counter spots and checked the menu– fairly simple, all drip coffee was 500yen per cup (and you could get a refill for 150yen!). The main choices were by taste/roast: Winey, Velvety, Mellow, Bitter, and some other choices of the day that change. There are also some milk coffee drinks, parfaits, and cheesecake.

I ordered the Mellow, and of course, a piece of cheesecake. So I watch the artist making their creations, and after some time I am served. So good! The coffee was definitely a superior quality bean and a professional roast. And the cheesecake was delicious, more of an American style than the Japanese “rare” or baked cheesecakes you usually find. Overall I was very impressed. It may not be an everyday kind of place, but worth the occasional indulgence for sure.

They also do carryout, as well as sell their roasted beans~ definitely stop by here for an amazing cup of coffee. Next time I want to try one of their parfaits… they also looked amazing.


address: https://goo.gl/maps/7ygXUXyKgMU2

Cake Shop Asahi-ya: あさひ屋

和洋菓子店 wayougashiten: Japanese-western confectionary shop


Near 2 of the military bases in Ginowan, Futenma and Foster, there is a small confectionary shop next to the Union grocery store. It is called “Asahi-ya” あさひ屋.

When you pull up, you may not notice the small sign for “parking” at first. It is really just one space next to the shop, by the sidewalk. There is a sign indicating you should pull your car all the way in and not block the pedestrian sidewalk. Or you could just park at the Union since it is next door.

When you enter, it is not much to look at, and may seem a bit dated. There is a small area where you can eat-in or you can take out. They have whole cakes, cake slices, and even some Japanese and Okinawan style confections. The cakes may not look super impressive at first, at least not compared to some of the expensive and trendy shops, but if you look closer you will notice they have a lot of different flavors and types.

On this day, I purchased a shikwasa mousse cake slice… it was delicious and decently priced! The slice was 195yen, which is not too bad considering what some of the other shops charge. I would definitely recommend stopping into this “retro” cake shop and trying a slice of cake!

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address: https://goo.gl/maps/e358RuCYdVz

Cafe Station

Cafe Station is located in Urasoe, fairly convenient from Rt.38. It shares a building with HottoMotto (fast food chain bento store), and there is plenty of parking.

When you enter, you order and pay on the first floor, then go to the second floor where the eating area is. Pick a nice comfy chair and relax; they will bring your order up to you when it is ready. There are about 6-7 lunch set choices… I usually choose a pasta. The menu is all in Japanese, no English, but they have pictures and it is mostly katakana since it is more “western-style.”

In addition to lunch sets, you can get dessert sets. The desserts come from a really fancy bakery, Piednue (which has a store front elsewhere if you want to try just it). The baked cheesecake and the chiffon cakes are divine. Overall, it is a really nice cafe to check out while in Okinawa.


address for Cafe Station: https://goo.gl/maps/TiFTjavgYKK2

address for Piednue: https://goo.gl/maps/PQ341kaLNa52

Maitoparta

The other day I tried out yet another cute cafe in Okinawa, this one located in Tomigusuku (south part of the island). It is called Maitoparta, and specializes in waffles, as well as having some gourmet coffees.

Technically, this is a “dessert cafe” not a breakfast cafe. Well, whatever, I ate brunch here anyway. You can get a savory waffle set, but I wanted one of the sweet ones. I went with a honey/nuts/vanilla ice cream waffle and a soy latte. You can also choose between 2 types of waffles, or get a “mix.” There are also a bunch of different flavored waffles to choose from, toppings, etc. It was actually pretty affordable compared to other pancake and waffle type places I have been– 830yen for the waffle and drink set I ordered.

There are a decent number of parking spaces outside, but it filled up fast. The cafe was very clean and cutely decorated inside… it was full of young to middled aged ladies. The wait for my food was fairly quick, too… overall it was a very nice experience, and I can see why it has gained popularity. Of course, this is calorie rich, so only a special occasion treat.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/AoBV6r5cey12

Rainbow Coffee: レインボーコーヒー

In Nakagusuku, close to the university, there is a cafe called Rainbow Coffee レインボーコーヒー. It is a nice and cozy place with free wifi. It is a great place to study and relax.

The drink menu focuses on coffee from around the world– you can get drip coffee, espresso drinks, and even tea. I also like the “cup cake”. No, not “cupcake”, but “cup cake”… which here means a pancake in a cup. With syrup and lots of cream. They are all pretty good, even if not good for you! Plus you can get a half-size with the lunch entrees, which are all reasonably priced for about 1000yen. They open for breakfast as well (9am). A nice spot to stop at when you are in the RyuDai 琉球大学 area.

address: https://goo.gl/maps/x9UqXHW8pyB2