Okinawa Main Island (Okinawa)
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Popular with locals too! 5 recommended Okinawa soba restaurants in the Yomitan area of Okinawa

When it comes to soul food for the people of Okinawa, you have steak, taco rice, tacos, hamburgers, and, of course, "Okinawa soba." The broth, noodle type, and toppings vary by region and restaurant, and every Uchinanchu (Okinawan) has their own "favorite spot." Here, we introduce 5 popular restaurants in the Yomitan area that even the locals frequent. Why not try visiting different Okinawa soba shops with unique characteristics during your trip to Okinawa?

A comforting, simple flavor. Pork bone-based Okinawa soba

The most popular among tourists: "Hanaori Soba" for 750 yen
The most popular dish with tourists: "Hanaori Soba" for 750 yen

This Okinawa soba specialty restaurant, founded in 1988, is located along Prefectural Road 6. It remains bustling with customers even after the lunch rush, making it popular with both local regulars and tourists alike.
The most popular menu item among tourists is the "Hanaori Soba," which shares the same name as the restaurant. It features a pork bone-based soup with medium-thin, flat, curly noodles that have just the right amount of chewiness, topped with cartilage soki (pork ribs) simmered for a long time until tender, pork belly, and kamaboko (fish cake). The flavor is lighter than it looks. It is a simple yet flavorful bowl.

A shop you will never tire of visiting

The interior has a comfortable atmosphere. There is also second-floor seating, with a maximum capacity of 50 people.
The restaurant has a pleasant atmosphere. There is also second-floor seating, with a maximum capacity of 50 people

There are 8 types of Okinawa soba. The "Vegetable Soba" and "Liver and Chive Soba," which are popular with regulars, are packed with ingredients and very satisfying. In addition to Okinawa soba, there are about 18 types of set meal options, so you will never get bored no matter how many times you visit. It is also great that all items are available for takeout.
The "Cream Croquette with Rafute," made using rafute (pork belly simmered in a sweet and savory soy sauce), is said to be a popular snack for drives. Many celebrities have visited, and their signed autograph boards are displayed inside the restaurant.

Local
Supporter

This is an Okinawa soba restaurant beloved by locals, and a highly-regarded establishment that has won awards on the world's largest travel site, TripAdvisor.

Hanaori Soba
  • Address2418-1 Namihira, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 45 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours11:00–18:00 (L.O. 17:30)
  • ClosedWednesdays, 3rd Thursday
  • TEL098-958-4479
  • ParkingFree

Okinawa soba with a gentle flavor from a shop frequented by three generations

Luxurious, large, melt-in-your-mouth stewed cartilage soki! "Cartilage Soki Soba" for 750 yen
Luxurious, large, melt-in-your-mouth stewed cartilage soki! "Cartilage Soki Soba" for 750 yen

Founded in 1983 (Showa 58), this is said to be the oldest Okinawa soba restaurant in Yomitan Village. It is frequented almost exclusively by local regulars, and many families have been coming here for three generations.
There are five types of Okinawa soba, but the most popular is the "Nankotsu Soki Soba." The soup, made by slowly simmering pork bones, chicken bones, and bonito flakes over low heat, has a clear, light flavor. The owner says they strive for a gentle taste, hoping customers will "enjoy every last drop." The original hand-kneaded noodles are thin, curly, and hand-massaged, offering a perfect softness that fills the mouth with the flavor of wheat.

A shop with a local atmosphere, bustling with regular customers

With 16 table seats and 12 tatami mat seats, it can be used for various occasions.
With 16 table seats and 12 tatami mat seats, it can be used for various occasions

This popular restaurant sees a steady stream of customers even after lunchtime. You can upgrade to a large portion of noodles for an extra 100 yen. The soba is served in Yachimun pottery. If you are lucky, you might even encounter Yachimun from the hard-to-find "Kobo Jikkaku."
There are also menu items other than Okinawa soba, with many repeat customers for the "Miso Soup" and "Tofu Chanpuru." All menu items are available for takeout, and the number of customers using this service is increasing. This is a recommended spot for those looking for a local-feeling Okinawa soba restaurant that is not well-known to tourists.

Local
Supporter

The first bite might feel a bit light, but the flavor has such depth that it feels just right as you continue eating. You'll want to drink every last drop of the soup!

Yuntanza Soba
  • Address485-7 Furugen, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 40 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours11:00–17:00 (L.O. 16:30) *Closes when sold out
  • ClosedMondays
  • TEL098-956-9010
  • ParkingAvailable

No chemical seasonings used! Okinawa soba packed with umami, made with fresh fish broth

"Hokaki Soba (Regular)" 900 yen (when choosing original fresh noodles). Homemade jimami tofu is also included.
"Hokaki Soba (Regular)" 900 yen (when choosing original fresh noodles). Comes with homemade jimami tofu

This Okinawa soba restaurant is run by an owner whose hobby has been fishing since elementary school. In his previous job, he worked at a restaurant cafe run by an organic honey specialty store, where he incorporated honey into various genres of cuisine and created health-conscious menus. After working there for about 10 years, he went independent to open his own original Okinawa soba restaurant.
His pride and joy is the broth, which uses no chemical seasonings and is made from local pork, bonito flakes, kelp, and fresh local fish (such as red snapper, trevally, parrotfish, and black sea bream). You can choose between curly noodles from "Terukina Seimenjo" and original fresh noodles made with whole-wheat flour from the local "Shimamugi Kanasan" wheat.

An Okinawa soba restaurant where you can even buy a traditional wooden boat, the "Sabani"

A traditional Okinawan wooden boat, the "Sabani," is on display inside the restaurant.
A traditional Okinawan wooden boat called a "Sabani" is on display inside the shop.

Both types of noodles pair perfectly with the soup, but the original fresh noodles are popular for their chewy texture and the aroma of wheat. There are two types of Okinawa soba: "Fukaki Soba" and "Umikaze Soba," which is packed with the scent of the sea and uses no meat-based dashi at all. The soup for the Umikaze Soba is a signature dish, with a base made from local fresh fish, bonito, and kelp, brought together by the umami of live clams.
The shop's name, "Fukaki," is said to be named after the "Hokake Sabani" (traditional sailing canoe), and the shop also serves as an agency for "Yoshida Sabani Shipbuilding," run by an acquaintance living on Ishigaki Island.

Local
Supporter

The soba is served in bowls inspired by the Kuba palm (which is also used in Okinawan rituals). The lovely bowls make the food taste even better.

Fukaki Soba
  • Address7 Uken, Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 45 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours11:00 AM until sold out
  • ClosedWednesdays *Irregular holidays on Tuesdays and Thursdays (please check in advance)
  • TEL098-973-3633
  • ParkingAvailable

The only place in the prefecture to enjoy "fresh sea lettuce (asa) soba" in a stylish space

The most popular dish among tourists, "Fresh Asa Soba" for 980 yen.
The most popular dish among tourists is the "Fresh Sea Lettuce Soba" for 980 yen.

An Okinawa soba restaurant located near "Yachimun no Sato." Here, you can enjoy Okinawa soba that is gentle on the body, as it uses absolutely no chemical seasonings.
Many tourists come specifically for the "Fresh Aosa Soba," which is topped with fresh aosa (sea lettuce), suchikar (salt-cured pork belly), yushi tofu, and kamaboko. The briny aroma of the fresh aosa and its crunchy, seaweed-like texture offer a deliciousness that cannot be experienced with dried products. The soup is infused with the umami of natural ingredients such as pork, chicken, bonito, kelp, and vegetables, and pairs perfectly with the thin, flat, straight noodles.

A comfortable space for women and those with children

A stylish, cafe-like space that is easy for solo female diners and those with children to use.
A stylish, cafe-like space that is easy for solo female travelers and families with children to use.

Other Okinawa soba menu items include "Yushi Tofu Soba," "Aosa Soba," "Salted Pork Belly Soba," "Cartilage Soki Soba," and "Pork Belly Soba," and you can customize them to your liking with additional toppings.
The shop opened in March 2017. Driven by the owner's desire to "create a shop that is easy for women and customers with small children to enter and spend time in," both the exterior and interior have a stylish, cafe-like atmosphere. This is likely the only place in Okinawa Prefecture where you can taste Okinawa soba using fresh aosa. If you are interested, please be sure to stop by.

Local
Supporter

The bowls used to serve the Okinawa soba are purchased from Yachimun no Sato. They are carefully maintained, with any chips repaired using the kintsugi technique.

Mainichi Shokudo
  • Address390 Kina, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 40 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours11:30–15:30 *Closes when sold out
  • ClosedThursdays and Fridays
  • TEL098-958-7250
  • ParkingAvailable

Okinawa soba featuring homemade noodles kneaded with Okinawan whole wheat flour

"Kintachi Soba (Regular)" 800 yen. Small is 600 yen, Large is 920 yen
"Kintsu Soba (Regular)" 800 yen. Small is 600 yen, Large is 920 yen

An Okinawa soba specialty restaurant located near the Kina Bansho roadside station. You can taste rare homemade noodles made by kneading whole-wheat flour from the Okinawan wheat variety "Shimamugi Kanasan" into the dough. Because whole-wheat flour is rich in dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, it has been attracting even more attention in recent years as health consciousness grows.
We recommend the "Kintsu Soba," which shares the restaurant's name. It is topped with pork belly and thick fried tofu, and comes with seared cartilage soki (pork spare ribs) on the side. The soup is made with bonito dashi. The combination with the thick, wavy, textured noodles, which offer a smooth, chewy texture and a pleasant throat feel, is irresistible.

A favorite among regulars is the menu exclusive to the main branch

There are counter seats, table seats, and tatami mat seating.
There are counter seats, table seats, and tatami mat seating available.

In addition to the main Yomitan store, Kinchichi Soba also has a Kokusai-dori Mutsumi Shokudo branch and an Onna branch, but the "Tantan Soba" and "Broad Bean Miso Vegetable Soba" are exclusive to the main store. The Tantan Soba, with its mild spiciness and rich sesame broth, and the Broad Bean Miso Vegetable Soba, made with black sesame and "broad bean miso," a specialty of Yomitan Village, are particularly popular among local repeat customers.
Served in Yachimun pottery, each bowl has a warm, exceptional flavor. You can also take home frozen packs of "Ouchi de Kinchichi Soba," so why not buy some on the last day of your trip and enjoy Kinchichi Soba at home?

Local
Supporter

The homemade fresh noodles are also sold at the storefront, so be sure to pick some up as a souvenir for yourself! They would also be delicious as tsukesoba or yakisoba.

Kintsu Soba
  • Address201 Kina, Yomitan Village, Nakagami District, Okinawa Prefecture MAP
  • AccessApprox. 50 minutes by car from Naha Airport
  • Business hours11:00–16:00
  • ClosedMondays *Open if it is a public holiday
  • TEL098-958-5896
  • ParkingShared with Roadside Station

MAP

Nearby Hoshino Resorts facilities
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*The information provided is current as of the date of the article's update. Please check in advance as it may be subject to change.