Nankuru Shokudo

Sea grapes are a tempting way to begin a meal at Nankuru Shokudo. The menu describes them as Okinawan-grown and sent directly from Itoman, and diners have also praised their freshness. Order a half portion to start, then add salted island shallots or mimiga (seasoned pig’s ears) to enjoy with awamori or beer.

For a fuller taste of Okinawan cooking, try goya champuru, rafute or mozuku seaweed tempura. One diner paired the light-tasting goya champuru with curly fries topped with taco meat and cheese, a dish they said went well with beer. Braised cartilage soki is also available in a half portion; one diner described it as meltingly tender.

Okinawa soba, soki soba and taco rice make satisfying ways to finish. One diner remembered the bonito-rich broth in the Okinawa soba, while another said they enjoyed the soki soba.

There is a wide selection of awamori, and choosing a bottle is part of the pleasure. The drinks menu also includes Pineapple Darake chuhai, packed with pineapple flesh, and house-made coffee awamori, infused with coffee beans. A relaxed evening in Kyoto’s Kiyamachi, with Okinawan food to share and time to choose a drink.