Beach strip serves up tasty culinary diversity

Story and photos by Reggie Cantú

There is much this beautiful island has to offer in the way of historical, cultural and the natural treasures. Then there are its not—so—obvious treasures: A stretch right off of Araha Beach where a rugged row of individualists have established eateries offering a cornucopia of tastes and atmospheres.

On this small piece of beach- front you can savor the rare flavors of Nepal at one end and get an exciting exuberance of reggae inspired Jamaican ambiance at the other. Tones of Santa Monica, Greenwich Village and India settle in between.

Each little bistro offers its own unique menu. At the south end. Narayan Prasad Joshi of Katmandu serves up the dishes of his native Nepal. “The difference in East Indian and Nepalese cooking is in the spicing and the use of oil,” he explained. Nepalese recipes are more subtle in the adding of spices. The curry dishes are easily appreciated even by those not normally fond of the tangy East Indian variety.

Entering Kastamandap, the only Nepalese restaurant on Okinawa, is to step into the exotic realm of the Himalayan kingdom. Hypnotic sounds of the sitar and the colorful decor create a believable illusion of having been whisked away to another land.

Next door is Seaside Jet City Burgers. The mood changes abruptly and a Californian surfer boy or girl would feel right at home. As the name implies, the house specializes in burgers, with the stacked-to-the-sky avocado burger being a local favorite. They have a full bar menu and the outside seating is perfect for the warm season.

Mr. lihoshi the owner and Mr. Higa the manager have put together a beach motif to make customers comfortable, taking full advantage of the informal island lifestyle. The staff provides service cheerily, making the Jet City experience fun as well as tasty.

Continuing north you will reach Daisy’s. The attitude is more like a Greenwich Village coffee house, mellower in tone. I am not saying Daisy’s is dull or boring. In fact, because of the wonderful menu, the place can get quite busy. The young entrepreneurs who run the place, Shuichi Kosaka and Akiko Imai, have come up with a creative bill of fare based mainly on a variety of fried rice.

A house specialty is the Energy Rice, which features sirloin cutlets, vegetables and a fried egg on a bed of garlic butter rice. Try the Kamakura Taco Rice with sautéed ground pork, green beans, peppers, pine nuts and Thai herbs on a bed of white rice and lettuce, topped off with onions and dried shrimp. Daisy’s outside tables make it a delightful place to watch a sunset.

Step next door over to Flex and suddenly you are in a Jamaican beach shack, jerk chicken. slow cooked for hours in a barrel grill, competes with the music and a full bar for your attention.

This is a party place, with reggae aficionado Chikashi “Tika” Egami presiding. Egami was enchanted by the Jamaican scene on a trip to the island and determined to re-create its atmosphere on this Okinawan beach. He has been very successful in bringing the flavor and boisterous joy of the Caribbean to this island. Flex is packed on the weekends with those who want to partake of that flavor and joy.

To find this dynamic little string of dining spots, go through the Highway 78 intersection on Highway 130 from Foster Gate 3, turn left at the light for a couple of blocks and look for the signs to Araha Beach and Chatan Park. Take the road just across the canal and turn left down the alley. Jet City’s pink flamingo signs are easy to spot at the turn.

You can also park your vehicle at the Araha Beach parking lot and walk a little to the north. Don’t be dismayed by the funky exteriors — you will do some good eating inside any one of them.