Shiraho shokudo

Yaeyama Soba

We wanted to try some of the local 'yaeyama soba' and other local dishes, so we went to a cafeteria or shokudo in the area where we stayed. There are a lot of these on the island and they seem like a common place for locals to get lunch, compared with the tourist spots in the downtown area. We both ordered soba dishes, hoping to get a more authentic taste of yaeyama soba, compared with our bad experience at Eifuku Shokudo. I ordered vegetable soba and my husband ordered soki soba. He didn't even know what that was, but just felt curious to try something local. The broth is made from kombu, pork bone, and tuna so it's clearer than tonkotsu. The pork with the soki soba came with stewed pork spare ribs, with the meat falling off the bone. Mine was smaller pieces of sweet cha shu pork. The vegetables added a nice flavor to the broth. Yaeyama 'soba' is made from wheat so it's way more like ramen. It's served a little undercooked, but it softens in the hot broth. We were full and really happy with this meal and the price. It's also a lot easier to get to than Akaiishi Shokudo, so I'm glad we could eat there. Price shown for both dishes / two people. Located between downtown and the airport on the main road served by bus numbers 4 and 10. (bus stop Shiraho Chugako or Shiraho Shogako.) English menu available.