Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant (仲泊海産物料理店)

Hearty seafood restaurant on Okinawa Island

Came across this seafood restaurant while driving north along Route 58 on the west coast of Okinawa. Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant (Nakadomari Kaisambutsu Ryouriten / 仲泊海産物料理店) is just a stone’s throw from the fine Nakadomari Beach, just the other side of a low sea wall. The restaurant itself doesn’t immediately jump out at you (it appears as a house), so keep your eyes peeled. Parking is minimal but there seems to be further parking available just up the road. The interior of Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant is “Okinawa homely” (my choice of phrase). Regular tables and chairs are available covered in table clothes that would please a grandma and there’s a raised tatami area by the beach facing windows. Otherwise this is a fairly simple but bright space with one or two paintings of Okinawa hanging from the walls and a small private room where the glass-surface table reveals a display of shells within. A TV was on in the background. At the time of visiting (lunch on a Tuesday) it was the travel partner and I and group of elderly travelers who seemed to be from the mainland dining at the restaurant. The menu at Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant was tricky for this expat, being all in Japanese, and I don't recall any pictures. I chose from the list of specials, or perhaps they were just set dishes, at 1,620 yen each. At the time of ordering (or awkwardly pointing) I wasn’t sure what I was going to get other than that it would involve fish. As it turned out it was the “MIX定食” - a huge serving of tempura including shrimp, rice, pickles, soup and sashimi. It left me suitably stuffed. It was the same for the travel partner who had to tackle a mountain of unidentified fish (eyes, tongue and all) that looked a picture of horror after they had finished. Still, I think we both came away satisfied with our meals despite being some 1,600 yen lighter. On the point of the latter, it’s nice to have the beach close by (which you can access immediately from the restaurant parking) so as to walk off a straining stomach. Once again, it's a really nice beach, although I didn't seen any bather at the time despite the fine weather. To be honest, I found the staff at Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant to be a little brusque, or a least not particularly interested in us. Not that I care too much - the food was great, and it was served in fairly good time given the amount of food that came - but it's always nice to feel a bit welcome, especially at 1,600 yen. The bill is left on the table. Take it to the small cashier area and pay there. I didn't inquire but this restaurant doesn't have the look of a place where one can pay with a credit card. There’s no smoking in Nakadomari Seafood Restaurant but smokers will find an ashtray and bench just outside where you park. Overall, perhaps this restaurant offers the Okinawa equivalent of a hearty lunch. The town Nakadomari is in Onna-son just about at the most narrow point of Okinawa Island. It’s about 30 - 40 km north of Naha as the crow flies. Hours: 11:00 - 21:00 (LO 20:30) Closed on Mondays