Chapter 125 - MUST-EAT food in Ishigaki, Japan

Sun rose and we reached somewhere in the middle of the sea! Such a smooth sailing that we did not realize we have been voyaging from a place to another. Don't ask us where were we at that time and we would just give you a clueless face!😖

Happy-go-lucky..

After having our breakfast and getting ourselves prepared, we began to disembark. When we looked out, we were right in the middle of the sea amidst the blue water plus roaring waves. We just followed the majority and there, we were greeted with another boat that took us to Ishigaki. 

This time around, we had a very limited time on this small island. So, we spent our time wisely by walking along the streets first. The weather was so hot that we hardly noticed any locals there; only us being the weird tourists who roamed around as if we wanted to have our own version of suntanning. 

At some point, our legs started to give in and all we could do was to visit a random restaurant. While giving our legs some rest, we entertained our tummy. Doubtless to say, NO REGRET at all!

When you have no idea what the menu say, just look at the photo and pick the ones that fancy you the most. 

I don't take beef but when you come to Ishigaki, you must definitely try one. Otherwise, you can't say that you have visited Ishigaki because the beef itself must be credited! Soft and tender, the beef automatically melts in your mouth. No seasoning nor flavoring required but just the beef itself.

I did order a plate of pork too and alas... I don't mind staying in Ishigaki now..Why only good food can be found here in Ishigaki and not in Malaysia? With these two kind(s) of meat that made our day despite the scorching sun, we had a bottle of  local beer that made our tummies more excited.

After the first restaurant, we went on to our next so-called expedition by hunting another good restaurant. We saw a queue from far and we quicken our pace and joined them in a minute, without knowing what the restaurant has to offer. Waited for about half an hour and finally, there was a table for us.

Immediately, we flipped the menu and ordered a plate of beef and pork (called Agoo). Again, this did not disappoint us. I guess that whichever restaurants that you go in Ishigaki, the beef and pork will never fail you. We enjoyed the meal much but we were kind of tired at that time already.

After having a hearty meal, we were left with few Japanese notes. And there you go, we spent it on Blue Seal Okinawan Ice Cream before bidding farewell to Ishigaki.

Overall, one word, ENJOYMENT!

In life, we are easily blinded by what we have. Money, status, craving for power tend to make a person "blinded" that it seems happiness is derived from all these factors. Neither did many realize that simple things can easily make one contented. Just like in Ishigaki, I never felt that I would be so, so grateful for having such a delicious meal under a roof, protecting me from rain and sun plus a travel companion whom I love to annoy the most; and that's what happiness is derived.

#sincewhenibecomesophilosophy

Regards,

Foodiestravel

Chapter 124 - Top 8 MUST- EAT local food in Okinawa, Japan

Deng! The draft of this post got deleted out of nowhere and now, I have to pen it down again. Aiks! Lesson learnt is to draft the post on Microsoft Word instead of writing it online to ensure that the post is there.. Speaking about it now makes me feel like tearing...Why la....

Let me chill my inner soul first with ice cream..But again, I have been typing it for an hour ago and now it's gone..

The delicious yet tempting local dishes in Okinawa really keep me going. At this point, I want to just take a break from writing and call it off a night but these food are stopping me from doing so. Guess that I really need to share the goodness of local food of Okinawa before heading off to my bed.

Anyway, Okinawa is one of the must-visit places to go especially for the reason to indulge the authentic dishes which is enough to win your heart after the visit to Shurijo Castle Park, Okinawa.

Japan, you have really won our heart and soul!

1. Blue Seal Okinawan Ice Cream

Riding on its tagline "Born in America, Raised in Okinawa", this ice cream has won the heart of many. You can't say that you have visited Okinawa if you do not try this. Truth to be told, I literally had 6 cups in merely 7 hours, trying different flavors from Okinawan Salt Cookies to Beni-Imo, Vanilla, Blue Wave and etc. Among all, I prefer Okinawan Salt Cookies. 

2. Fresh seafood at Makishi Public Market, Okinawa

The aunty-ness in me spelt it out! Who would visit a wet market when they go to Japan?! Well, I was one of them. Indeed, the visit to Makishi Public Market was an eye-opening experience. The market was so clean and everything was arranged in an orderly manner. You could leisurely stroll along while having your eyes to hunt for unique yet rare seafood amidst people mumbling to you using Japanese language, probably wanting you to buy from them.

Look at them! They are so-so fresh! At one point, I was hoping that there would many people who joined me in this trip so that we could sample more Okinawan local dishes. Unfortunately, there were only two of us so we had to be selective on what need to be ordered.

3. Goya Champuru

In Japan, "champuru" means mixing everything together. Being one of the most iconic champuru dishes in Okinawa, one must not miss the Goya Champuru. Regardless if you favor bittergourd or not, I reckon you to try this when you are there. The bittergourd were freshly sliced in an evenly size, then being stir-fried with eggs plus slices of pork, allowing you to reminisce the days when your grandma fired up the wok to cook this comforting dish to the family.

4. Pufferfish

Did you know what pufferfish is?

Well, it is one of a poisonous fish species and one need to have the skills and tactics to cook it right. The chefs must know how to remove the toxins therefore, chefs with usually 3 years experience and above are only allowed to handle pufferfish. Since it is so rare to get in Malaysia, of course I give it a try, knowing that the chefs would use his master skills to fire up some good pufferfish dishes.

The first dish (above) was a soup-based and second dish (below) was a stir-fried based. Regardless the method of cooking, the texture of the pufferfish was slightly hard. I found it hard to even bite and chew it. However, I guess that one must give it as an exception to try it at least once in a lifetime especially when you are in Okinawa.

5. Sea urchin

                               

Initially, I was kind of hesitated to try this - it did not appeal to me but thanks to my adventurous partner, we decided to just order one. I took a few small bites and all I could relate to was that I consumed much proteins that day. It's all about proteins.

6. Umi Budo (Sea Grapes)

In Japan, this is known as Umi-Budo but for easy understanding, it is known as sea grapes. From its appearance, it may not look spectacular with mini balls hanging on it. However, when you dip them into a bowl of vinegar, you would certainly like it . A minute when you chew the sea grapes, the freshness of these sea grapes would burst and that is when the sweetness lingers in your mouth.

7. Sazae (known as Turban Shell)

This looks interesting to me! They were huge in size and most of the stalls had these as the display at their area. Sazae or known as Turban Shell caught my attention and immediately, I wanted to order it. Giving my 100% trust to the owner, she had the liberty to fire up the dishes as how she wanted to.  She made a good choice after all!

The first dish (above) was purely sashimi style and this gave you the chance to taste the freshness of sazae while second dish (below) was stir-fried sazae. Texture for these two methods of cooking was different and I had a hard time to choose which is my favorite one. So, I recommend both.

8. Peanut-flavored tofu

In Japan, you may see "Jimami-Tofu" in the menu which means Peanut-Flavored Tofu. Don't be surprised when the tofu served to you is in white color because they are meant to be in this way. However, the texture of Peanut-Flavored Tofu is denser compared to the usual tofu that we have in Malaysia. Somewhat, I believe this tofu is mixed with potato starch. Peanut-flavored tofu can be eaten on its own or you can top it off with brown sugar syrup, just like what I did.

Overall, there are many other dishes that I would love to post here such as Andagi, Rafute, Okinawan Soba Noodles and etc. However, these dishes are not up to my expectation hence, I do not even bother penning it down.

Giving me another chance, I would definitely want to go to Okinawa again. This time, I will make sure that I spend more days instead of just 7 hours. Perhaps, I can consider this place as my honeymoon? *nudge boyfie*

Regards,

Foodiestravel