Castle Highlander

With inflation on the rise, it seems that at each passing day, the opportunities to dine out seems to be dwindling. Who will rise up and save the day? The Highlander! There can be only one! Of course, in this case, I’m talking about the restaurant. Castle Highlander is the all you can eat go-to place for when you’re pinching pennies. With regards to the venue, let’s just say it’s – seasoned. I’d recommend you just close your eyes and dive in to the food. Let me explain further.

First off, I must insist that you try the Karaage (Japanese fried chicken). They serve Karaage almost everywhere here in Japan but somehow this one is just intriguing. They use some kind of unique rub mix together with their batter that just adds a nice kick. It’s also has a nice crispy texture to it. To bite into a freshly fried one is alluring to the ears as much as it is to the taste buds. Boy- what a crunch! As for the other items, well, remember I mentioned pinching pennies? Get this; For 1,100 yen, you can enjoy all you can eat salads, soups, soba, sushi, stir fried veggies, oden, tempura, salt grilled fish, puddings, jelly, and ice cream. They also have white rice, Sekihan (red bean rice), and I could have sworn I saw some curry. Menu changes slightly per day but you will always have just as much variety. I haven’t even gotten to the interesting part. Although this place has a worn down atmosphere, they have a unique theme where they raise butterflies in the garden terrace. That’s just wonderful for someone like me because well, I don’t really like butterflies… Have you seen one up close? Darn thing could be in a horror movie! I noticed they had a Guinness world record certificate on the wall for the largest number of butterflies released in an event organized by the city. As much as I dislike those little irritating winged flying long legged critters, I have to admit, it’s still pretty cool.

Ultimately, you go here on a budget. Say you need a good eat for a cheap price together with some buddies or work associates, this is the place to go. Buffet cost 1,100 yen per adult and 700 yen for kids. Directions are from gate 2 out of Kadena, turn left on route 75 headed to Camp Courtney. Keep going until you are about 1km away from the main gate of Courtney. Castle Highlander will be on the left next to Taj Okinawa Indian restaurant. Bring yen and an empty stomach!

They accept yen only