Mmmm! Nothing beats a nice hot steamy bowl of meat and soup on a cold winter’s day. There is just something about hot pots that can therapeutically warm both the body and the mind. Although Okinawa has only a very limited season of chilly months, what better way to make the best of it with some of Total Okinawa’s selected pickings of this warm deliciousness available on island!
Shabu-You
Talk about getting your bang for your buck! Shabu-you is probably the most pennywise frugalicious option on island for some good straight to the point shabu-shabu. Being one of the partners of the famous Skylark Gusto group, the food chain prides itself for being an affordable family restaurant option enjoyable for all. The restaurant menu includes multiple meat options ranging from pork slices to a bit more pricier wagyu beef slice. What makes it so pennywise is that aside from having lunch special menus, they also offer coupons which can be used together in combination such as a 5% off coupon AND an unlimited drink bar 100 yen off coupon! The broth offered for the hot pot ranges from plain conbu to Korean hot spice. Aside from the meats, Shabu-You menu is also amazing for its add-ons such as its nigiri sushi, curries, waffles, slushies (yup, just like the classic 7-11 ones), and even a cotton candy machine on some branches. For Okinawa, there are two branches both located in Naha. The easier one to access is located at Omoromachi (close to the Okinawa Prefectural Museum & Art Museum). For more information on their menu, check out their website at https://www.skylark.co.jp/en/syabuyo/.
Shabu-Shabu Onyasai
If the freshness of the vegetables is what is most important in your hot pot, Shabu-Shabu Onyasai is probably the best place for you. The meats are pretty awesome in itself but it is in their vegetable options where they really do shine in another level. First off, they have all the typical vegetables like cabbages and mushrooms, sweet carrots, mung bean sprouts etc., but what shocked me the most was that they even have cherry tomatoes! I have personally never tried hot pot shabu-shabu with tomatoes but I can only imagine that’s got to be some kind of vegetarian hot pot dream come true. Got to make sure to try it next time. For more info, check out https://www.onyasai.com/.
Sukiya
What’s the point of a good hot pot when you got to get all dressed up and drive all the way over there? Might as well go run some errands while you’re at it! If you want to just enjoy a good sukiyaki bowl fresh at the convenience of your home under some snuggies while in your jammies, Sukiya is the choice for you. Although it is classified as a gyudon chain, during the cold months they have a special limited time sukiyaki bowl prepared in an aluminum foil plate which you can heat on the stove in your own home. Honestly it doesn’t get any fresher than that. The sukiyaki bowl comes with beef, veggies, noodles, and vermicelli noodle knots with the option of a side of raw egg. For the uninitiated with the process of sukiyaki, the egg is provided to be beaten and used as a ‘dip’ for the hot meat and veggies cooking it slightly with the pure heat from the food creating a sort of creamy exterior texture. Even for those who find raw egg quite icky, I don’t think you will be able to resist such deliciousness. An absolute must! Hurry and get yours while ‘tis the season!
Sundoubu Doubi Doubu
Let’s go Korean this time for a change, shall we? A sundubu-jjigae is a soft tofu stew served in a stone pot which kind of looks like molten hot lava. In Okinawa, one of the best (if not the best) places for some hot sundubu-jjigae is in Sundoubu Doubi Doubu. Opened pretty recently, it grew in popularity so rapidly that there is always a line just to get a seat. I have never managed to successfully find a parking at the front of this restaurant as a testament to how popular it is. They have seafood sundubu as their main but they also have some beef sundubu and even some fried chicken as well. No question about it, it’s all delicious. The sundubu is just the perfect warm up stew every body needs to re-energize in preparation to tackling 2024!
Shabu-Shabu Miyama
If you are anything like me, when it comes to shabu-shabu, my hot pot is MY HOT POT! Whether it’s for a precaution from Covid or you just don’t like to share with your companion, Miyama is the perfect choice for you. Shabu-Shabu Miyama prides itself in offering individual hot pots so that you can have shabu-shabu or sukiyaki your own way. Flavor it the way you want, put in mixed meat with whatever you like, or even put in a raw egg and make your own egg drop soup, it really doesn’t matter – It’s the wild west of hot pots! As for the food, they have a typical robust standard shabu-shabu menu with the pricy meat cuts and veggies as you would expect. Price is a bit on the heavy side but worth it if you consider the freedom you get in your hot pot making choices. There are many branches of Shabu-Shabu Miyama on island but lately they opened a new one at the Rycom shopping mall which would make it the cleanest and the most centrally accessible branch.
Bottom line, winter will not be complete until you’ve experienced that soothing warm feeling of a good hot pot bowl of food that competes against this cold weather. Whichever is right for you, it’s time to give yourself a nice treat and reset this holiday season by getting warm the right way!
