Don’t taco to me now because I’m about to present to you a taco rice fiesta! This highly addictive Okinawan comfort food has broken all cultural stereotypes and has managed to find a special place in the heart of every Uchinanchu. For those who do not know the magic that is – the taco rice, it is basically a rice bowl topped with all the ingredients you would find in a typical ground beef taco. In case you have been living under a rock since you got on island, as always, we’ve got you covered and compiled some of the best places to get this delicious hybrid taco-bonanza!
King Tacos
Appropriately named, I present to you, the creator. Introduced back in 1984 in 2 locations, Parlour Senri and King Tacos, the latter being the more well known. King Tacos holds true to the saying of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. Starting from just a tiny shop over at Kin town appealing to the GI’s living in Camp Hansen, King Tacos has spawned to god knows how many branches on the island (7 I think). It’s almost as if I see a branch every time I am craving it. Although the original one is located in Kin town, personally I prefer the newly renovated King Tacos located in Yokatsu as it has an outside picnic table and is very close to the Kaichuudoro bridge. Perfect place to take out a plate or two and eat it while enjoying some fresh air and a nice ocean view.
Pizza House Jr.
I know what everyone is thinking: very unusual to recommend taco rice from an Italian style restaurant but, I think in the case of pizza house JR, we can make an exception. Just like the taco rice, Pizza House Jr. also originated and only operates in Okinawa. Although they started off with pizza and other full meal cuisines, the popularity of their tacos has birthed an upgrade to include the taco salad (seasonal item), the taco rice, and even go as far as something called the taco-dori (taco rice doria), which honestly, is pure GENIUS. Who would have thought to bake over the cheese on top of the taco rice would create such an amalgam of flavours. I couldn’t recommend this enough. Look past the fact that it’s technically an Italian restaurant and just trust me on this. For the love of god, order the taco-dori! You won’t be sorry.
Señor Taco
Now, put your pitchforks down. I know it’s nowhere close to a Carne Asada however, Señor Taco at least somewhat attempts to stay true to the theme of the tacos by keeping the menu pretty close to home. Expanding their menu to include enchiladas, burritos and tostadas, with regards to the tacos and taco rice, I believe they got it pretty nailed down. Their salsa having just the right amount of spice and sweetness, it helps me forget that technically half of the taco rice is a salad. All in all, pretty awesome stuff and a definite must try!
Kijimuna
Get ready to confuse your pallet even further with the crazy taco rice combinations they have over at Kijimuna. Whatever their thought process might be, I give them A+ for their creativity. As if taco rice wasn’t fusion enough, how about we mix in some egg in there and call it an omu-taco (omelette taco rice)? Hey you know what, put some jalapeno and fried garlic in there too. Better yet, go ahead and dump in a scoop of potato salad while you’re at it. Finally, top it off with some teriyaki chicken, avocado, and bacon in there too. We will call it a number 12 or something, I don’t care! At Kijimuna, your imagination is the limit. It’s a beautiful thing. Go nuts!
San-A
How dare I put a supermarket as a place to buy taco rice you say? As much as I despise putting a supermarket on the list, it would almost be a crime, nay, an atrocity not to mention their taco rice. I had my first San-A taco rice somewhere around 2007 and had my most recent taco rice from there somewhere around, oh I don’t know, LAST TUESDAY! It’s that good. Overall flavour is on point (obviously), good consistency in salsa, just the right amount of rice-meat-veggie-cheese ratio, and it’s super cheap to boot. What more could you ask for? Only downside is, the San-A’s that have it and the days that they prepare it are pretty random. That is why whenever you see it in the supermarket, I recommend you go ahead and add to cart.
Bottom line is that there are a lot of terrific taco rice places on the island and honestly whichever one you choose, you really can’t go wrong. There is a reason for its popularity and as the year’s progress, it’s only growing. Knowing what taco rice was and what it is now, I can’t wait to see what taco rice will be in the next 10 years! Just not too spicy I hope.
