A hidden gem, a favorite spot for Naha Airport staff.
Where is it located? Is it really cheap? Is it comfortable for tourists? And most importantly, is the food even good?
They are someone I find intriguing in many ways.

So, to conclude my trip to Okinawa, I asked an acquaintance who had experience working part-time at the airport to take me there.
I would like to make a report.

[1] What exactly is an "airport cafeteria"?
[1-1] An inexpensive cafeteria you can go to every day
[1-2] There are actually many regular tourists as well.
[1-3] Plenty of Okinawan menu items
[1-4] Business Hours and Days

[2] The location is at the far end of the first floor of the domestic arrivals lobby.

[3] Menu

[4] Are they really cheap? A comparison of airport restaurants

[5] Recommendation level

[Summary]

"Airport Cafeteria" is exactly what it sounds like: a cafeteria located inside Naha Airport.
While it's primarily used by airport employees, it's not just an employee cafeteria; the general public is also welcome.

The following are some of its features:

[1-1] The affordable price makes it great to go every day.

Basically, everything is under 650 yen. You can get a full meal for 600 yen.
(Only the "Okinawa Lunch" in the Shokado bento style is 860 yen)

Most menu items at the airport are the cheapest, so you can go there every day without worry.

[1-2] There are actually many regular tourists as well.

While the main users are staff members, tourists are also welcome! You can enter with peace of mind.

[1-3] Plenty of Okinawan menu items

You can enjoy classic Okinawan home-style dishes.
Okinawa soba, soki soba, tebichi soba, juicy rice, goya champuru, etc.
★For more details, please see menu [3]!

[1-4] Business Hours and Days

Open year-round, from 9:00 to 20:00 (last order 19:30).
Please note that from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM, only breakfast sets, curry rice, and daily special bento boxes are available.
(Morning sets cannot be ordered after 11:00 AM)

Even frequent visitors to Naha Airport might ask, "Airport cafeteria? Where is it? Is it in the back room with a 'STAFF ONLY' sign?"
Actually, it's located at the far end of the arrival lobby on the first floor.

[2-1] Landmark: Arrival Gate A side, Ryukyu Bank

In the domestic arrivals lobby on the first floor, (with your back to the outside) arrival gate A is on the left and arrival gate B is on the right.
The airport cafeteria is on the left side, where arrival gate A is located.

If you have just arrived at Naha Airport, you will need to go down from the second floor to the baggage claim area on the first floor.
At this time,
JTA, JAL, RAC, and Jetstar use the arrival gate A side.What,
ANA and Solaseed Air use arrival gate B.It will arrive at [destination]. (Skymark operates both routes depending on the flight.)
If you exit on side B, collect your luggage and then head to the far end on the opposite side (side ① in terms of the baggage claim area number).
After exiting through arrival gate A into the general arrival lobby, head further to the back left of the building. You'll see Ryukyu Bank, and the airport cafeteria is at the end of the corridor beyond that.

[2-2] Exterior

The lighting is a bit dim, perhaps because they don't really anticipate many general customers.
However, there's a banner outside, so you shouldn't get confused.

Once inside, you'll need to buy a meal ticket and wait.
Since you won't be leisurely looking at the menu at the table, let's decide what to order now.
Okinawan-specific menu items come with descriptions of the dishes. This shows consideration for people from outside the prefecture and tourists.

[3] Menu

A wide variety of classic Okinawan home-style dishes, made with ingredients sourced from Okinawa, are on display.

When you think of a diner, in Honshu, you might imagine dishes like "kitsune udon," "Neapolitan spaghetti," or "hamburger steak set meal."
However, this menu features dishes like "Soki Soba," "Tebichi Soba," and "Goya Champuru."
This lineup is perfect for anyone looking to get into the tourist spirit.

[3-1] Soba dishes

In Okinawa, soba noodles are characterized by their slightly thicker texture, similar to udon noodles found on the main island of Japan.
It is made with wheat flour, not buckwheat flour.

And speaking of Okinawan cuisine, pork is a must. Soba noodles with soki (pork belly with skin) or tebichi (pig's feet) offer a delightful combination of tender meat, light fat, and a subtly sweet and gentle flavor.

Okinawa soba	¥540
Soki Soba	¥650
Vegetable Soba	¥650
Pork and egg soba	¥600
Tebichi soba	¥650
Yakisoba (with miso soup)	¥600

Pork and egg soba is another dish unique to Okinawa. It consists of soba noodles topped with pork and an egg omelet.

[3-2] Champuru Dishes

Champuru means "mixed together." The menu features dishes made by stir-frying various ingredients, such as vegetables, together.
All meals come with rice, miso soup, and pickles for just 600 yen! It's both affordable and filling.

Goya Chanpuru	¥600
Tofu Champuru	¥600
Fu Champloo	¥600
Fried vegetables	¥600

The "tofu" in "tofu champuru" is that tofu.
In Okinawa, tofu is sometimes the main ingredient in dishes, such as soba noodles with a large portion of tofu in them.
Here, tofu is mixed together with other vegetables such as carrots and bean sprouts in a dish called "champuru."

The "Fu" in "Fuchan Blue" refers to wheat gluten.
In Honshu, you might find "fu" (wheat gluten) floating in miso soup, but in Okinawa, it plays a leading role.

[3-3] Rice bowls, lunch sets, etc.

We also have classic dishes like fried rice, curry, and omelet rice!
(Even if someone in your group doesn't like Okinawan food, you can rest assured.)
At the same time, they also offer a good selection of local specialties such as taco rice, pork and egg, and Okinawan lunch.

[3-3-1] Morning / Lunch / Daily Special

Breakfast, Lunch Set

Morning set	¥430
Okinawa lunch	¥860

The breakfast set is available only from 9 to 11 am. It's the classic combination of toast, a fried egg, and a salad.
In terms of price, the Okinawan lunch is the most expensive dish at this restaurant.
It's a Shokado-style bento box (a large, square lunchbox with a cross-shaped divider) and includes rice, salad, a main dish, and side dishes.

Daily set meal

The menu changes from month to month. Here's what was on the menu in September 2015. Everything was 650 yen!

Month	Stir-fried pork and bell peppers / Stewed pig's trotters set meal
Tue	Inamuduchi set meal / Fried and boiled chicken set meal
Wed	Mackerel with sesame miso set meal / Stir-fried mustard greens
Thu	Nakami-jiru set meal / White fish fry
Fri	Sukiyaki set meal / Eggplant stir-fry with miso
Sat	White fish with basil sauce / Fried shrimp set meal
Sun	Grilled Pacific saury rice bowl / Corned beef hash and bean sprout stir-fry

[3-3-2] Donburi (rice bowls), rice, etc.

The menu features classic dishes commonly found on Honshu, such as curry and katsudon (pork cutlet rice bowl).
However, they also have taco rice and juicy (Okinawan mixed rice) on their menu.

Taco rice (with cola or miso soup)	¥650
Pork cutlet rice bowl (with miso soup and pickles)	¥600
Oyakodon (with miso soup and pickles)	¥600
Curry and rice	¥540
Katsu curry	¥650
Fried rice (with miso soup, salad, and pickles)	¥540
Omelet rice (with salad and pickles)	¥540
Chanpon (with miso soup and pickles)	¥650
Pork and egg dish (with rice, miso soup, and pickles)	¥600
Juicy	¥160

★For those who are unfamiliar with taco rice

This dish definitely does not contain octopus.
This is a variation of the Mexican dish "tacos," where the taco fillings are served on top of rice.

★What is the Okinawan version of Champon?

While "Nagasaki Champon" has noodles underneath the toppings, the "champon" referred to here is rice.
It's topped with stir-fried vegetables bound together with egg.

[3-4] Appetizers

This diner also serves alcoholic beverages. Here are some of the snacks.

"Aasaball" is tempura made with aasa (a type of green seaweed commonly eaten in Okinawa).

[3-5] Drink Menu (Alcoholic beverages available)

1 go (180ml) of Awamori	¥540
Various Awamori Bottles	¥2,160
Southern Star (beer mug)	¥430
Orion Beer (medium bottle)	¥490
Cola	¥270
Whitewater	¥270
Orange	¥270
Iced Coffee	¥270
Iced tea	¥270
Hot coffee	¥270

[3-6] Which is the most popular menu item?

According to the display at the entrance to the cafeteria, here are the top 3 most popular items!

1. Soki Soba
2. Okinawa soba
3. Goya Champloo

Here comes a classic from Okinawa. It seems that the most popular choices are always the classics.

Restaurants in Okinawa tend to be somewhat cheaper compared to the rest of the country.
However, this isn't always the case for shops catering to tourists, and airport restaurants are no exception.

Given all that, are airport restaurants really that cheap?
We compared them using the classic menu item, Soki Soba.

Airport Cafeteria	¥650
Tenryu, a restaurant serving local cuisine	¥780
Soba Restaurant Ryufu	¥843
Ryukyu Village	¥860
Donburi Restaurant Shiki	¥880

In the case of "Soba Restaurant Ryufu," the dish is "Soft Bone Pork Rib Soba."
Other restaurants may also have their own unique features, such as using carefully selected ingredients or actually simmering their dishes for ten times longer than usual.
However, if we're looking for the cheapest option, the conclusion seems to be that it's the "Airport Cafeteria."

Personally, I'm very satisfied!
I ordered Soki Soba, and it was delicious. The waiting time after ordering was also short.
And the low price! To be honest, as someone who bought a lot of souvenirs at the end of the trip, I was really grateful.

Here's a breakdown of who I think would benefit from airport restaurants and who I wouldn't.

[5-1] Recommended for these types of people and situations

People who want to eat Okinawan food

We have all the standard items!
The taste is of a quality that you can fully enjoy.

These Okinawan chopsticks, called "Umeeshi," are painted red and yellow! They really get you in the mood.

People who want to save money

As mentioned in [4], while Soki Soba costs around 800 yen at other restaurants in the airport, it's only 650 yen here.
Other menu items are also generally under 650 yen, and you can get a full meal there.

People who want to enjoy every corner of the airport

This shop is frequently used by airport staff.
At any given time of day, there are people wearing some kind of uniform.
It felt like I got a glimpse inside the airport. (Although it wasn't actually inside, but rather an area open to the public.)

When you don't have much time to eat slowly

The cafeteria is a popular spot for people to take a break, especially around lunchtime.
They use a ticket system, and they serve the food one after another.

[5-2] Consider this carefully in these situations.

For those seeking gourmet food that will be praised as "incredibly delicious!"

The food is quite tasty, but it's definitely a casual, employee-cafeteria-style restaurant.
Think of it as a place to enjoy standard flavors.

For those who want to kill some time

They have an alcohol menu and manga available, so it's not the kind of place where you can't linger.
However, it had a somewhat hectic atmosphere, like a company cafeteria.

For those who prefer quiet restaurants

There was a TV playing, and customers were coming and going.
Even in the evening, it was quite lively.
Since it's primarily a casual eatery, if you prioritize atmosphere and creating lasting memories, the restaurant floor on the 4th floor is recommended.

As I mentioned at the beginning, this is a shop that many people, even frequent visitors to Naha Airport, are unaware of.
It makes you feel a bit like a connoisseur.
As someone who loves Okinawan cuisine, including dishes like Soki Soba, this restaurant has become one of my favorites, especially considering its affordability.

The restaurant is fairly spacious, but there are many tables and the aisles are somewhat narrow.
If you're using the service before departure, we recommend checking in any large luggage beforehand.

Please make your hotel reservation here.

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