Tsubaki-ya

To those of you who've noticed it's been a while since my last post, I apologize! My husband recently deployed, and I've been working on finding new food adventure buddies who are as adventurous as he is. For today, I'll post about Tsubaki-ya, our favorite restaurant, where we had our last dinner together.

Tsubaki-ya is an izakaya style restaurant that serves both alcohol and food. They have a great selection of awamori and sake to compliment their fresh sushi. They also serve a variety of other traditional Japanese dishes.



My husband always orders the sashimi selections of the day when we go. The fish selections range from tuna and salmon to whitefish, and once we were even served fresh octopus. You can choose a plate that comes with three types of fish, or five, and they are served with garnishes of cucumber and daikon radish. If you're feeling adventurous, it's a great choice, since you never know exactly what you'll get.



There is also a great selection of sushi rolls available. My personal favorite includes Salmon, cucumber, and cream cheese. (I can't remember at the moment whether it's called an Alaska roll or a Philadelphia roll!) They also have cucumber rolls, California rolls, and a few others. The caterpillar roll is a very pretty choice that incorporates a lot of different types of fish- great for impressing guests visiting from home.



There are also a bunch of non-sushi entrees to choose from. The tempura here is excellent, and available a la carte or as a set meal. There is a selection of yaki tori style kebab skewers, some fun appetizer selections, and some standard Japanese dishes like stir fry, white or fried rice and miso soup. Pictured above is another of my husband's favorites- vinegrated seaweed noodles, with cucumber and a lemon slice for garnish.

Cocktails are reasonably priced at around ¥500-¥800, but the selection is a bit small. They do have very good plum wine, and my husband is a fan of their campari soda and gin with lime. They also have cassis soda, which is a favorite of a friend of ours.

There is a very nice English menu available, and the staff all speak fairly good English. This place is a bit pricey when you're eating with a hungry Marine, but as a couple, we usually get out for under ¥5,000 including a few drinks.


Hours and Directions:

Tsubaki-ya opens at 5pm daily, and closes after midnight. If you leave from Camp Courtney's housing gate early enough, it would even be a decent distance to walk to on a nice evening.

Tsubaki-ya is so close to Courtney that it's actually visible from the apartment tower I live in! To get there from Camp Courtney, simply turn left onto Route 75 (a double left from the housing gate) and drive past Capital Steakhouse and the first traffic light. The restaurant is on the right immediately after that light. From this direction you'll see a concrete wall painted white that reads "Parking for Customeis Only."

From McTureous, turn right out of the gate onto Route 8. Make your way to Route 75 and turn left. After you've passed through two stop lights, you'll pass through one more intersection before seeing Tsubaki-ya on the left. If you pass through a third stop light, you've gone too far.


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Essence Salon

One of my great friends, Christina, treated me to a pedicure for my birthday. We usually drive over toward Kadena to visit Cocok, but this time she chose Essence Salon, the awesome new spa and nail salon that just opened about 5 minutes away from Courtney's main gate. I had seen signs for Essence, but I didn't realize how close it was, or how nice it would be.



They have a great, cozy pedicure area for two people. The chairs were so comfortable, and they even have baskets to set your purse in and blankets to cover your legs if you wore a skirt or shorts. They even spoiled us with a free drink and tea cookies.

Both of us did the pedicure with art, which cost ¥4,000. The pedicure included a very nice foot bath with a choice of jasmine, rose, and shea butter soaks; a foot scrub; a very nice foot and leg massage; and your choice of nail art from their huge selection of sample art.



I always choose a navy blue color, with something sparkly. I think it's because I subconsciously want to wear blue when I go to the salon, because it's a relaxing color. Then, I want my toes to match my outfit for the day.


Christina chose this awesome red color with a pattern of black swirls and little hearts. Both of our toes still look fairly good, but sadly Christina's rhinestones fell off after about a week, and they chipped her paint.



Essence offers a wide range of services, that you can see listed above. While I can only vouch for the pedicures, I'm sure everything else is just as fabulous. I did get to see their two manicure stations, which were fully stocked with everything you could need for a great manicure. I'd love to go back and get a massage. I did hear from Christina that they only have one room for massages/facials, so unfortunately this isn't the venue for a huge girls' day, but that makes it an even more perfect location to relax, without the crowds.

Directions:

Essence is located on Route 75, just south of Courtney.

From Courtney's Housing Gate, take a double left onto 75, then continue straight through one traffic light. Essence will be on the left, just past the Mos Burger, and directly across from the Family mart. To get to the store front, turn left at the 2nd traffic light, and the salon is immediately on the left. There is also overflow parking with two spaces directly off 75, just behind the building the salon is in- you'll see a small marker that says Essence, and the same big flyer pictured above with the prices.

From McTureous, turn right out the gate on Route 8. Continue until the intersection with the Lawson, and turn left on Route 75. The salon will be on the right at the 2nd stoplight. You'll be able to see the store front and whether there are parking spots from the road. If not, drive immediately past to the overflow parking behind that building on the right.


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Cafe Pipi Neo

Cafe Pipi Neo is hidden away from the main roads, near the bird watching park in Tengan. Given that their logo is a flying bird, and "Pipi" is the Japanese onomatopoeia equivalent to "Cheep-cheep," I think it's actually named for the park. Whatever it's named for, they are a very cute little cafe with a good selection of food, and some very delicious-looking baked goods. If you're looking for a peaceful place to relax and read over lunch or tea, this is a great spot!


I love the calm, quiet atmosphere here. Each of the tables here seems like it's in its own little private nook. There is even a selection of magazines available on the shelf this seat is backed up against, though most of them are in Japanese.



I loved how they break up the sterile white walls with plants. It makes the space feel clean but comfortable. Every time I come here I have to comment that if I didn't think my puppy would eat it, I would love to have a tree like this one in my house. I love the way a house plant can liven up a room.



As you can see, this cafe is set up for more intimate groups. I would recommend this cafe for adult-only outings, but older children would do fine if they aren't picky eaters.



The menu is extremely limited; there are two menu items offered all the time; Squid Ink Curry, Okinawn style pork in wasabi sauce, and a daily special--usually fish. All lunches cost ¥850 and include a choice of bread or rice and a drink. You also have the option to include dessert for ¥150, for a total of ¥1,000.

I chose the special this time- white fish in cream sauce with a Caesar salad. The fish was perfectly cooked, and while the cream sauce was a little thicker than I'm used to, it tasted good. I especially liked the little bit of mashed potatoes- I wished there had been more! Overall, I thought the meal was a perfect portion, but when my husband had a similar dish the last time we visited, he said he could've eaten two orders. (Marines. Sigh.)


My friend Christina tried the Okinawan pork with wasabi sauce. She raved about it, and I believe she is in the process of trying to find a recipe for the sauce so she can try it on pasta. (I'll definitely update if she'll share what she finds!) This particular dish includes sauteed cabbage, scallions, and the fatty Okinawan pork that is famously popular in these parts.

If any of you are brave enough to try the Squid Ink Curry, please let me know how it is! I have been wary of trying it, but I think it would probably be really good. I've had squid ink before on a pasta dish, and I really liked it.


There are usually two dessert options, and they vary from time to time. Christina and I both chose the cheesecake over the Soy Custard. This cheesecake was delicious! Even though it's such a small piece, it was so rich and dense that it was the perfect serving size. It's easier (I have tried the custard before, it tastes like vanilla pudding with a hint of soy, with a texture just a little more gelatinous than creamy like pudding normally is. Very good.)

Cafe Pipi Neo also has a small selection of bakery items available for purchase. They had a few fruit tarts and muffins and scones, and some absolutely gorgeous cinnamon rolls. They were huge and ooey gooey and if I hadn't just stuffed myself at lunch, I would've bought four. The Cinnamon Rolls cost ¥300, and I didn't see prices for anything else.

Directions:

A thousand apologies to those of you who get a little lost on the way, but I promise this place is worth hunting for! To be perfectly honest, I found this place just by following the signs. They are all brown and white, like the one in the picture above, and I would highly recommend that you keep an eye out for them as landmarks so you know you're taking the right direction. Or, if you have an iPhone, use the map function to help navigate!

From McTureous, turn right on Route 8, then continue until the Lawson intersection. Take a left onto Route 75. Continue through two stoplights (the second one is between Essence Salon and Family Mart), then turn right at the third stoplight, which is just past the Mos Burger. Continue straight until you see the sign for Cafe Pipi Neo pictured above. It will be on the left hand side across the road from you. (From here, skip the next paragraph and then continue reading the directions.)

From Courtney housing gate, just turn right onto Route 224. Follow this around the bend, until you go under a very short tunnel. After this, you'll come to a bridge. Turn left immediately after you cross this bridge. The sign pictured above is on that street corner.

From there, continue straight as the road bends slightly to the left. You will end up driving parallel to the Tengan river alongside a small dam. (You will also be able to see the "bird cage" overlook from the bird park I mentioned earlier.) This road will soon turn into a T intersection. There will be a bridge to the left, but you'll turn right here. From there, pass the first left turn (a dead end) and take the second left. There will be another sign for the cafe.

Whew. For those of you still following, congrats! This next part is easy. Just keep to the left, and continue straight for a block or two, and look for Cafe Pipi Neo on the right. There is parking inside the wooden retaining wall pictured above.


Hours and Information:

Cafe Pipi Neo is open from 11:30 am until 5:00 pm. Lunch ends fairly early, I believe at 2:00 pm, but they are open later for tea. Their phone number is 098-974-1727, but be aware the staff does speak mainly Japanese. They can speak a little English, and they'll help you as best they can, though.


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On a completely unrelated note, while I was out taking photos of the front of the building, Christina and I found these sleeping ferns. If you touch them, they fold up to protect their leaves! We both remembered playing with these as kids, so we were really excited to find them! They grow in random places around Okinawa, and they are a huge hit with kids, so keep your eye out for them if you have little ones.