Nakadomari Fresh Seafood Restaurant 仲泊海産物料理店

For the best fresh seafood in Okinawa, you have to visit the Nakadomari Fresh Seafood Restaurant in Onna-san near the intersection of HWY 58 and Route 6. This family-owned establishment carries the finest seafood for the price in the area.

The Yamashiro Family travels daily to the Nago Fisheries Cooperative Association (Nago FCA) at the Nago Fish Market to get the food right off the boat. You can't get it any fresher than catching it yourself!

My favorite meal at Nakadomari Restaurant is a fried octopus (Japanese: tako) starter with draft Orion Beer, followed by a half lobster al gratin set meal, which comes with a small sashimi, misso tofu soup, desert and two types of seaweed. The Nakadomari Restaurant makes the best lobster al gratin out of the 12+ places I've had it in Okinawa! If I want to change it up a bit, I'll order the special sea cucumber appetizer which comes with Okinawan leeks, oinions and garlic. For my meal, I'll order a fried shrimp (Japanese: ebi, pronounced AY-bee) set meal of which you get about 5 huge prawn-sized shrimp in addition to the items mentioned in the lobster set, plus a small Thousand Island dressing salad. These meal sets run about 1,500 Yen or $15 USD plus 400 Yen ($4 USD) per each Orion draft beer in a icy glass mug.

Jenny's favorite is the "Nakadomari Fish Special" set meal which is a large white fish broiled in lemon, butter and sea salt. I've had it before and it is delicious, but I usually don't eat the crispy tail like Jenny does.

The Nakadomari Restaurant also serves more traditional local Okinawan selections like fish head soup, noodle-based dishes, and "green caviar" which is a special seaweed with little bubbles on the end of parsley- looking seaweed stalks.

The draft Orion Beer in ice cold glasses is always a hit, but be sure to try the Awamori which is an Okinawan specialty liquor served with water and ice cubes. They also serve many types of tea (green and barley teas are popular) and sodas.

The interior is modern Okinawan with both a Western-style table/chairs area and a traditional totami mat and cushion area behind rice paper sliding screens. The view of Nakadomari Beach, especially from the balcony which has a few white cast iron bistro sets, provides a fantastic view of Okinawa's turquoise-blue waters and local fishing boats. When the tide is low, you can watch the locals gather seaweed and shellfish out to about a mile from the shoreline. The restaurant is also normally still open during typhoons, protected by huge aluminum shutters and the cold Orion is still on tap.

The staff is friendly but may be lacking in robust English skills during certain shifts, but don’t let that stop you from pointing at the pictures on the menu. They also do not take credit cards, so be prepared with Yen. The meals are reasonably priced, especially compared to the adjacent tourist restaurants at Renaissance Beach Resort and the Moon Beach area on the same bay. It is also close to the famous snorkeling, diving, surfing and sunset place on Maeda Point which can be seen to the left of the Nakadomari Bay view.

Try Nakadomari Fresh Seafood Restaurant for some of the best seafood Okinawa has to offer--and tell them Jenny and Jeff sent you!