On a small hill on Hamahiga Island lies “Hotel Hamahiga Island Resort.”
How does stopping for a luxurious lunch here after a drive around the Sea road
and surrounding islands sound?

In the hotel’s restaurant “Hapina”,
you can experience an authentic french meal with a view of the wide pacific ocean
and the several uninhabited islands bobbing amongst its waves.
The panoramic view of the beautiful ocean that greets you
when you step foot into the quiet restaurant is what makes this place so unforgettable.

For lunch, you can enjoy a feast of flavourful vegetable appetizers, soup of the day,
your choice of main dish with meat or fish, bread, followed by dessert,
all of course with your complimentary drinks course. Their fresh fish caught in Okinawa’s sea,
provincial beef, and locally grown fruits and vegetables brings a crispness
and bright colouring to the many dishes you enjoy.

Their main fish dishes are prepared with a cooking method called “puple”,
where the meat is steamed and softened. It’s eaten with tomato and mushroom sauce,
and accompanied with a variety of Okinawan vegetables such as winter melon and urizun beans.
Beneath this plethora of fresh vegetable and fish lies a mille-feuille rizotto
made of spring greens and mushrooms.

The locally raised Japanese beef Poêlé is a wonderful dish, filled with deep,rich umami flavour.
It’s served with a side dish of blue raddish, black radish,
along with golden coloured “kinpi” carrots, purple carrots, and a variety of rare vegetables.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, these main dishes are filled with an abundance of vegetables
to brighten the dishes’ palletes and give a fresh, crispy edge to your meal.
The Hokkaido-born head chef Mr. Date is actually known as a vegetable sommelier.
All of the vegetables are carefully prepared at a cool temperature
to bring out their natural colour and savory flavour.
Just as much attention is poured into these garnishes and sides as the main course.
“It’s been nearly a year since I moved to Okinawa.
The vegetables are grown in a much different soil than the main land,
and every day I learn something new” the head chef says calmly.
It will be exciting to see what kinds of vegetables will appear in the coming seasons.

Spend your dessert time in bliss with their mango puree
and fresh cream merangue pave style mango mousse.

“We put our hearts into fostering local production and local consumption” says the staff.
Plate by plate, they maximize local, natural flavours,
and show visitors to Hamahiga Island the hospitality of their island.

From the sunlit terrace seating,
you can watch the beautiful blue contrast of the sea waves against clear sky,
and breathe in the sea breeze after a delicious lunch.
It’s a refreshing atmosphere that will make you forget all about the stress of your travels.

The short Okinawan winter is nearly over. Valentines Day and White Day,
meetings, farewells, and the sweet breeze of spring draws closer and closer.
Why not share this beautiful spring in Uruma with the ones you love?