Kisaragi Sushi — Restaurant in Naha

I'm in Okinawa for work, and my colleague suggested this place based on its reviews here and the proximity to our hotel. The restaurant is tucked away in a nice, quiet neighborhood. The roads coming in can be tight and there is not a lot of parking so if you plan on driving be aware of that. A taxi is probably best, because then you can also have something tasty to drink. Tonight I had water.

Three of us went and none of us speak anything resembling passable Japanese. When we opened the door, we were worried that we might be a burden. The hostess immediately made us feel welcome and we took a seat at the bar. Despite my limited vocabulary, I managed to strike up a conversation with an elderly gentleman sitting next to me. He spoke some English, and between that and google translate we managed to have a fun time getting to know each other. Yoshimoto-san, if I remembered your name correctly and you happen across this review, I genuinely appreciate your kindness and the time we spent together. I also thank you for bridging the gap between us and everyone else in the restaurant.

The menus are in Japanese, so I used google translate to decide. I eventually went with todays omakase nigiri and decided to trust in the chef. I made the right decision. The meal was one of the best I've ever had. I was able to try some things I've never had before-- uni and a variety of mackerel I cannot remember the name of already. I cannot overstate how good and flavorful everything was. I believe I surprised my new friend at the counter with my willingness to eat everything. I can only hope that my earnest enthusiasm made up for my clumsy attempts at biting the nigiri cleanly in two. 😂

My compliments again to the chef and the hostess. The food was so delicious! I loved your restaurant and will try to be back at least once more...

This is a hidden gem, the locals at the bar made space for us, the menu is Japanese only, but it doesn't matter. The sushi was excellent, the hostess couldn't have been kinder. The chef gave us some of his special aged awamori. It's a very intimate experience, chatting with the regulars. The whole place probably sits 12. This will be the place I remember...

Had a lot of fun talking with the owners as we ate.

As a vegetarian I didn't have high expectations for a sushi place, but the kappa maki, egg maki, and pickled vegetable makis were very satisfying (they also had natto maki, but one can only eat so much).

It's worth noting it was a great value at only 1000...