it was a dear colleague’s birthday last week so I thought some Hawaiian hospitality would be just the thing for the occasion.
the evening after work, we ventured into the american part of town where Hawaiian Foods Tony’s is situated, right on the edge of Araha beach in Hamby, Chatan Town.
Tony’s began in Shimizu, Shizuoka some 25 years ago, but its branch in Okinawa was opened a little over 3 years ago. since its opening, Tony’s has been enjoying a strong following amongst both the local and foreign communities here in on the island.
apart from the casual-friendly service and its reputation as the first-ever restaurant to introduce the now-veritable loco-moco to Japan, Tony’s packs in the crowds for two main reasons.
well, maybe just one. (The other is just a wonderfully splendid bonus.)
first, please allow me a few minutes to wax lyrical about the food at tony’s.
i first got to know about Tony’s last year when they were a running a stall on the grounds of the okinawa international film festival. there, i fell in love with their garlic shrimp.
no one ever really goes to festivals in japan expecting gourmet offerings, but being a huge shrimp fan, i knew i had struck gold.
the garlic shrimp at Tony’s is a three-part affair consisting of a bed of thinly sliced fries, above it the gems otherwise known to the uninitiated as prawns (lightly battered, seasoned and then deep-fried) and then a lovely sprinkling of crisp garlic slices.
at tony’s, i always order the garlic shrimp as a side (880 yen), but you have the option of ordering it as a main dish, with rice and macaroni salad (1,180 yen).
the prawns are succulent, shells crispy and garlic done just right. pair each bite with some fries and you’d think heaven is a place on earth.
if the sheer joy of indulging in shrimp doesnt do it for you, try the other must-order thing on the menu – the ahi-ahi cutlet (1,280 yen). thick wedges of ahi-ahi (hawaiian for tuna) is wrapped in seaweed, covered with breadcrumbs and shallowed fried to perfection.
the result – slices of pink tuna seared just right and topped with a tangy grated ginger sauce, which gives the dish an incredibly sophisticated flavour.
also, do not miss out on the loco-moco, the best-selling item on the menu that features a generous beef patty over a bed of rice topped with a sunny side-up and Tony’s special loco-moco sauce.
and if that’s not enough to convince you, this might do the trick:
we recommend visits in summer just before sunset. order one of Tony’s many cocktails, sit out on the deck and be rewarded with breathtaking views of the ocean as dusk decends.
Tony’s is open through the day for lunch, dinner and bar-time. go early if you want choice seats; tables are filled pretty quickly, even on weekday nights.
so, the next time you’re craving for a slice of hawaii in okinawa, you’ll know just the right place to go!
~rina
The Dainty Bluebird 