Eating Our Way Around Kume-jima

Sea Grape Seaweed  

Dinner was at Namiji, where the hostess quickly guided us away from the tatami mats and into chairs. Even though they were low, much better for my knees. Grant had the shashimi for one, and I ordered the tempura meal which came with a lot of shashimi so he got a second helping. A couple of bites of raw fish is about all I can manage. The local prawns are served with shells still intact, which the waitress assured me were to be eaten. I crunched my way from the tail but stopped short of the head.

The treat was sea grapes, a seaweed with little bubbles that pops in your mouth with a salty fresh flavor. I can grab a stem of them with chopsticks, dip it in their sauce, and get it into my mouth more than half the time. Practice, practice, practice.

Sunrise at Eef Beach

Today, we got up for the sunrise and had the beach to ourselves. I walked for about 30 minutes, picking up kinds of shells I’d only seen before in stores. Breakfast at the hotel was an American-Japanese fusion of link sausages, roasted potatoes, two small pieces of salted mackerel, Japanese-style omelette (which looked like little blocks of polenta and were slightly sweet), and cooked spinach with sesame seeds. Plus more sea grapes.

Yunguwa’s Kitchen  

Lunch at Yunguwa, the best soba noodle shop on the island, maybe in Okinawa. With only two outdoor tables and six inside ones, we wouldn’t have had a chance to eat there, even in this off-season weekend, without having Mary call to make reservations. We arrived with all our luggage an hour before the restaurant opened, content to sit on a bench and wait, but the owner/cook rushed out and insisted that he take our suitcase so we could walk around and see more of Kume-jima. That gave me time to look for more shells on the beach two blocks away.

Miso with Soba Noodles and Bean Sprouts  

The entire menu is six types of miso soup with noodles. Still full from breakfast, I had a small plain one. Grant ordered a medium-sized extra spicy with bean sprouts, which he manfully tried but failed to finish. One wonders how big the large soups are. All of the ingredients are locally grown. Absolutely delicious however I need a break from miso, no matter how good it is.

Some of My Shells   

I’m starting to taste fish in the back of my throat. My mother told of going with friends to eat in Ybor City, near Tampa, when she was a young woman. She said they would come back recking of garlic and that it seemed to come out their pores. I’m feeling the same, only it’s fish, not garlic. I told Grant that what I wanted for dinner was just a bowl of ice cream. The sweet taste and cold texture was what my mouth was looking for. I had to settle for leftover spaghetti and one of Bella’s little ice cream bars. Ah, perhaps tomorrow the fishy flavor will have dissipated.