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Flex Bar and Grill
Flex Bar and Grill is a Jamaican restaurant that was located right on the beach. In one corner, there was a massive speaker that played reggae music so loud that the tables would shake and you’d have to yell to order. The first time my family took us there, we went with their friends, and stayed late enough for the bar to fill up. My nine year-old self sat in the corner, wishing my parents would wrap things up so we could leave the increasingly loud and smoky room. But, what stood out the most was that everyone’s food was phenomenal. We all kept remarking on how good the food was, and my dad said that we had to come back.
Whenever we move somewhere new, my family chooses a restaurant to go to every Friday for dinner. In Okinawa, our spot became Flex. After our first time, we started going as soon as they opened at 5 p.m. so that we had the floor to ourselves and beat the bar crowd. When we were done eating, we would walk the seawall and get ice cream from a local chain called Blue Seal. The reggae music was still played loud enough that we had to yell at each other, but that became part of the experience. The waitstaff were some of the most accommodating people we’ve ever met, and when we told them that we were moving, we got a warm goodbye. My dad got pictures with the guys that worked in the kitchen, and we all got t-shirts to commemorate the good times we had there.
Before we left, we said that we would come back some day. We haven’t been able to fulfill that yet, but I plan on doing it one day– hopefully sooner than later. If you’re ever able to go to Okinawa, while nine year-old me couldn’t appreciate the atmosphere at Flex at the time, I’m incredibly nostalgic for it now. If you’re ever able to go, I recommend getting the jerk chicken with extra plantains, potato wedges, and edamame.
Ramen Kagetsu Arashi
Saying that my favorite ramen on Okinawa was from Arashi would be like saying the best burger in the area is from McDonald’s. That is a bit of an exaggeration– it's only a chain found on Okinawa, but it’s a choice that definitely makes me look like a tourist. The ramen wasn’t what I went for though, it was the fried rice.
Admittedly, when I moved to Okinawa, I was afraid of the cuisine. I’m a picky eater and embarrassingly particular, so ordering fried rice at a restaurant I had never tried seemed like a safe choice. So, when my rice was brought out to me in a skillet that was still frying, I was a little weary. The hot skillet came out with an egg that was still cooking as its base, a mound of rice, cubed pork, scallion, and a whole lot of garlic– when the waiter set it down, they poured some soy, and it was your job to mix and fry it while it was still hot. If you were like me, not fast enough, you ended up with the strange omelet.
Despite my first time not being a seamless experience, my rice-omelet tasted good, and I wanted to go back to hopefully get it right. Going to Arashi soon became a family-favorite, and we all ordered fried rice. Because of this, we stood out as being unavoidably American, but it was a joke between us and the waitstaff. But, even though the fried rice was my favorite, I still reminisce about their beef broth soups. One time, I had gotten a strand of HFMD (similar to chicken pox), and they promised that the soup they made was the only way I’d feel relief. To my shock, it worked, and now every time I feel sick, I wish I could go back.
The food from Arashi was so good that I can still smell it sometimes. I’ve tried to emulate it, and my recipe is close, but it pales in comparison to the original. My order recommendation is garlic fried rice with extra pork, a side of soup, and a bottle of Pepsi.
Keely O'Bryan is a McConnell Scholar in the class of 2028. She is studying urban studies and political science.