Location: Chinen, on the 86. If on the 331, turn onto the huge bridges going up the cliff (turnoff is south of Azama SanSan and Seta Utaki), and take the first left after the tunnel that doesn't look like its going into a compound with armed guards. If going south on the 86, then its a right before the compound, and you can see a big white building that looks like a factory. If you hit the tunnel, you've gone too far.
Hours: 10a-10p
This cafe sits on a fairly large chunk of land, some of which is a garden that was underattended at the time of our visit. You park by the factory, then walk through a large covered area with a long table and chairs, and then get to the cafe. The cafe sits on a perch overlooking the lovely southern coast, with a clear view of Komaka island. The inside and outside of the cafe have two different menus. The "Terrace Menu" is a fairly limited selection of mains, focusing more on drinks and dessert. The menu inside is larger than it needs to be. Most dishes are 1000Y, if with seafood then a bit more.
We had the Thai seafood soup for one, which was a generous portion if you eat it with rice (which is recommended). It is a tasty coconut/shrimp/tom yum type broth with chunks of tomato and mushroom, and lots of fresh herb. The shrimp in the soup are a disappointment - overcooked and chalky. There are more shrimp heads than tails in the soup.
We also had the "Thai-style" pork typhoon curry, which really was a nicely done Japanese curry. You know, the gloopy brown kind with a subtle peppery heat; good but not Thai.
We had to ask for more rice, which is strange in Japan, and when we did they charged us 150Y, which also seemed unusual.
After your meal you can wander around the grounds, relax on some outdoor rocking chairs, and enjoy the view.
All in all, the view is spectacular and the food is good enough to go back. We will focus on the more traditionally Thai elements of the menu next time, and keep in mind that preparation of seafood is not their specialty. But the lime, garlic, ginger, galangal, cilantro, basil, chili, and fish sauce were all there, in the appropriate proportions, which is a rarity in Japan.
