Location: Ginowan; if traveling the 58 bypass road you can see the shop just north of the merge of the two 58s at Uchidomari (southern part of Ginowan). The restaurant is on the second floor of a white building with a blue awning. It overlooks the 58 bypass bridge and the water. You can reach the shop from the main 58; if heading south turn R just before the merge of the 2 58s and travel west until reaching a T. The cafe is on that street to your left.
Hours: lunch 11:30-3p, open until midnight, closed Thursday. No english menu.
http://www.churashima.net/shima/special/cafe/okinawa/mati/index.html
The decor of this cafe is charming and attractive, despite some of the furnishings being military castoffs. On our visit, the place was filled with artsy Japanese girls and couples. The cafe front is all windows, with a water view. Relaxing English-language (like Jack Johnson) music provides ambience.
At lunch, you order one of two sets, for 900Y or 1200Y. Only adventurous eaters need apply, but will be handsomely rewarded. The cheaper set included perfectly fried small fish (whole) and shrimp with lemon, marinaded octopus, 3-bean salad, greens with Japanese-style dressing, and 2 whole wheat rolls with butter. The more expensive set is a Kansai-style array of tasty dishes: Japanese pickles, steamed mochi+sauce, miso soup, savory mushroom and egg custard, marinated mini-eggplant, mini-fishcake, fried seafood morsels, baked fish, rice with millet, and a couple other delicious but unidentifiable things. Both sets come with hot/iced coffee/tea. The coffee benefits from cream and sugar, but was nice once the bitterness was balanced.
It is difficult to find mainland-style Japanese food on Okinawa; this place serves it up with respect for detail at very reasonable prices. Beautiful.
