Kijimuna

Rating: OK
Meal:  Dinner for 2
Price:  3200 yen
Payment:  Cash only
Dishes:  Rafute, fu champuru, 3 drinks (awamori)
English Menu: No
Smoking: Yes

Please keep in mind, I only review food, so while this little underground bar has some of the best awamori I've ever tasted, this review is of the food.  Anyway, beneath Nawlins there are a couple of bars.  This one is marked on the sidewalk by a yellow sign with a green tree and "Okinawan Dining Bar" on it.  If you walk down the slightly scary staircase underground, you will open the door to find a really cute, nicely decorated Okinawan bar.  What immediately strikes the viewer are the 5 or 6 large clay pots on the counter.  These house various awamori (a distilled thai rice liquor from Okinawa), all of which are at least 4 years old, some as old as 8 years.  I've come to appreciate awamori and though I knew about this place I hadn't been back in a long time and realized I'd never reviewed it for its food.  The other night my wife and I were looking for nearby places to eat so we wouldn't have to walk far in this heat and humidity, so we stopped in for some awamori and okinawan food.

Rafute

The menu is not in English, but the proprietor (Mr. Cho) speaks decent English and can point stuff out if you need help.  I ordered some rafute, which is marinated pork belly sliced up.  My wife had some fu champuru, which is egg and meat stir fried with gluten (yup, pure gluten...eat your heart out!).  My rafute was a bit tarter than usual, and I wasn't terribly impressed by it.  My wife's champuru was definitely better though.  Obviously, food is not the main point at this place, but it was decent enough.

Fu Champuru

BTW, if you are interested in awamori recommendations there, so far the 4 year old Yanbaru Kuina is my favorite, with the 8 year old Zuisen a close second.