Café Gozza near the Blue Cave
👋 Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today, I’m reviewing a popular spot near the Blue Cave, Café GOZZA.
Recently, snorkelling at Okinawa’s Blue Cave has become incredibly popular. I visited too, and was pondering where to eat nearby, so I decided to check out a café I’ve noticed before. The food is quite good, so if you’re unsure where to eat after snorkelling, I recommend giving it a try 👍
The menu is designed so that even children can enjoy it without any fuss, and the dishes aren’t too spicy, making it easy to choose. In my experience, these kinds of meals are also quite appealing to Western visitors.
📌 Location and Opening Hours
The café is located near the Blue Cave at the edge of the central region of Okinawa. It’s about a 10-minute drive, making it a convenient spot to visit after a morning or midday snorkelling session. It is closed every Sunday and Monday, and the opening hours are from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
If you go snorkelling at 8 a.m. and finish up, it will be around 10 a.m., so the location is quite accessible. [Google Map]
In front of the café, there is an open space where you can park. It can accommodate about eight cars, so there shouldn’t be any shortage of space. By the way, that red car is a fuel-efficient compact car. It’s currently available for rent at 5,000 yen per day, so do check it out. Enter the coupon AOSORA_CULT1 for a 10% discount. [Nissan Days]
🔍 Okinawa Blue Cave Restaurant GOZZA
Let’s take a look at Café Goja now.
This is the entrance to the shop. It’s a bit unusual that they are closed on Sundays and Mondays, so make sure to check this. I’ve been reading a lot of Google reviews lately, and it’s amusing to see people giving one-star ratings because they visited on a clearly stated closed day and found it shut.
You can find simple information like closure notices, and the restaurant is located on the second floor.
This is how the interior looks. Water is self-service, so please help yourself.
There are artworks inside the restaurant, which are available for purchase. If you’re interested, do take a look. And although it may seem quite small… this restaurant does offer an ocean view 🥲
This is the menu. It mainly features dishes made with Okinawan black pork. Today, I ordered two items from the menu.
- Okinawa Prefecture Black Pork Loin Cutlet Sandwich with Gozza Special Sauce 1,080 yen
- Okinawa Prefecture Black Pork Loin Cutlet Black Curry 1,280 yen
🍖 Tonkatsu Sandwich and Tonkatsu Curry
The katsu sando and katsu curry have arrived.
Both contain Okinawan black pork, which might explain the slightly higher price, but considering black pork is a bit more expensive than regular pork, it’s understandable. Honestly, it’s not a burdensome amount either.
This is a Katsu Sando. In fact, it’s just a Japanese dish. It comes with some fries and a bit of ketchup.
It’s a detailed view, and the boundary between the bread and the tonkatsu sauce looks truly appealing. The pork is said to be black pork raised in Okinawa. The structure allows you to eat the tonkatsu by hand, and the sauce pairs well with the bread, making it delicious. It’s a taste that everyone will enjoy.
Okinawa is known for its many gourmet burger joints, isn’t it? However, to enjoy a gourmet burger, you often need to open your mouth wide, whereas with a katsu sandwich, there’s no need for that. It’s a lighter and more convenient option. Just looking at the photo makes it look delicious.. 😋
This side dish was served alongside the katsu sandwich, and it was more than enough to supplement today’s lack of dietary fibre. The vegetables were also suitable for children to eat.
Next is Katsu Curry.
It’s made with Okinawan black pork, and it’s called black curry, though I’m not quite sure what’s black about it. Nonetheless, it’s delicious.
This is a combination of curry, rice, and tonkatsu. It’s a very common curry combination in Japan.
As I write like this every day, a Japanese friend of mine finds it fascinating that a Korean introduces Japanese food in this way. This piece is written not for a specific region, but for people all around the world. 😊
Here is a more detailed look at the tonkatsu and curry rice. After snorkelling, there seems to be no need to search for a good restaurant near the Blue Cave. I witnessed people asking the instructor twice about where to find good food or a decent restaurant nearby while snorkelling. It seems there isn’t much information about this area. Let me ease that worry for you 💪
Anyway, I thoroughly enjoyed my meal. Of course, I know places that do sand katsu and katsu curry better than here, but today’s focus is on the Blue Cave eateries, so I’ve centred it around that. There might be more to discover if you look further. As I plan to do a lot of snorkelling and diving, I’m considering purchasing an underwater housing for my camera, which means I could introduce even more great eateries in this area, right?
This place is great for visiting with children and offers a menu that everyone can enjoy comfortably (except for vegetarians). Parking is easy, so do consider visiting after your snorkelling adventure.
The total for the two menu items came to 2,360 yen. I paid using PayPay, but if you’re not residing in Japan, you can only pay with cash. I had a hearty meal and thoroughly enjoyed snorkelling at the Blue Cave. It was my first visit, and I’ll upload a separate review later.
That concludes my review of the Blue Cave café, Gojja. I’ll be back tomorrow with more Okinawa dining news. Matayasai 👋
- Recommended post: International Street Tonkatsu made with Okinawa’s traditional Agu pork
