My favourite café in Okinawa, Ys

👋 Haisai! It’s CULT.
Today, I’d like to tell you about my favourite café in Okinawa, Café Ys.
I’ve been visiting since last January, and it’s the kind of place I go to when I don’t feel like working from home. It’s usually quiet on weekday afternoons, making it perfect for ordering a frappe or waffle and relaxing at your own pace. I highly recommend you visit. It’s a fantastic café 👍

📌 Cafe Ys Location and Opening Hours

The location of Café Ys is near Miebashi Station on Kokusai Street. It’s not far in terms of distance, and since there are many hotels nearby, if you haven’t opted for breakfast at your hotel, having breakfast here is quite a good choice. It is closed every Sunday ⏰ Opening hours are from 8 AM to 8 PM. [Google Map]
Breakfast menu is available from 8 AM to 11 AM, and the lunch menu is from 11:30 AM to 2 PM. If you visit between 11 AM and 11:30 AM, you can choose between breakfast or brunch.

This is the interior of Cafe Ys.
When I first visited this cafe, it reminded me of Cafe Poirot from the Japanese animation Detective Conan. In fact, there’s a Bourbon St. sign inside, which fans of Detective Conan will immediately recognise.
I actually feel that Cafe Ys has a more authentic Cafe Poirot vibe than the themed Cafe Poirot itself, which is why I really like this cafe.

The menu is available in both Japanese and English. I always say I don’t need the English menu, but since I speak in halting Japanese, they always ask if I need the English menu. The prices of the café’s menu items range from 500 yen to 1,000 yen, making it easy to enjoy without any burden. That’s why I always order several items from the menu. The breakfast menu is also very cost-effective, so I order two of them to enjoy. A hearty breakfast is possible.

☕️ Menu at Cafe Ys

This is the basic coffee of this café. It seems they use UCC products, which are branded coffee, but it’s quite tasty for a branded coffee. They don’t use any particularly special beans or anything like that… You can watch them brew the coffee, and it’s quite unique because they don’t use the usual coffee machine we’re familiar with. Instead, they use a coffee net, which is something you don’t often see.

This is how they brew coffee. Should we call it filter coffee?
Watching this process while enjoying your coffee makes it impossible not to taste good. And that bow tie is a trademark. No matter when you visit, he always wears a bow tie. It makes the café feel even more special 👍

The first item on the menu is the breakfast mixed sandwich. Priced at 650 yen, it includes one sandwich and a cup of branded coffee. Although it’s a small portion by my standards, considering the price, I think it’s a fantastic deal.

Here is a detailed look. Unfortunately, it’s not vegan as it contains eggs. I think it’s a really good option for breakfast.

I visited again a few days later.
This time, I went in the afternoon and ordered coffee and waffles separately. The crockery for the coffee that comes with the breakfast menu is a bit simple, but when you pay the full price of 500 yen for the coffee, the coffee cup seems a bit more elaborate. I was a bit embarrassed to ask, but it’s always like that. Whenever I pay the full 500 yen for coffee, the coffee cup is always fancy.
I don’t usually like to mix anything in my coffee, but just to show that they provide creamer, I mixed it in today as a special exception.

This is a fruit waffle, where you can enjoy waffles with a variety of fruits.
In Korea… there are quite a few mums who insist on having fruit after meals. I understand it’s because they want the best for their families, but fruit in Korea is incredibly expensive, you know? Almost ten times the price in Europe? Fruit is also very expensive in Japan, but not as much as in Korea.
When you order a fruit waffle, you can enjoy a variety of fruits, even if it’s just a little, so it’s a great idea to go for dessert 🥝

Next up is the strawberry frappe 🍓
This is… a very everyday menu item for me, something I casually pop in to enjoy when passing by Café Ys on a hot day. I’ve just memorised the price as 600 yen.

Patbingsu is a simple dessert similar to a strawberry syrup-topped patbingsu, but it’s more like a Japanese-style shaved ice. I think the name is Ichigo Kakigori, but the charming owner calls it Ichigo Frappe, so that’s what it is. Anyway, I really like this 🍧

Next up is the waffle set, one of the breakfast menu options. The price is 650 yen.
It was extremely hot that day, and when I ordered, I was asked to choose between hot and cold coffee, so I opted for the cold one. This way, you can enjoy iced coffee with floating ice and waffles. The waffle is a bit simple since it’s a breakfast menu, but it’s freshly made and delicious.

If you drizzle just the right amount of maple syrup, it tastes delicious. Make sure to adjust the quantity to manage your blood sugar levels 🧇

Next up is the fruit frappe. The price is 700 yen.
In the English FRAPPE menu, it resembles a shaved ice dessert, but this is a separate frappe above that menu. This is indeed the frappe I was familiar with. It’s not just fruit on top; as you continue eating, you’ll find a few pieces of fruit inside, adding to the enjoyment.

Next up is the final breakfast menu item, toast. The price is also 550 yen.
A perfectly golden-brown piece of toast is served with strawberry jam and a cup of coffee. You can choose between hot and cold coffee.

As the most affordable option, it comes with the simplest setup. Just spread some strawberry jam on it and enjoy 🥪

Next is the omelette set. 650 yen
A small salad, toast, and an omelette with ham are provided. This is the most substantial breakfast menu offered at Cafe Ys.

The first omelette I ever tried was a wine-infused, boozy omelette at the Mont Saint-Michel Abbey in France, and it was quite a challenge to eat with a fork. However, Japan has so many dishes that are easy to eat, which is wonderful. It was a sweet taste perfect for a pleasant morning 🍳

Of course, a cup of coffee is also served, and we asked for one iced coffee and one hot coffee. Personally, I think the hot coffee tastes better. The coffee here is originally delicious ☕️

The last one is the Shirokuma Frappe. The price is 800 yen.
It comes with shaved ice and a variety of fruits. It’s definitely the best choice for a hot day.

These days, fruit prices in Okinawa are incredibly high, and perhaps that’s why the amount of fruit seems slightly less than when I had it in the past. Still, the price hasn’t gone up. Well… I’m satisfied nonetheless. Enjoying it on a hot day… it’s refreshing and nice. Normally, I would have gone for the 600 yen strawberry frappe, but to show you a variety of options, today I’ve specially ordered the Shirokuma frappe.

🌸 In Conclusion…

After finishing our meal and about to pay, the owner kindly offered us a complimentary treat, giving us some zenzai. I’m not entirely sure if it was zenzai, but since red beans were the main topping, it probably was. It was delicious too. I highly recommend visiting Café Ys if you’re on Kokusai Street. Especially if you’ve booked a hotel without breakfast, it’s an even better choice.

This is how it looks after enjoying a delicious meal. I always think it’s the best café that never disappoints me. If you visit Kokusai Street, I highly recommend stopping by for a quick dessert 👍

When you search for cafés on Google Maps, there are many places that are cafés in name only but are actually just restaurants. When you visit, you’ll find they focus more on meals than coffee. Personally, I don’t like those, but this place is truly a café.

That’s all for today. I’ll wrap it up here and come back tomorrow with more Okinawa travel information. Matayasai 👋

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