Zenzai Restaurant Fujiya

👋 Haisai! I’m CULT.
Today, I’d like to tell you about Fujia, a zenzai specialty shop I used to visit frequently when I first came to Okinawa. It’s an Okinawan brand, and you can often find it in Naha. The zenzai is delicious, and the interior is lovely, so if you’re unsure about where to eat, I recommend giving it a try.

📌 Location and Opening Hours

The location is right next to Route 58, so accessibility is excellent. It’s a great place to visit when you’re heading north after arriving in Okinawa, or when you’re returning south after your trip. ⏰ Opening hours are from 11 AM to 7 PM every day.
When I first came to Okinawa, I couldn’t speak Japanese at all, so I have fond memories of practising Japanese with the staff here. [Google Map]

This is what the entrance of the shop looks like. I’ve heard there are a few more branches in Okinawa, but this is the one I often visited. It was close to my home. Over the past six months, I’ve noticed that they only take a day off on January 1st. Quite a diligent restaurant, isn’t it?

Fujiyah has not just one, but two outdoor car parks. So, there’s no need to worry about parking. I’ve never seen the car park completely full. This is because the car park is much larger compared to the size of the restaurant. It’s usually the other way around, isn’t it? Therefore, parking is easy, and even if it were difficult, there are plenty of coin-operated car parks nearby.

🍜 The Various Foods I’ve Tried

The first dish I tried was called Sanmainiku Soba (三枚肉そば). Initially, I wasn’t quite sure what it was. Since it was my first time dining out alone in Okinawa, I simply ordered the menu item located at the top left corner. Although I had travelled to Okinawa for about three weeks eight years ago, I hadn’t tried Okinawa soba back then, so this was actually my first experience with it.
Generally, Okinawa soba tends to be quite polarising among older Korean adults, as the noodles can feel undercooked. However, this Sanmainiku Soba didn’t have that issue. It seemed like the restaurant had adapted the recipe so that even foreigners could enjoy it easily.
It was delicious 🥰

They also provide condiments made with pickled ginger or Okinawan traditional liquor Awamori infused with chilli. The staff warned me that it’s a very spicy sauce, but from my Korean perspective, it doesn’t seem spicy at all. For Japanese people, it might be considered spicy, and for Europeans, it could be a deadly level of spiciness.
In any case, since it contains alcohol, please avoid it if you’re driving.

On my next visit, I decided to try the Nankotsu Soki Soba (軟骨ソーキそば), which is the next dish after the one I had last time. Nankotsu means cartilage, and Soki is the Okinawan dialect for pork. Simply put, it means soba topped with pork! It’s a version of Sanmainiku Soba with an additional pork topping, so it’s slightly more expensive.

After visiting several times, they even offered me a complimentary cup of Sanbing tea. Naturally, I enjoyed it all the way to the last drop of the broth 👍

When I first visited the restaurant in mid-December, it had already transformed into a festive Christmas atmosphere by the end of the year.
This post is a reworking of the original content I wrote on Korea’s NAVER blog, so it might not feel particularly different. If you want to experience this kind of atmosphere, visiting at the end of the year is a good idea. Anyway, I used to frequent this restaurant quite often.

The next menu I tried was taco rice. However, it was a failure.
I’m not particularly fond of taco rice to begin with. From a Korean perspective, the menu composition is quite frustrating. In Korea, we tend to eat a lot of side dishes and less rice, whereas in Japan, it’s the opposite with fewer side dishes and more rice. When Koreans dine in Japan, there are many dishes where you can adjust the amount of rice you eat, but with taco rice, that’s not possible. There’s just too much rice.
I’ve tried taco rice several times, but I have yet to find one that satisfies me.

The menu item I liked the most at the taco rice place was the soup. I really like this soup. I often make it at home.

Next up is Loco Moco.
It’s said to be a Hawaiian dish. It’s made up of rice, hamburger steak, and gravy sauce, but I’m a bit sceptical about whether this is truly a Hawaiian dish. Did Hawaiians really eat rice? Did they eat hamburger steak? Hmm… I suspect it might have been created by Japanese workers who went abroad.
Anyway, it’s not quite to my taste. The hamburger steak is delicious, but overall, it feels a bit bland. My top recommendation would be to have a bowl of Okinawa soba and then enjoy zenzai as a dessert 🍛

🍧 The Much-Awaited Zenzai

The last one is Zenzai. The exact menu name is Fujiya Zenzai (富士家ぜんざい). This is a unique Zenzai from this shop, and unlike the typical Okinawan Zenzai, the shaved ice, red beans, and dango are served separately. It’s quite nice to put the shaved ice on top of the red beans and dango. It’s distinctive. I even had Zenzai just before writing this. It’s a summer delicacy.
If you’re visiting Okinawa in the summer, make sure to try Zenzai. Have it twice 👍

This is the Jisen Ice we ordered together. It’s also an Okinawan-style dessert. It consists of soft ice cream sandwiched between slightly firm bread on both the top and bottom. It feels a bit like an ice cream burger.

However, the bread is a bit hard, so it’s not recommended for those in your group who have dental issues. Still, once you try it… you’ll have an experience that makes you think, “Wow, there’s something like this in the world?” Isn’t trying new things what real travel is all about?

🎁 Souvenir Shop and Conclusion

In one corner of the restaurant, they sell souvenirs like these. They mention it so you can have a look while waiting for your food. I just had a browse myself and found some interesting items.

What do you think? It’s right next to Route 58, so why not visit before you start your Okinawa trip or after returning from a trip up north? I’ve tried everything from large franchises to small village school-front shops, and Fujiyama has its own special charm. That’s why I recommend it.

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