That garlic-filled, savory Bueno Chicken will finally be available in vending machines in Naha Airport from April 2024! You have to go to the airport with plenty of time to spare at the end of your trip. It is safe to have both cash and electronic money!
Point 1: Garlic rumbles from the inside! What kind of chicken is Bueno Chicken?
Bueno Chicken” is the name of a whole roasted chicken sold at a restaurant specializing in roasted chicken in Urasoe City, Okinawa Prefecture, which has been in business for over 40 years. It is attracting attention as a new Okinawan specialty.
The chicken is stuffed with garlic and marinated in a special sauce of vinegar, herbs, and garlic, then rotated in a roaster while being grilled.
The crispy skin and moist, rich garlic-flavored filling are irresistible. Because of its garlic flavor, it is delicious and eaten as is, but you can also add a spicy sauce such as “Haisai Sauce” to change the flavor and give it a different taste.
The World Bueno Chicken Godo Kaisha (Urasoe City) also sells the chicken by mail order (1 chicken: 2,400 yen, half chicken: 1,200 yen, shipping fee not included: shipping fee is 2,220 yen per box nationwide, 1,790 yen within Okinawa Prefecture.) It has many fans not only among Okinawan residents but also among tourists.
Point 2: Where is the “Bueno Chicken” vending machine in Naha Airport?
So, where can I find a “Bueno Chicken” vending machine in Naha Airport?
Departure gate
Near gate 36 on the ANA side
Near gate 26 on the JAL side
にあります。
Naha Airport is easy to understand because it is not as complicated as Haneda Airport or Kansai Airport.
(There was a bueno chicken vending machine by the smoking room near gate 36 on the ANA side of the domestic departure floor at Naha Airport!)
However, since we were already through the security checkpoint and on our way to the gate, we were very nervous and on edge if we did not have enough time to spare.
（There are six buttons for one feather and three buttons for half a feather.)
I heard that even if you find a vending machine, for some reason, cash doesn’t go into the machine, and you may get impatient!
(I was told that cash might get jammed, so I had to put money in Paypay and Melpay in advance. I was a little confused because I rarely use Melpay in vending machines. (I recommend you to simulate before you buy with Melpay.)
Customers were waiting both before and after I bought it, so it seems to be quite popular! If you buy too late, you may have to worry about them selling out, so I recommend buying early!
The price is 3.500 yen for a whole chicken / 1.750 yen for a half chicken (tax included). This is a little more expensive than the actual store.
For your return flight, “buy your chicken with plenty of time to spare”!
As a side note, the vending machines are located in the parking lot of the head office in Urasoe and at the bus stop in front of Ueibaru Danchi for Tomigusuku in Oroku 3-chrome, except at Naha Airport!
Point 3: Where are the actual “Bueno Chicken” stores located?
The actual store Bueno Chicken is located in Urasoe City, which is as close to Naha City as possible.
It takes 35 minutes from Naha Airport by monorail and 20 minutes by car. It is a 15-minute walk from the monorail station (Furushima Station).
It is a subtle and difficult place to get to, so many people may end up going through it.
From Naha Airport Domestic Terminal, take the Ryukyu Bus (#190). From the nearest bus stop “Takusi-Iriguchi” (騾し入口), it is a 3-minute walk.
Here, whole/cut chicken is sold for 2,400 yen for a whole bird and 1,200 yen for a half bird.
The actual store also has an eat-in space (100 yen per person is required for seating), so you can enjoy eating Sachiko ko (hot Okinawan dialect) and bueno chicken!
Please note that the actual store is closed on Sundays, Mondays, and New Year’s Day (about 1 or 2 weeks after New Year’s Day). Please note that they are closed on Sundays.
Note: There is a restaurant called Bueno Chicken Futenma, but it seems to be a different affiliate.
(I went home and opened it and it was still frozen; they say you can carry it around for 8 hours. It comes out of the vending machine in a cold package like this!)
(Inside was a plastic bag with a “bird manual,” not an “instruction manual.”)
(I bought a “half wing” and it was quite large, maybe enough for two people to share! It was in chunks, so I had to roughly break it up myself first.)
(I tried it like “chicken over rice” and it was garlicky and delicious!)
