Located in Akebono, Naha City, on the border of Naha City and Urasoe City, about 12 minutes by car from Naha Airport, is a locally recommended khao mangai specialty restaurant. The restaurant, with its simple and unobtrusive exterior and interior, is located right “in the middle of nowhere,” and is well known for its local-style, delicious khao mangai!
Point 1: What is the location of “Jasmine Jasmine”?
Jasmine Jasmine” was newly opened in March 2018. It used to be called “Takeda Parlor”.
The name of the dish “Khao Mangai” has been established in Japan for quite some time now, but a while ago they might have called it “Hainanese Chicken Rice.”
In Okinawa, you may start out eating Okinawan food and hamburgers, but after a long stay, you will gradually get tired of it.
The climate is also hot, so you kind of want to eat tropical food. Kaomangai is recommended for those who are tired of such Okinawan standard dishes.
Jasmine Jasmine is located in Akebono, Naha City, on the border between Naha City and Urasoe City.
There are no hotels, hospitals, leisure lands, and a jetty in the vicinity. It is a place that tourists would probably pass by.
Even the locals don’t go there often, but many of them say, “I was curious about it when I saw it on the map, so I dropped by and became addicted to its delicious food.
Point 2: What is the standard menu at “Jasmine Jasmine”?
Jasmine Jasmine” is a khao mangai specialty restaurant tucked away in an area near the Shinko Wharf.
It has a simple exterior with a green awning. A simple sign with a unique illustration saying “Khao Mangai Specialty Restaurant” is the landmark.
Inside is a retro-modern interior with white as its base color. It is clean and looks like a stylish café, a far cry from the stiff, local-style khao mangai specialty restaurants.
The restaurant’s standard menu item is Khao Mangai with steamed chicken, cooked at low temperature and topped with a spicy sauce made from garlic, ginger, and island chili peppers.
The spicy sauce goes well with the light flavor of the steamed chicken.
Another good touch is that the dish comes on an aluminum tray, which looks like an industrial-use container! The cheap aluminum look is nice and not too stylish.
Point 3: What is the new Khao Mangai at “Jasmine Jasmine”?
In addition to the standard steamed chicken khao mangai, Jasmine Jasmine also offers an unusual khao mangai.
The Khao Mangai with Shrimp, Avocado, and Tomatoes” is a unique dish.
Khao Mangai” means “rice,” “man” means “oil,” and “gai” means “chicken,” so instead of “gai,” the Thai word for “shrimp” may be used. So, instead of “gai”, the Thai word for shrimp may be used, but let’s leave the sharp point aside for the moment.
I thought that khao mangai was supposed to be made with steamed chicken, so the unexpectedness of using shrimp and avocado is amazing. I did a little research and found that there is no khao mangai that uses anything other than steamed chicken, so it may be an original dish at this restaurant.
The spicy sauce seems to be the same as the steamed chicken khao mangai, so I am sure it is absolutely delicious.
