About 18 minutes by car from Naha Airport. From Kokusai-dori Avenue, pass through Heiwa-dori Shopping Street, pass through Tsuboya Yachimun Street, and cross Route 330 at Tsuboya 2-chome, where you will find Okinawa’s strongest cosy and voluminous bento for 450 yen. It is a bento shop in a residential area that is loved by everyone.
Point 1: What is the location of Munjuru Bento, which is located in a residential area outside the tourist area?
Munjuru Bento is the most cost-effective bento restaurant located in a residential area in Tsuboya 2-chome, about 18 minutes from Naha Airport.
Naha, Okinawa is known for its culture of cheap eateries and cheap, hearty bentos, but Munjuru Bento is one of the most cost-effective of the two.
Munjuru” is an unusual name that many of you may have noticed, but it is an Okinawan dialect word for “barley straw,” and there is also a Ryukyuan dance of the same name called “Munjuru-bushi,” which is danced while wearing a barley straw, which originated on the island of Awakuni.
It is open from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm and from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm (only one session on Saturdays), and is also open at night, making it a strong ally of cab drivers and other people with irregular work schedules.
Point 2: Even the rice is good! What is a “Munjuru Bento” lunch box like?
Upon entering the “Munjuru Bento” restaurant, there is a cash register in the front and a counter with bento boxes lined up in front of it.
There are about 13 different kinds of bento that look massive, but only 4 to 6 are available at any given time.
The most typical bento is a fried food bento that includes several kinds of fried pork cutlet and fried chicken, but there are also bentos that include fried food, tebichi, and more vegetables.
It is hard to believe that a B5-sized bento case is nowadays filled to the brim with such a variety of bento, and that it is barely held together with two rubber bands, all for only 450 yen.
The most calorie-dense bento is the one with pasta and macaroni on either side of about three kinds of fried food. The amount of carbohydrates is also the strongest!
Also special among the fans are the “katsudon” (pork cutlet bowl), which is said to be a mirage, and a simple bento (400 yen) that sells out on Saturday mornings, consisting only of minced rice, a fried egg, and karaage (fried chicken).
Furthermore, since this “Munjuru bento” is originally a rice shop, the rice is homemade, making it fluffy and very tasty, which is another secret of its popularity.
Point 3: What else is on the “Munjuru Bento” menu?
Munjuru Bento” also offers menus other than bento. They are curry rice (450 yen) and cutlet curry (550 yen). Sanpin tea and other drinks are also available on the right side of the restaurant.
The Katsu Curry with crispy fried pork cutlet, homemade rice, and spicy curry is especially recommended! These days, a curry from a convenience store can cost more than 500 yen, so it is nice to know that curry can be had for as little as 450 yen!
The curry is not listed on the front of the restaurant, but if you ask the staff, they will serve it to you!
