About 40 minutes by car from Naha Airport. There is a retro and unique coffee shop in Kitanakagusuku Village. The café was created by renovating a gaijin residence with a Showa-era retro theme, and visitors can listen to records placed in the store! The café’s attention to detail is unique not only in its menu but also in its old-fashioned containers.
Point 1: What kind of “coffee shop” is “New Kitanaka”?
I have seen the logo of “New Kitanaka” somewhere before. From the logo, one can already guess that it is not a café but a “coffee shop” in concept.
In Kitanakagusuku Village, where there are many unique and high-grade cafes on the main island of Okinawa, it is no longer possible to survive simply by offering a beautiful view and delicious food.
The staff must have held many meetings to create a unique restaurant that would attract customers from far away, and New Kitanaka opened with the concept of “Showa-retro,” a universal thing that is both nostalgic and fresh, depending on the generation.
In addition to Showa Retro, there is a kids’ room with karaoke for a fee of 3,000 yen for two hours so that local children can also visit.
Reservations are required for this room, but if the room is available, it can be used on the same day!
Point 2: All records in the “New Kitanaka” store can be listened to!
The New Kitanaka store is decorated with Western and Japanese music records from Japan and abroad. All of the records in the store are available for listening upon request!
For some generations, it is nostalgic because they have listened to the music in their sensitive adolescence, and for the younger generation, it is refreshing to hear something that is not in the current music scene.
For the post-Heisei generation, it may be a new experience to make a “request” and have them listen to the music.
The recording lineup includes both domestic and international artists such as Yumi, Kyoko Koizumi, and Checkers, who are popular enough that even today’s young people know them, as well as a slightly maniacal lineup that includes Nina Simone and Janis Joplin!
Resort is randomly selected without regard to genre, so you may “discover something new”!
Nowadays, you can listen to the music you want to listen to right on your smartphone, but you may be able to hear music here that is not even on the lineup of your music app.
Am I the only one who would like to sit in this cafe and listen to music all day long?
Point 3: The drinks and food at the “New Kitanaka” are also amazing!
At New Kitanaka, you will find “Mame Borebore”, a world-renowned coffee bean from Okinawa, and “Yamada Coffee”, a deep-roasted, rich coffee, as well as Showa-era retro drinks such as cafe latte, EM milk, fresh banana juice, cream soda, coffee float, and alcoholic drinks such as lemon sours and highballs. There are also lemon sours, highballs, and other alcoholic beverages.
In addition to the Neapolitan and omelet rice dishes, don’t miss the New Kitanaka Lunch (800 yen), available only on weekdays.
Toast (cinnamon toast, honey toast, etc.) and desserts such as chocolate sundae (450 yen), pudding a la mode (850 yen), and chiffon cake (450 yen), available in limited quantities, are also popular.
The discount on drinks with food orders is also very reasonable!
Every menu item is prepared with care by the staff so that customers can enjoy the Showa-era retro atmosphere, and the delicious taste is also very heartwarming!
