BonVivant

My guest house on Taketomi island makes simple meals. At least they have marlin sashimi, which is king on Yonaguni island. This reminds me of "3 cup chicken", a typical meal in Taiwan. That is not surprising given the proximity to Taiwan and culinary influences from when the Ryukyu kingdom used to trade with various nations in the region. Most common seaweed in Okinawa.

Last lunch on Yonaguni island. Citrus depressa Taketomi island. There are only a couple of places on the island to eat lunch and they are closed at 5pm. Dinner is served at one's lodging. Yaeyama soba broth is made from skipjack tuna, pork bones and kombu. Meat is almost always braised pork. Condiment is rice liquor infused chillies. Even when you eat something with rice this noodle soup is served in a tiny bowl alongside. Yaeyama islands are a group of islands in the Ryukyu archipelago. They were incorporated into Japan only in the 70's.

The "national dish" of Okinawa. Japan's highest pork consumption is in Okinawa. My beer being tapped.

Okinawans are some of the world's biggest Spam eaters. There's only one little convenience shop at a rest stop on the way to the aquarium (2 hours by bus from the capital). I got my Okinawan packed lunch there. I have an irrational reaction to the texture of sticky paste. The purple sweet potato filling is nice, though. Okinawan sticky paste is near impossible to break. Easiest way is using a knife, yes, it's that hard.

The highest quality of dried bonito is from Okinawa, where it is also most consumed. Japanese philosophy: Let little seem like much, so long as it's fresh and natural. I shall add "and beautifully presented". Later somewhere else, the only place that's open on a sunday.

My guesthouse's home-cooking on Yonaguni island. Okinawans eat a bit of everything and there's always seaweed and tofu in some form. The cuisine of Okinawa is a mix of other countries' with whom the former Ryukyu kingdom used to trade.

First thing I saw when leaving Naha airport. Didn't know what it was until I went to the supermarket a few hours later. Very much my thing! Portion for one person. Looks like Chinese version but tastes better (to me). Not really salty, a lot like cheese drenched in Okinawan distilled rice liquor. Very nice!

Okinawan soba soups. Can't escape rice, even when you eat noodles. (At home I eat rice maybe once a week.) It's OK. Much prefer goma/sesame "tofu" I had in Koyasan.

At my guest house. In a village on the other side of the island later. Boneless trotter, with toes. So far the best Yonagunian soba soups I've had. The tiny noodle shop has 3 kinds and I pointed at these 2. Very pleased with what I got. You can use any noodle but if the broth is worthless then there's really no point. There's a prawn farm in the village just down the road.

I stayed at a traditional guest house on Yonaguni island where home-style meals are included in the price. Seaweed of some kind is served with almost every meal, no matter how small the amount. Japan already holds the record for longevity but the highest concentration of centenarians is found in the Ryukyu archipelago. (Look up the well documented Blue Zone study) Impossible to photograph this seaweed soup. Mahi and marlin are some of the most common fish around here (but marlin is king). Only tasted the sauce and I stopped there. Sauce had Japanese mayo and hard-boiled egg. I would have made it with miso (butter). Squid and celery tasted buttery to me. Went to a restaurant a few doors down the road for beer and more sashimi. Locally made booze is 60%. The men drink both beer and booze at the same time.

First lunch in Yonaguni. Braised belly pork hidden under a pile of green onions. Tonkatsu also came with a small bowl of Yonaguni soba noodle soup (besides rice).

Dinner in Okinawan capital Naha. Temaki was unrolled for a photo. Ate the "caviar" seaweed every day in Naha. The difference between lean and fatty tuna. I devote my sashimi-eating life to Japan. My ship has come in.

Last 2 lunches in Kaohsiung. Pork rind and firm rolled smoked tofu. ----- The cook.

Photos from last 2 days in Kaohsiung. (At another goose restaurant)

The pride of Taiwan (this soup). Most people add these extras to their meals. Mine. I call this Taiwanese salteña. Shaved ice with 2 kinds of seaweed jelly.