[Okinawa Must-Eats] 4 Hidden Gem Restaurants Recommended by mic21's Local Dive Pros — Who Says Divers Can Only Go for Cheap and Cheerful?

After a long day of diving, you're bound to be absolutely starving. Back home in Taiwan, we divers tend to go straight for the biggest, cheapest meal we can find — and while that fills the belly, something always feels a little hollow about it. This time, the Editor accepted an invitation from mic21's Naha store in Okinawa. In addition to sharing our top must-buy diving gear picks (【Must-Buy in Japan】The World's Largest Dive Shop mic21 — Top 5 Bestsellers Revealed), we also joined their professional dive guides for a day of scuba diving in the waters of Kerama National Park. After a full day and three scuba tanks, we were genuinely running on empty — so naturally, we asked the local dive instructors for their best-kept local food secrets in Okinawa. The result: restaurants where you can eat your fill and truly experience the local food culture!

Okinawa Hidden Gem #1: Ultra-Fresh Seafood Caught by the Owner Himself — Aguncha

Our first pick is Aguncha, located just a short distance from mic21's Naha store. From the outside, it looks like any ordinary little eatery — the kind of tucked-away spot in a back alley that tourists like us would walk right past. But word has it that this is a favourite among Okinawa locals for hosting dinner parties and treating friends. During peak tourist season, you simply won't get a table without a reservation. And with a Google rating of 4.3 stars, that alone should be enough to make you push the door right open!

Step inside, and you're greeted by walls covered in celebrity photos and autographs — a clear sign that this place comes highly recommended by locals. The interior has a warm, Japanese-style feel: amber lighting plays off ocean-themed décor, giving the whole space an atmosphere that gets your appetite going straight away. An old photograph on the wall says it all: "The seafood here is caught locally!"

Seafood lovers will be absolutely thrilled at Aguncha — most of the catch comes directly from the owner and his relatives, so the freshness is simply unbeatable. The cooking style is equally unique, and even the Editor — who isn't particularly fond of fish — was left raving about it. Our local guides recommended the Agu pork salad, the starter platter (seasoned to perfection), and the tuna sōmen noodles, all of which were genuinely impressive.

The dish that the Editor simply could not stop eating all night was the crispy deep-fried gurukun. Gurukun — known in Japanese as fusilierfish and called "guru kun" in the Okinawan dialect — is the prefectural fish of Ryukyu/Okinawa. It's a white-fleshed fish that's marinated, coated in batter, and deep-fried in a preparation that's deeply familiar to locals. The bones come out so crisp they melt on your tongue, and one piece is never enough — it makes the perfect accompaniment to drinks. Remarkably, despite being deep-fried, it doesn't feel the least bit greasy. After finishing, we mopped up the remaining butter from the plate with the bread the restaurant provided — absolutely satisfying!

Aguncha Facebook Page: Aguncha

Menu: Japanese, English

Chinese reservations: Not available

Address: 〒900-0016 沖縄県那覇市前島２丁目１３−2

Okinawa Hidden Gem #2: Local Vegetables, Agu Pork, and a Rich Broth — たくよし あぐー豚と島野菜しゃぶしゃぶ

This next one might pose a small challenge for those who don't speak Japanese. Although the restaurant sits right on a main road, its sleek, modern fit-out and Japanese-only menu might make you wonder whether it's some kind of high-end establishment and give you second thoughts. But trust us — follow our lead, step inside, and we guarantee you'll leave with a big smile on your face!

This restaurant is well known for using locally sourced Okinawan ingredients throughout. The hot-pot broth currently comes in two varieties — spicy and non-spicy — though you'll need someone with Japanese to help navigate the finer details. There's also a third broth that's limited to just 10 servings per day, which gives the Editor yet another excellent reason to come back and try it. Because the broth is so deeply flavourful on its own, no dipping sauces are needed — you can fully appreciate the natural sweetness of every ingredient.

To start, the counter displays a full selection of locally grown Okinawan vegetables — help yourself to as much as you like, including a few varieties you probably won't find back in Taiwan. The restaurant also treats each guest to a single ear of baby corn, and then the owner had us cook it in the pot — husks, silks and all. Yes, really. And yes, the corn silk has the most remarkably interesting texture!

Meat lovers might wonder where the meat plates are. It turns out the owner insists that guests first savour the sweetness and freshness of the vegetables before moving on to the proteins. The meat is, unsurprisingly, locally produced Agu pork — its exceptional quality paired with the rich broth is, in a word, perfect.

Finally, once everyone has eaten to about 70% full, the owner comes to your table personally and uses the remaining broth to cook a rice porridge. Topped with an egg sourced from northern Okinawa, the congee absorbs every drop of the rich broth — infused with all the goodness of the vegetables and Agu pork — and fills you up completely. Best of all, unlike the heavy, greasy feeling you might get from hotpot back in Taiwan, this meal leaves you fully satisfied by the pure, natural flavours of the ingredients.

たくよし あぐー豚と島野菜しゃぶしゃぶ Google Maps: たくよし あぐー豚と島野菜しゃぶしゃぶ

Menu: Japanese

Chinese reservations: Not available

Address: 〒900-0016 沖縄県那覇市前島３丁目２−22

Okinawa Hidden Gem #3: Great for a Late-Night Bite — Affordable and Delicious Charcoal Yakitori at 二万八千石 炭火燒鳥

If the earlier meals still haven't quite filled you up, head over to 二万八千石 炭火燒鳥, a charcoal yakitori spot on the outskirts of Kokusai-dori (International Street). Our local guides recommend it for its tasty, wallet-friendly skewers — pair them with a Seifuku plum wine and your appetite will soar! There's a wide variety of skewers on offer, and even without a Chinese or English menu, you can simply order one of everything and see what you like. The seating is limited, so be sure to book ahead if you're coming with a larger group!

We were just finishing up when we discovered that the owner actually speaks a little Mandarin — it turns out he's also a dive instructor who previously worked at Hainan Island in China. It looks like we've found yet another great spot for divers' gatherings!

二万八千石 炭火燒鳥 Facebook Page: 二万八千石 炭火燒鳥

Menu: Japanese

Chinese reservations: Not available

Address: 〒902-0067 沖縄県那覇市字安里388-10

Okinawa Hidden Gem #4: Bonus Recommendation — Light and Non-Greasy Fried Chicken Balls at Ricky

A typical diving day at mic21 includes three dives, and you usually get back to the shop around 1500 — leaving a bit of a gap before the evening meals mentioned above. So our local experts have one more hidden gem to share: a little fried chicken ball shop! What's remarkable is that even though it's still deep-fried chicken, the Japanese-style batter and cooking oil are noticeably different from what you'd find in Taiwan — you simply don't get that heavy, greasy feeling afterwards. Apparently, this spot is the go-to snack run for mic21 staff and instructors whenever hunger strikes!

Ricky Google Maps: Ricky

Menu: Japanese

Address: 〒900-0012 沖縄県那覇市泊３丁目５−1

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