CONTRIBUTED BY DAVID HIGGINS
The view of the Hilton Hotel is a magnificent sight if you are on the harbor part of the seawall, just north of American Village. Standing inside the hotel certainly has the same effect. At first I wondered whether I was up to the Hilton Hotel standards, as I was under-dressed and wearing flip-flops. However, my fears were quickly allayed by the staff. They were very welcoming and warm the minute I stepped through the door, from the front door staff all the way through to the servers in the buffet.
The lunch buffet is on the first floor, just to the left of the entrance. We were seated right in front of the window, which provides a view of the Chatan harbor and is quite stunning.
The buffet itself is so big that the distance to the end and your table is quite far; I almost feel like you shouldn’t feel any guilt because you are burning calories walking back and forth. The restaurant is spotless and so clean. Everything looks perfectly organized and well-designed.
I thought the food was incredible. The buffet starts with sushi with a sushi chef cutting and slicing fish in front of you. We then move on to the salad section. After salad we hit the meat section and then the vegetable section. Instead of being the usual assortment of plain steamed vegetables, all the vegetables were prepared with exotic sauces.
It was remarkable how unique all the dishes were. Moving on from the vegetables, you come across Indian curries with lamb and traditional Okinawan dishes like goya champur.
Now, for the part that usually every tries to save room for – the desserts. The desserts at the Hilton did not disappoint. There were an assortment of pies, exotic puddings and mousses. As a bonus there was even a yogurt chef who would mix any type of frozen yogurt and fruit for you by hand. The biceps on this yogurt chef were huge from smashing all that frozen yogurt together. I am not a big fan of chocolate waterfalls, but as far as aesthetics go there was a pretty impressive-looking chocolate waterfall.
We started and ended the buffet with coffees, and the coffee was delicious. I felt that it was all such high quality food, and probably some of the highest quality food on the island. Although the Hilton Buffet is a bit more expensive than other places on Okinawa, it is well worth it. One person admission to the buffet is 2400Yen. This would be perfect for any special occasion, a birthday, or maybe just a celebration of your payday.
After you are finished eating lunch you can take a tour around the hotel. The front pool area is open for use. After we were done eating lunch we didn’t really feel like swimming, but we lodged in the hammocks in the beautiful Okinawan sun and just relaxed. I give it up to the Hilton for creating a very high quality atmosphere along with a spectacular buffet.
Hours: The lunch buffett is served from 11:30 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
Payment: 2400 yen per person
Phone: 098-901-1111
Directions: From the Foster commissary gate, turn right (north) on 58. Turn left at the traffic light where 58 intersects with 24. Head straight towards the harbor and you will see the Hilton ahead.
Address: Japan, 〒904-0115 沖縄県中頭郡 北谷町美浜40-1
Map Coordinates: 26.3103533, 127.76191760000006