CONTRIBUTED BY ANTHONY CAMINA
To most Americans, family-friendly and Kin town are not synonymous terms. There is a new establishment in Kin which is hoping to dispel that misconception by offering a delicious oasis of creative flavor in an atmosphere that caters to patrons of all ages. This culinary delight is Café Del Cielo which sits high above the 329 and overlooks Kin town and Camp Hansen.
The unique perspective of Café Del Cielo adds to the laid back beach cottage in a tree house vibe of the entire establishment. The interior of the Café is also very spacious and even has child-friendly amenities such as high chairs, an impressive playroom, and even a crib.
All the child-friendly items would not amount to much if the food was not able to impress, and fortunately it delivers on many levels. My wife and I noticed the signs and decided to park in the municipal lot adjacent to Hansen gate one and pop over for dinner. I will have to admit that the name of the Café is a bit deceiving. I was really expecting some version of Mexican or Spanish cuisine but was surprised that the menu mainly contained western or Italian-themed food.
My wife ordered one of the dinner courses, which range from rib steak with onion sauce to chicken stewed in red wine, to name but a few. We ordered the lamb chop with blueberry sauce since we were feeling adventurous. The dinner was a no-kidding five course meal. It consisted of an antipasto, any pasta on the menu, main dish, salad, and desert.
The antipasto was an avocado and tuna tartar in which the tuna was marinated in a way that gave it a savory flavor.
We ordered the puttanesca as our pasta dish and it was very good, but a little on the spicy hot side. If you like heat to your food than this is your dish.
The lamb chops were perfectly cooked. I personally am not a fan of the gamey-flavored meats like goat or lamb, but the blueberry sauce and rosemary did an impressive job in neutralizing a lot of the wild taste.
Next up was a tomato and pepper salad with garlic vinaigrette, which may sound very exotic, but was very tasty.
The course ended with a cup of coffee and a benimo tart which both hit the spot.
It is also worth mentioning that the course sets come with a beverage of choice and can be a glass of wine, beer, or mixed drink (alcoholic or non-alcoholic). My wife and I are not big into alcohol and just ordered iced teas. All this food was fairly priced at 2700 yen. Honestly, I have to say that you will not find a better course set offered anywhere in the area; it even rivals the upscale options over at Jack’s Place on Kadena.
I was not as hungry that night, so I just ordered the cream sauce omurice (smoked chicken and mushrooms). The portion size was generous to say the least. The egg omelette was perfectly cooked and the cream sauce was absolutely fantastic. It was a hearty plate of smoky, creamy goodness which I will definitely be going back for. This plate was also a very good value at only 750 yen and comes out very fast from the kitchen.
Once again, in the name of science, we returned for a sampling of the lunch menu. You can order anything off the dinner menu for lunch but the real value is in the lunch sets. You have the option of ordering the pasta or omurice as a lunch set for 850 yen.
My lunch started with an onion soup, house salad, carbonara penne pasta, drink and desert. Everything was just as flavorful and artfully presented as the dinner dishes, but at a fraction of the price.
My wife got the lunch special, which was the Ahi Poke Don set. It was a tuna avocado concoction on a bed of semisweet rice that was fresh, bright and healthy.
I also have to make special mention of the brownie desert served at the end. It was probably one of the best I have had to date. The texture was silky smooth and the chocolate had just the right amount of sweetness to balance with the taste of the cocoa without overpowering the dish. It was sweeter than most Japanese desserts, but not as sugary as most of the artery petrifying confections found on base.
The owner of Del Cielo is Naoya Masaki-san, who previously worked at Camp Hansen’s Palms and Gold Hall in Kin. After lots of hard work and savings, he finally decided to realize his dream and set up a shop of his own in Kin Town. He is completely self-taught and makes nearly every item from scratch, which is impressive when you consider this requires not only cooking but baking as well. Naoya-san speaks very good English and is very attentive and charismatic.
He and his staff also provide impeccable customer service and work hard to ensure patrons have as perfect a dining experience as possible. The casual atmosphere and near four star quality food will make this writer a regular of Café Del Cielo for a long time to come. See you there!
Hours: 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. weekdays, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 a.m. weekends. Closed New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Takeout OK.
Payment: U.S. dollars or yen. No credit cards.
Phone: 098-968-2844
Website: Café Restaurante Del Cielo
Address: 4250-1 Kin, Kin-chō, Kunigami-gun, Okinawa-ken, Japan
Directions: From the Okinawa Expressway Exit 8 go north toward Camp Hansen. Just before getting to Camp Hansen Gate 1 is a gated municipal free parking lot. I recommend that you park here. Café Del Cielo will be across the street from Camp Hansen’s main gate, about a half block north of the main crosswalk.
Map Coordinates: 26.454014, 127.917026