Saikyou Shokudou

There is a joke that goes “you know it’s not payday yet when there is still too much months at the end of your money.” Sure it may be a joke but it certainly holds true, especially for me around the 3rd week of the month. Its times like these you really appreciate places like Saikyou Shokudou. The venue is a combination of both tatami seats and dining tables and it’s the kind of restaurant where you order using the vending machine. Be warned, the restaurant is not the cleanest of places so I would avoid taking your significant other for date night.

Contrary to the look of the restaurant, the food was exquisite. I had the Yakiniku set which came with a side of eggs and it kind of reminded me of a Japanese version of steak n’ eggs classic. They stir fry the beef together with onions and green bell peppers and use some kind of Kalbi sauce which is Korean BBQ marinade. My friend had the ginger pork which also came with a side of eggs. Come to think of it, about 50% of the whole menu came with an egg! (Not that I’m complaining.) There are healthier choices such as the Yasai itame which is the classic Okinawan stir fried veggies. They also have many other champuru (stir fry) dishes, deep fried dishes such as cutlets and tempuras, and many types of soba dishes. Unfortunately for desserts, there are none. All dishes came with the standard miso soup and rice. The appeal point of this restaurant is its excellent cost performance ratio which in foodie terms would be the amount of food servings for the price you pay. Holy guacamole! Their deluxe lunch set is I think a meal for an entire day. This is what you want to order when you are craving for some fried pork cutlet, fish, chicken, luncheon meat, and of course, an egg. Oh but don’t worry, it’s all good.

Bottom line, it’s cheap, it’s good, and it’s nearby. I don’t know what else you’re looking for but for me I was sold at it’s cheap. Nothing on the menu cost more than 700 yen which makes it the perfect “it’s almost payday” place to eat. Saikyou Shokudou can be found along route 58 just as you turn right out of the commissary gate of Camp Foster. Its bright yellow billboard is pretty hard to miss. Make sure you come hungry!

$ or Creditcards: Yen only