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I would like to go by the 1992 Vanessa Williams' hit "Save the Best for Last" regarding my reviews for the various eats I experienced during my 5-day trip to Ishigakijima (Okinawa). Ishigakijima is the most beautiful place I have ever been to. It was the ideal vacation spot to chill out and enjoy a clear, calm ocean full of coral reef and snow white sands. We spent our first day driving around the 88 square mile island in our rental car. Our first eating adventure took us to Dream Shop TOMORU owned by Japanese comedian Shimada Shinsuke. Neither me or Washi are fans of Shimada, but decided to pop in anyway. Besides, there was a life-size dummy of Shimada directing us his way. Shimada Shinsuke dummy and me (just call me Buffy... I've been swimming! I had been completely skeptical of taco rice until about a year ago when my band mate took me to a small place called Free Factory in Shimokitazawa (Tokyo) serving taco rice. Taco rice originated from Okinawa - and speculated as being a by-product of American occupation on the island. Anyway, I decided to order the taco rice lunch set at TOMURU. Washi ordered curry lunch set. Measly salad with a few strips of goya. This taco rice had way too much tomato sauce! I wish that they had practiced moderation with the cheese as well. Despite tomato sauce overload, the rice and meat were too dry. The ratios were all wrong. I was also thoroughly disappointed that there were no avocados on top, which is usually a given in Tokyo. The overall impression was that none of the flavors encouraged entree symbiosis. In other words, I felt like I was eating rice, plus tomato sauce, plus cheese, plus a few strands of goya and some dry ground beef. Check out how dry the taco rice looks Washi's curry wasn't bad, but nothing to report on. Sure it might be Shimada Shinsuke's dream shop, but some of my nightmares are even better than this. Ouch! Dream Shop TOMURU 〒907-0332 Okinawa-ken, Ishigaki-shi Ibaruma 231-12 JAPAN T: 0980-89-2489 *Read all of Yoko's Ishigaki Travels Fruit Fetish Do the Gyu, OG Style The Largest Living Arthropod in the World
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8 comments

  • i love taco rice! i’ll make it for you some time, kayoko. :)

    kiwa on

  • WELCOME HOME!!!

    this taco rice- what a concept! have never seen such a thing. let’s go have some when i get there please.

    the irony is that you can make any bad dish look exquisite.

    okaeri! let’s talk soon- chat me darling!

    oh, one thing- could you write the address in romaji on the bottom there? my kanji skills is that of a 2nd grader, and i couldn’t find it in english anywhere on the I N T E R N T.

    xxk

    kayoko on

  • see what i get when i drop a few hints? it worked!!!

    can i take Yamahomo to Cali with me? PLEASE?

    kayoko on

  • Kayoko, Taco rice tomorrow for lunch. I will bring all the ingredients!

    Yamahomo on

  • Yoko in Okinawa! How awesome — hope you can keep that romantic getaway buzz back in TYO. I also love that you’re wearing that black terrycloth/velour dress, the same one you were wearing when we went out to sushi. Love the idea of the taco rice (but really, is it different than a tostada without the crispy tortilla?) xoxoxo

    ayagwa on

  • Now we need scientists to clone me, on top of whole branding team for my Yamahomo brand. Man, I am going to be HUGE, like TMonkey’s Penis pump!!!!

    Yamahomo on

  • THERE IT IS HOMO!!! your tagline for when you go public: Every kitchen needs a little bit of Yamahomo.

    love it.

    kayoko on

  • We just need to figure out a method by which to clone and miniaturize Yamahomo. We could market the shit out of that. Because, truly, every kitchen in the world needs a little Yamahomo.

    ayagwa on

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