Okinawan food in Toronto

It's pretty unusual to find us in a Japanese restaurant, let alone one with a regional specialty.  My dining partner doesn't eat raw fish so Japanese food is seldom on our list. But I received a voucher for a complimentary meal at Ryoji Ramen and Itzakaya and it opened our palette to an entirely different aspect of Japanese food.

With the help of Akujiki, Food Sparks' resident Japanese food expert, we had picked three representative Okinawan tapas dishes from the online menu since Ryoji's parent restaurant is located in Okinawa.  However, the lunch menu is different from the online one although the braised pork belly and signature deep fried chicken were both there, at half the price and in substantial quantity.  The bitter melon on the dinner menu was not on the lunch menu but when we asked the chef it it would be possible to have it made, he very kindly obliged as the restaurant was not busy.  This is the Labour Day weekend - half the world is out of town and the rest likely at the CNE and Blue Jays game.  Extra star for flexible service.

The pork belly was prepared sous vide.  Have to confess that while I've heard a lot about this method of cooking pork belly, I was a little skeptical until I tasted it here - it was melt-in-your-mouth and full of flavour.  It came with half a piece of dried okra, which I initially thought was just decorative but when I bite into it, it was crisp and crunchy.  You can also see below how fine the pepper was - looked like shrimp whiskers - I could actually taste the flavour.

Okinawan Rafute (braised pork belly)

Kara-age - traditional Japanese deep fried chicken - dipped in sweet and sour soy, nice thin batter, crispy outside, soft and moist inside.  Perfectly done.  The slight tinge of sour in the batter took away any taste of grease.

I love chewy noodles so wanted to try the Okinawan soba noodles, even though this lunch is turning into a gluttonous feast, we ordered it.  It came with tasty pork backribs. seaweed, scallions and ground fish slices which has a crisp chewy consistency, much preferable to the soft ones we're used to in Chinese stores.  The soup was a very tasty, delicately flavoured bonito and pork broth.  

Okinawa So-Ki Soba in bonito and pork broth

The soba was served with a side of "koregosu" vodka infused with chili peppers.  Love it!

The most unique dish was the bitter melon stir fried with scrambled eggs, tofu and pork belly slices and we were glad the chef went out of his way to make it for us.  This Okinawan dish is topped with dried bonito fish flakes that swayed to music like they were still alive.  They were kept moving by steam from the hot stir fry for at least five minutes. (see video below)  What an amazing show dish, if it weren't slightly grisly.  Tastewise, I found this a great mix of textures and flavours.  I like how there was no detectable sugar added to the bitter melon unlike in Chinese cooking.  It tasted suitably bitter, the way it should be.

Okinawan Goya Champru (bitter melon stir fry)

Hope this video works!

Finally, the dessert.  We can't leave our first foray into Okinawan food incomplete!   I seldom go near donuts so was slightly skeptical about these "Okinawan donuts".  But I was pleasantly surprised!  These are not soft and starchy but firm and crunchy - I could taste the egg in them.  Perfectly paired with vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate sauce, strawberries, cream and mint.  A gorgeous ending to a very well-prepared meal.  

Sata Andagi (Okinawan donuts)