Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street

Although pork shabu-shabu is common now, beef was once the main ingredient in the source’s description of the dish.

Okinawa’s strong pork tradition helped pork shabu-shabu become popular here early, unlike some other Japanese regions.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 2

We visited Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA on the roadside of Kokusai Street, Okinawa’s best-known sightseeing street.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 3

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 4

Cute pig and cow ornaments hung at the entrance.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 5

Inside, a counter decorated with traditional Okinawan roof tiles greeted us.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 6

Seating included sofas,

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 7

tatami rooms that seemed comfortable for families with children,

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 8

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 9

counter seats, and low tables with space for the legs.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 10

The counter was full of vegetables.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 11

Alongside familiar scallions, tomatoes, and Chinese cabbage,

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 12

there were Okinawan island tofu and island carrots.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 13

An Orion beer lantern lit the counter, giving a little of the atmosphere of a street stall.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 14

Staff wore uniforms with traditional Okinawan bingata patterns

and served us with friendly smiles.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 15

Lunch was somewhat less expensive.

Recorded lunch prices were JPY 2,178 for Agu shabu-shabu, JPY 3,718 for Shima shabu-shabu, and JPY 4,378 for Ishigaki shabu-shabu.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 16

Dinner choices were the Shima pork course for JPY 4,268, Shima shabu full-experience course for JPY 6,578, Ishigaki shabu course for JPY 8,448, and selected Ishigaki tenderloin steak for JPY 10,868.

We ordered the JPY 6,578 Shima shabu course.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 17

Drinks included Okinawa’s awamori and colorful plum liqueurs such as shikuwasa and dragon fruit.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 18

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 19

The dinner sequence included appetizers, Agu-pork menchi katsu, the main shabu-shabu meats, a vegetable buffet, Okinawa soba or rice porridge made with the broth, and dessert.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 20

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 21

Appetizers were marinated mozuku seaweed, mimiga pig’s ear, and cured ham with pickled bitter melon.

Mozuku has a distinctive texture that can divide opinions. The original adds a cancer-prevention claim, which is not independently verified here and is not presented as health guidance.

The pig’s ear had an interesting crunchy texture, and the cured ham and bitter melon were tasty too.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 22

Agu menchi katsu, made with Okinawa’s branded Agu pork.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 23

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 24

Unlike an ordinary minced-meat cutlet, it was packed with meat in a way that reminded me of tonkatsu and was wonderfully juicy.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 25

We went to the central island-vegetable station.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 26

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 27

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 28

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 29

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 30

It was full of fresh-looking produce.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 31

Live performances had been temporarily suspended during the pandemic.

The original writer hoped lively Okinawan music and dance would return once restrictions eased; no resumption is asserted here.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 32

A wagyu illustration with a rather angry expression.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 33

The main meat had arrived by the time we returned with vegetables.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 34

Delicious-looking Okinawan wagyu.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 35

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 36

Arranged this way, the meat itself looked like a beautiful flower.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 37

There was flower-shaped Agu pork, Ishigaki wagyu known for tenderness, and meat dumplings in a bamboo tube.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 38

Fresh vegetables, essential for shabu-shabu.

Once on the plate, the variety was impressive.

Yes, we ate all of this.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 39

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 40

I could hardly wait to start.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 41

The Agu pork.

Thicker than I had expected.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 42

The Ishigaki wagyu.

I was happy to try both of Okinawa’s famous meat brands.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 43

We began with the Agu pork.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 44

The sauces were ponzu and sesame.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 45

First, the ponzu.

Adding the chopped scallions provided made it even better.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 46

I dipped a bite generously into the ponzu.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 47

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 48

We could not leave out the Ishigaki beef.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 49

I am especially fond of sesame dressing.

It was delicious.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 50

We also ordered some colorful liqueurs.

From the left: tankan citrus plum liqueur, purple-sweet-potato plum liqueur, and dragon-fruit plum liqueur.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 51

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 52

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 53

The purple-sweet-potato version was especially unusual. I strongly recommend it based on this tasting.

As the sweet plum aroma went down, the purple-sweet-potato scent spread through the mouth.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 54

There were plenty of vegetables to eat too.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 55

The meat dumplings also went into the shabu-shabu and tasted good.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 56

After all that, Okinawa soba arrived as the finishing dish.

Could we really finish it?

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 57

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 58

I put it in a pretty ramen bowl and added a flower garnish.

Perhaps because Agu pork and Ishigaki beef had cooked in the broth, it was delicious.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 59

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA: Agu Pork and Ishigaki Beef on Kokusai Street — original photograph 60

Refreshing shikuwasa sorbet finished the meal.

Kokusai Street was easy to reach using Kencho-mae, Makishi, or Miebashi stations.

The elegant interior and plentiful local vegetables made it seem a good place to bring parents.

The source also highlighted evening live entertainment, though it had been suspended during the recorded visit.

For trying Okinawa’s Agu pork and Ishigaki beef together on Kokusai Street, I would consider Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA.

Shima Shabu-Shabu NAKAMA

Address as recorded: B1, New Sun Parco Building, 3-3-1 Kumoji, Naha, Okinawa (ニューサンパルコビル)

Phone: 098-917-1529