SHINJUKU: Okinawa Soba Yanbaru... crowded for all the wrong reasons.

I've walked passed this centrally located Okinawan all-counter-seating spot for a few years now but never wandered inside.  

Above the ticket machine was a Taco-Rice and Okinawan Soba combo for 850yen... I love Okinawan food and just couldn't resist!

Pictures of many combo's outside.

They have the little awamori-red pepper spicy for Okinawan soba... nice!

This place was extremely busy even at 2:30pm...  The counter seating rotation was fast but at any one moment the place was easily 80% full.  

And so my Taco Rice arrives!  I'm a huge fan this but honestly... it really really sucked.  Cheese remained unmelted, cabbage/lettuce seemed a bit old/discolored, meat was hmmm... anyways I ended up only eating half of this.

Okinawan soba was another disappointment...

I think the attraction to this place is the quick in and out lunch experience... Most of the customers were men (a bad sign as women are a very good indicator of great food).  Overall this place should be ignored as there was no pride in the cooking and you should explore the large array of restaurants in the area.  This was not Okinawan food... Should have checked the Foodie Website Ranking before I went inside... a paltry 3.09 pts. 

Shop: Okinawa Soba Yanbaru

Foodie Website: http://r.tabelog.com/tokyo/A1304/A130401/13004123/

Address J: 東京都新宿区新宿3-22-1

Address E: Tokyo, Shinjuku-ku, Shinjuku 3-22-1
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