Mi Casa Es Su Casa at Coffee Casa

I found this little gem a number of years ago and re-discover it again every few years. The only reason I don’t frequent it more often is because it fills up fast if you get there during prime breakfast hours on weekends and there is generally a 30 min or more wait to get your food (everything is prepared fresh and there isn’t enough room in the kitchen and behind the counter for more than a small number of staff members). A3C04EE9-D60B-4B3D-94CE-C19E1BB694B4By the time I decide where I want to eat breakfast I’m usually too hungry to wait in line and then wait for food (as delicious as it is, patience is not generally one of my strengths – especially when my tummy is growling). I was wandering along the Tsunabi Sea Wall with Pickles (not the food, my dog) and searching for a dog friendly breakfast place when I suddenly remembered Coffee Casa.82B5286A-6398-4070-B2F3-0FA24A97E8E3.jpegMy stomach wasn’t growling too loud so, despite the fact that it was 0830 on a Saturday morning (the equivalent to morning rush hour at Coffee Casa), I knew I could handle whatever kind of wait time they threw at me – so today was re-discovery day! B019DC5E-9B18-42D1-B1ED-8A0E8C5509CFThe food is delicious and portions are Japanese size and to me that’s just right (if you are expecting Denny’s sized portions you will be seriously disappointed – but think of all the weight you’ll lose if you start eating normal sized portions again) and the menu is varied enough to appeal to pretty much everyone in your group. Their coffee is delicious and includes the usual suspects as well as banana mocha, almond mocha, coconut latte, and something’s called “SPAZ” which is 4 shots of espresso with chocolate and hazel and is guaranteed to make you spaz out – if not from the delightful taste then definitely from the amount of caffeine… Being more of a traditionalist and a little too sensitive to caffeine to risk the SPAZ, I instead went with my usual cafe mocha. 889DFF2E-141F-445B-A255-E6B43DB5F31FI usually get it hot but the sun was blazing and I was sitting on the porch with no shade so instead went for iced. It came out looking like a milkshake and tasted like chocolate + coffee + heaven. The fancy coffee drinks range from 440 yen to 650 yen for the large sizes (yes, that 650 is for the SPAZ) and you can do add ons like shots of espresso for only 50 yen (because obviously having only 4 shots of espresso is for sissies) 5574A7EA-C9C7-4C49-9024-BF58762ABB41or another shot of syrup (vanilla, caramel, almond, banana, coconut, or chocolate) for 50 yen, a shot of soy for 50 yen (I haven’t quite figured out why I would want a shot of soy but hey I’m sure there’s someone out there jonesing for just one more shot of soy), or if you are living large (and want to get larger) a scoop of ice cream for 100 yen. I just noticed that they have a coffee dessert called Afogato for 300 yen (1 shot of espresso poured over vanilla ice cream). Yum. My dance card was full this time so it’s on my to do next time list. There were drip coffees and you can choose from Mocha French, Brazil, or the monthly special.

If you still haven’t had your fill of ice cream they have coffee base smoothies of varying flavors for 500 yen. They have a list of teas (including Chai tea latte) for 380-480 yen. Oh but wait, if you want MORE ice cream you can go for a fruit smoothie (380-580 yen) with flavors like coconut pineapple, 3 berry banana, and mango pineapple though on the menu it is spelled “painapple” which is a description of the pain you will be in if you keep ordering ice cream despite the fact that you are lactose intolerant. If you just want a simple damn shake stop griping and order one (vanilla, mango, chocolate banana, or green tea) for 540 yen.

Now that your thirst has been quenched, on to the food! Breakfast plates come with 2 scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, or spam (a perennial Japanese favorite). Toast plates are 650-700 yen (butter toast, apple custard, cheese toast, blueberry cream toast). AA86DEC1-5E92-4703-A4F3-436FB5860506The pancake plates are 750 yen (plain with butter, blueberry, or banana), French toast plates come with banana, blueberry, and whip cream. 10A9A3B3-EA7B-4A5C-BF4C-49DED4E0960BMy all time favorite is their bagel plate (or Bagle if you are reading directly from the menu – look stop bitching about the spelling and just be grateful they have an English menu). The bagel plate comes with cream cheese or butter or their very own sun-dried tomato spread (HEAVENLY) and being the little piglet that I am I go over the top and order the sun-dried tomato AND the cream cheese (and when I’m feeling REALLY wild I get all three – yes, I am the occasional high roller). Bagel plate will NOT be pictured here because although it is the most beautiful thing my taste buds have had the good luck to sample here it is the least beautiful thing on the menu. No amount of photo shopping could fix that. Trust me I tried. They have a breakfast burrito which I have had on past occasions and give a two thumbs up. The burrito is 700 yen and has 2 eggs, spicy sausage, cheese, hash browns, and homemade salsa all rolled up in an 11 inch tortilla. BF8211B5-7B16-4104-B2D2-46CF426D378F
If you are not all that hungry because you ate before you got there since you knew there would be a wait (smart person – remind me to make friends with you), or you’re one of those odd blokes who isn’t hungry in the morning, or you’re on a date and want to pretend that you have a tiny little appetite (before going home and polishing off half a chocolate cake), or you’ve scrounged up all the yen from your car and couch cushions and have less than 500 yen, then go ahead and order the “lite breakfast” – either a lite plate (1 scrambled egg, 2 small pieces of bacon, sausage, or spam and your choice of their homemade bread or small butter toast), or a Focaccia Brekky Pizza (with bacon, sliced boiled egg and cheese with their homemade pizza sauce). I can vouch for the Focaccia Brekky Pizza – it is something I order on the side when I’m feeling particularly gluttonous or order with a bunch of sides to make it a full size meal. Another lite breakfast is the Casa Set which is advertised as a no carbohydrate plate yet has hash browns (being a high carb kind of girl I think this may be the only version of a low carb diet I could actually do) 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, or spam. The last option for you 500 yen and under crowd is a granola bowl with milk. B6A6738D-73B1-4C31-80D7-53EF33834EA8
The lunch items on their menu include hot and cold sandwiches from 500-700 yen (to include a potato salad sandwich… carbs + carbs? Sign me up), a Casa’s chicken sandwich on chapati Indian bread (it sounds seriously delicious and this is also on my must order next time list) AND you can add the Casa’s homemade sun-dried tomato spread for only 50 yen more – DO IT!!! There is a homemade soup set with potato salad and Casa’s homemade bread, small butter toast, or focaccia bread. Naan pizza is 700 yen and you can choose from Hawaiian or tomato and mozzarella.

If you need more food and are trying to work back up to those Denny’s sized portions, you are in luck because they have 11 possible sides you can add to any and/or all of the choices above and these range from 50 yen for cheese, 150 yen for hash browns, to 350 yen for yogurt with fruit.

There is also a kids menu with a no caffeine drink list (though feel free to order your toddler a SPAZ if you want to stay busy for the rest of the day and burn off all those breakfast calories chasing him/her around). Finally they have some very tasty looking homemade breakfast cakes/breads (today was orange-berry, blueberry coffee cake, and cinnamon walnut bread).6F42B2BE-27FD-4745-B634-EE157194BFAA If you want to be the cool person at your office potluck with the most amazing homemade bread/cake then if you order 5 days in advance you can choose from lemon coconut bread, banana bread, orange & berry bread (each is 1800 yen), or blueberry coffee cake (3080 yen – because YES it’s worth it!). No one is going to know if you try to pass it off as your own… Ethical schmethical. Unless of course they are a Coffee Casa fan, then I’m afraid your cover is blown Betty Crocker.

They have a wooden deck out front with 3 tables (1 seats 3 people, 1 seats 4 and the other seats 2 people). 512306DF-543F-4D7A-AE9A-DFC1AFD208A8This is the dog friendly area of the cafe and you can almost always find at least 1 or 2 dogs lounging about with their humans. The cafe has a couple plastic bowls at the ready for just such occasions and since Pickles tends to BYOB (bring your own bowl) for water, I used the extra bowl to serve her scrambled eggs to her (she isn’t called Princess Pickles for nothing…).E8291473-C85C-451D-829E-9BE0F1D8820D
Inside the restaurant has wooden floors, tables, and chairs and concrete and brick walls decorated with colorful paintings and other art that may or may not be for sale (and if it’s not if you offer them enough they are bound to eventually cave in and let you take it home).96B0A3A2-D2B0-4D6A-ADEF-404E013C4C85 There is a short row of movie theater seats at the entrance so that you can sit and wait for your table and watch people ordering at the counter and pretend you are watching the slowest action movie ever. There are about 6 tables inside so, as I mentioned at the beginning of this post, the place fills up fast during prime breakfast hours on weekends. 982A0F9A-604A-49D8-BD61-30800DD8B165
Parking is at a premium in this area so it may take some searching if their lot is already full. Do NOT park in front of any of the homes outside or you will be interrupted midway through breakfast and asked to move. They have a sign just inside the cafe explaining where not to park so you can run outside and call a do-over before one of the rightfully grumpy neighbors comes over to complain that yet ANOTHER customer has parked in front of their house. EBBF7756-5E76-46E8-B4DE-758F540A93C9

The hours for Casa Coffee are 0700 – 1700 and they are closed Tuesday.
Address: 〒904-0113 沖縄県Nakagami-gun, 北谷Miyagi, 3-51宮城
Phone: 098-936-8141

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KAIHOLO CAFE – Get some breakfast and the aloha spirit on Okinawa

A901804B-D722-4B7D-AA8F-9688AFD9C063Kaiholo Cafe’s motto is “Good Morning Foods & Pet Friendly!!” It is one of my favorite Onna breakfast spots. They serve excellent pancakes in flavors from Macadamia to coconut to chocolate chip etc. AND you can add extra toppings (like the ice cream I added to my coconut pancakes) for only 100 yen. With the coconut whipped cream and ice cream it tasted scrumptious – a bit like creamy marshmallow topping (though I have a good imagination so you may wonder what the heck I’m talking about when you try it). 27820219-6728-4735-A00E-9518EB207B46Their cafe mocha is excellent (hard for me to find places that serve a good mocha on island). The theme is Hawaiian and the place has two small rooms one with 2 tables and the other with 3 or 4 tables.

CC0C1B7C-9F04-42F1-AF13-066ACC542740Dogs are allowed and when I tried to bring my Rottweiler years ago they said she needed “curtesy pants” which after some back and forth I learned meant doggy diaper. I didn’t have any at the time so didn’t get to come in. This time I came prepared with curtesy pants but put them in my purse so that I didn’t needlessly put the humiliation pants (how my dog Pickles refers to the diapers). She’s MUCH smaller than my Rottweiler and they didn’t bat an eye and didn’t ask her to put on “pants’. They also brought her a little bowl of water that looked like a teddy bear face. She’s kind of an adorable weirdo and doesn’t like to drink water out of unfamiliar bowls (she’s even iffy about drinking out of her own. travel bowl) so she didn’t touch it until we were about to leave and finally realized she was parched so deigned to drink out of a “strange” bowl.44CA4FBC-5E11-4802-89C4-BCFFC06B722D

The owners/waitstaff are friendly and quick to get your order (but you do have to catch their attention – once you do they come right over). The food came out quickly and it was simply delicious. 773847D4-F14C-46AF-8F73-EBF23D0035A8Items on the menu include Açaí Bowl for 800 yen, Pitaya Bowl for 700 yen, smoothies from 500-600 yen, waffles (original, strawberry & whipped cream, Seasonal fruit, Haupia – otherwise known as coconut, banana & chocolate, and peanut butter) range from 500-900 yen. They also serve Omelettes that come with 2 original pancakes or ½ original waffle for 700-900 yen. You can also get extra toppings with these for 100 yen and you can get the 200 yen add on for a drink to be included.. They have sandwiches with French fries (BLT, Ham & Egg, Fish, Crispy Chicken) all for 700-800 yen. They have a category called “Muffin”and I’m guessing they mean English muffins since they offer both eggs Benedict and bacon eggs chili muffin (800-900 yen). The side menu is 500 yen for anything listed and includes fried potatoes (French fries), garlic potato, chili & cheese potato, fish & chips, chicken nuggets, crispy chicken, Macaroni & cheese. Extra toppings are 100 yen and it seems as though you can add them to anything you want – your pancakes, waffles, omlettes, sandwiches, etc. (ice cream, whipped cream, Hawaiian honey, 100% pure maple syrup, chocolate, caramel, bacon, sausage, spam, eggs, chili). Yummy – I think I’ll have maple syrup on my eggs Benedict… LOL. Add a drink to any of the meals for just 200 yen.

DD63A207-C4AA-4B2B-8E4A-695131BE51CEThere’s a list of the usual coffees you’d expect to find on a breakfast menu as well as honey latte and cold pearl latte (350-400 yen each). Teas include regular, honey milk tea, or cold berry apple tea (350-400 yen). There are some fruity sodas (berry, pineapple, mango, or lilikoi) for 350 yen, several kinds of juices (300-350 yen) and beer to include either Hawaiian beer or Orion beer (800 & 400 yen respectively)

The total for a cafe mocha and Hawaiian pancakes with an added scoop of ice cream (as you my have gleaned from my previous posts I’m a sweetaholic and tend to eat dessert for breakfast) was 1300 yen and I could only eat 3 of the 5 pancakes (and that was pushing it). The coconut sauce was sweet and yummy and they sprinkled shredded coconut over the pancakes as well. Money well spent and because I could bring my dog I was over the moon about the place.6A429982-D245-44B7-BB86-EFE5CCA1CD06 They have a little fluffy dachshund (Hana) who wanders around the restaurant pleading for food (despite all the signs CLEARLY saying please don’t feed her since she was dying from food allergies – obviously Hana cannot read so is oblivious to the fact that she is not supposed to be eating people food. D79B56F5-DF17-4F88-BE27-E4032B77F4DEPeople seem to be quite good at resisting her adorable pleading (the idea that you might kill her if you feed her probably helps). Their other dog is a sweet and shy old Shelty named Aki and only comes out when beckoned by his owner.F82B0D17-F55B-46A0-9284-F7B26D11AF2E

This sweet little Hawaiian breakfast spot is always on my “must do” list when I go to Onna. Plus it doesn’t hurt that it is only a few Kilometers away from dog friendly Mission Beach!

07DA186C-9AD3-40F5-84CD-57AD61EEA733HOURS: 7:00 am – 5:00 pm and they seem to be open daily
(their card says “closed: irregular”)

6978-1-2F Onna, Onna-son Kunigami-Gun-gun, Okinawa, 904-0411, Japan.
Phone # 098-955-2597
Website: http://www.kaiholocafe.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KaiholoCafe

CE9791D4-D6C3-46BD-995C-DC37E0DD6084Follow me on instagram:  @traveleatrinserepeat

Hale Noa Cafe – Yes Virginia there is a place you can eat breakfast before 9:00 a.m. in Japan

HALE NOA CAFÉ 922E94C5-BAEF-4100-AF30-150CA5666A60
Hale Noa Café is a cute little spot for breakfast and brunch and is one of the few places in Okinawa that actually opens at a decent breakfast hour (7:00 am). Most places in Okinawa seem to open at 9:00 am which is almost lunch time in my world. This small café has a Hawaiian theme and has a small outdoor seating area on a wooden deck. CC9AF276-8EF8-466F-B7ED-813262706FC3You can sit facing the street on one of the benches outside or at the small table for 4 also outside on the lanai (see how I snuck that Hawaiian word for balcony in there…) if your timing is right and you have a party of at least 3-4. This is perfect for those who enjoy bringing their dogs to breakfast. 5C9E9FBD-441C-4BF4-A604-89601C1D4A44If you want to spoil your pup you can even order a side of scrambled eggs (300 yen) for Fido/Spot/Pickles (just tell them it’s for your dog so they put it in a plastic container). 6E467A45-E88B-48BD-86DB-D0F783EF9691The inside of the restaurant is small but welcoming and there are maybe 6 wooden tables so the place fills up fast. It is a light filled space and the entire front wall of the restaurant is actually not a wall but is instead floor to ceiling glass windows overlooking the front porch. 2E5BCAE7-9C66-4F78-9CB3-7718D587A06BThe café boasts hardwood floors, a giant Hawaiian beach mural painted on one wall with the opposite wall a soothing butter yellow, hung with pictures with the same theme. A33DA199-774C-4A80-8CC4-3D2FF3989C38Small crystal chandeliers hang throughout the dining room and on the wall behind the cash register is a chalk board listing smoothies (Ginger Ninja, Beet it, Berry Berry, Power Green, and Tropical Sunrise all priced from 500 – 650 yen), drinks to include Orion beer for 700 yen if that’s what you consider part of a healthy breakfast… or more morning friendly drinks like orange, mango, guava, or apple juice (all 400 yen), and the specials. The other drinks listed include Hawaiian blend coffee, coconut coffee (this one gets 2 thumbs up from me), café latte, cappuccino, and a variety of Hawaiian teas. There is usually a wait if you get there after 9:00 am, so just add your name to the waiting list on a clipboard outside and check out Maybe Bakery next door (it’s definitely a bakery, no maybes about it) if you need something to tide you over while you wait.C9AAD95D-CF0F-4EBA-8091-47912F6F981E
The menu has both breakfast items and lunch items depending on whether you want the breakfast part of brunch or the lunch part of brunch. There are pancakes from plain (400 yen) to macadamia (1100 yen) to granola (1200 yen). The last comes with granola, banana, chocolate sauce, and whip cream (not as healthy as it first sounded is it?). My favorite is the variety of French toast selections to include Elvis French toast for 1400 yen (which I have not yet tried but plan to on a morning when I’m feeling sassy and adventurous) which comes stuffed with peanut butter, has banana, bacon, and whip cream on it and is then artfully topped with a salt caramel sauce (just in case you weren’t in a diabetic coma yet). The Blue Berry Cream Cheese French Toast (1100 yen) is phenomenal and is stuffed with blueberry cream cheese, and is topped with banana and whip cream. E2BAF3B8-87BE-47AF-94E3-49C11A4A5D51Another favorite of mine is their signature French Toast – Hale Noa French Toast (1100 yen) with mixed berry sauce and crème brulee sauce drizzled generously over the top. C72EC47C-78CD-41E5-80F1-B32A67A3EAA9If you prefer your French Toast without the bells and whistles (less noisy that way), plain old French Toast is only 500 yen.
A “Dirty Omelette” (I’m guessing it’s called this because of the variety of tasty things you can throw in – not because they drop it on the floor before it is given to you) with added ingredients costing from 50- 300 yen each. It comes with 2 eggs and cheese with has the normal add-ins available like mushroom, onion, tomato etc. but also the option of unique things like Kalua pork or smoked salmon (that’s the add-in for high rollers at 300 yen). For an extra 200 yen you get a “set” which means you also get pancakes or rice (because it’s Japan and that’s how they do it) with your omelette. 0F2A409E-FD62-46E8-B2C0-0F0B42AF73A7It is extra for sides like toast, rice (yes I told you they love this stuff), country potatoes (OMG if you like breakfast potatoes these are sheer deliciousness and only 300 yen), bacon, sausage, or salad. 9AFDF4D9-9DF2-4E42-BF58-5A7F53C136C6One star of the menu is their eggs benedict (1200 yen). They have 4 varieties to choose from: bacon, Kalua pork, smoke salmon, or avocado and best of all you can mix and match (try 2 different ones or stay in your comfort zone and just have one kind). I highly recommend the Kalua pork – it was surprisingly good! I was expecting that I was going to take a bite and then leave the rest while inhaling the bacon eggs benedict but I was so very wrong and at the end of breakfast my plate was remarkably clean (yes I licked my plate when no one was looking).B42090C9-16E2-4671-9932-728C53666328
“The Hawaiian Eat” part of the menu is lunch type items to include a Hawaiian bowl (1100 yen) with spice Ahi Poke, Lomi Lomi salmon and Kalua pork. The Poke bowl comes with your choice of spice or soy sauce and includes Ahi Poke, Onion, Seaweed, and Avocado and is 1300 yen. There is Kalua Cabbage Loco Moco with Kalua Pork, cabbage, scrambled eggs, cheese, and gravy sauce (1300 yen). Then there’s the Beef Loco Moco with premium island Wagyu beef burger, scrambled eggs, cheese, and gravy sauce for 1500 yen. Garlic shrimp served with rice and Lomi Lomi salmon is 1500 yen. Finally the grilled salmon consists of toast, salmon (really? That’s surprising), avocado, poached egg, hollandaise sauce and comes with a green salad for 1600 yen. 73ABA368-D6F9-4810-A97F-D5C77C219D5E
The English translation for Hale Noa, as best I can tell, is “sleeping house” in case you were wondering (I certainly was and it took a bit of searching to find the translation). But in this case it’s the house you come to after sleeping to fill your belly when all the rest of Japan is sleeping in. Hale Noa Café is in Chatan, near Araha beach. It’s across the street from Chocolate Jesus and has a few parking spots but the lot fills up fast since it is also parking for an apartment that is nearby. Do NOT park at Chocolate Jesus. I’m not sure what will happen to you and whether it involves torture or towing or perhaps a shame sign glued to the back windshield of your car. Quick aside… I had a “sign of shame” glued to my back windshield during the early years of my stay here in Okinawa when I parked near the sea wall in the wrong parking lot, and trust me it worked – I felt very ashamed. Plus it took a LOT of work to scrape it off my window. At any rate the restaurant has a sign warning you not to park there, so just don’t risk it.

Hale Noa Cafe
〒904-0116 Okinawa Prefecture, Nakagami District, 北谷町北谷2丁目18−6
Phone: 098-989-8244
Hours: Thursday-Tuesday
7AM–2PM and CLOSED on Wednesday

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