Yarabo, a soba restaurant on Taketomi Island in Okinawa.
My girlfriend declared that Taketomi Island means shrimp soba. She said this was the little island’s best place to eat, so we headed straight to Yarabo. It was so hot that I went inside without even thinking about taking photos.
The shrimp soba is served only until the shrimp run out. Luckily, we arrived in time to try it.
Yarabo serves a bowl of soba featuring kuruma prawns raised on the island.
Opened in 1973, this restaurant has been around for more than half a century and was renovated in 2025. Its menu centers on Yaeyama soba, soki soba, and kuruma prawn soba made with prawns from Taketomi Island. Local ingredients give this long-established restaurant a distinct identity.
The kuruma prawn soba is particularly representative of Yarabo. Unlike soba topped with pork, it invites you to alternate between the shrimp and the broth. Its appeal depends less on the size or number of prawns than on how they are cooked and how the flavors balance. Notice whether the shrimp retain their springy texture and how naturally their flavor carries through the noodles and broth.
Yarabo’s approach is clear: familiar food made with island ingredients, rather than elaborate cooking techniques. Between sightseeing stops on Taketomi, it is worth considering if you want to experience the island at the table as well as through its scenery.
Price impression: Easy on the wallet.
