Description
Okinawa native Mayumi Vargas has singlehandedly taken on the
mission of representing her home's distinct food culture, rescuing it from
being a mere footnote on Japanese-restaurant menus in our county. And she's
not shy in doing it. At Habuya, you'll find everything from pork feet to the
beloved bittermelon, what the Okinawans call goya. Both are employed in more
than a few dishes: goya embeds a tamago-like omelet with eel, and pork feet
are served in a stew or dropped into a bowl of ramen. Then there are the
tropical ingredients that make Okinawan food exotic even to those in Tokyo.
Shredded green papaya stuffs a crispy egg roll and, Habuya's best dessert, a
fresh pineapple sorbet that Vargas has commissioned a specialty ice cream
maker to produce just for her restaurant.
