Little Cactus Bagel and Coffee

A jazz filled joint down by the seawall 

- Grey overcast skies do nothing to dampen my spirits (or appetite) as I hurry down to a familiar cafe in search of a dry spot to sit and ponder the day away. Little Cactus Bagel and Coffee shop (LCBC) is tucked up under a vibrant ruby awning , which is worth its weight in gold as it ushers its awaiting patrons into the dry space underneath. The fat cold raindrops hasten my journey down the narrow sidewalk, hoping that my tardiness to the shop will not result in a limited selection of treasured fresh bagels. The cafe is already full of coffee addicts looking to score and friends mingle with family members as they plan the next part of their day. 

 

- Fast, free style jazz pours from several strategically placed speakers that threaten a good time if you but only take the time to listen. The combination of freshly roasted coffee, toasted bagels and jazz along with the proximity to salt air makes every patron yearn for the sun, but they must content themselves with silver skies for now. The menu consists of a bagel shops usual suspects; the Egg,Cheese and bacon sandwich, the Turkey club, the infamous avocado and salmon bagel and last but not least the everything bagel topped with a pile of Lox and in house made cream cheese scattered with capers and red onion.

Sea-foam blue and white porcelain accented by a chrome trim make the mugs at Little Cactus Bagel and coffee shop stand out from the crowd. 

 

- I have had the luxury of being in Okinawa for almost 3 months but I am shocked to learn from a fellow bagel user that there is another, larger bagel haven that is the Little Cactus Bagel shop HQ south on 58. I will of course investigate this claim and prepare a post on the HQ as well!

 

Bobby's Bar

A cocktail heaven, and the perfect place to write. 

A parched frog awaits a masterfully mixed cocktail. 

- Some places are hard to find, not for lack of presence but in order to preserve their identity, integrity and quality. The local bar scene outside of most military bases is chock full of high quantity, low quality alcohol "cocktails" ( Rum and Coke) and seek to deafen you with a cacophony of terribly remixed versions of already horrible viral music of the week. I am fond of my hearing and believe that if I am to intoxicate myself with alcohol for pleasure, it will be with the best I can find. I set out to find a true cocktail bar.

My search begins with a walkabout of the neighborhood located outside of Gate 2 ,Kadena AFB. With the base existing here for more than 65 years, the local neighborhood is filled with shops and restaurants catering to western 20-30 yr olds with extra cash to burn. Dive bars and clubs abound and quantity is the forefront of every bar front and my options are limited. I stop in a local flower shop and ask the cashier if their are any local bars that have great cocktails. Upon seeing a stereotypical mid 20's military man she pointed me to a club across the street. I shake my head and ask if there is any place around that has amazing cocktails and no music, and this seems to interest her. She leads me outside and points up to the third floor and tells me to check out Bobbys bar. I ask if they have good cocktails, to which she sternly replies ''NO, they have the BEST cocktails". 

 

 

A fully stocked fruit carousel bodes well for drinks to come. 

The entrance is situated away from the alley with a set of white unassuming stairs hiding a climb to a secret alcove of alcohol. Soft prohibition era jazz filter from sets of speakers set atop a serpentine hardwood bar. Low slung comfortable chairs cozy up to the bar, and a set of couches aligned in a U are arranged against the back wall. My eyes adjust from the glare of the street to the low set lights captured in glass frogs and other whimsical creatures spread throughout the space. The bartender comes out of the back, expecting customers, only to be greeted by a camera toting military stereotype. He is not impressed.I venture a "Konbawa" Genki-Deska?" (good evening, how are you? roughly). His is less unimpressed until I ask to see a menu, to which he responds "we don't have those here". 

I scan the room and take stock of the bar offerings, excitement growing at the obvious attention to detail and fresh in season fruit prepared for the evening cocktails. I sit and decide on a cocktail staple, The Negroni. 

The bartender bursts from his stoic stance into a fluid and well practiced rhythm often found in career bartenders, butchers , and baristas. Combining Gin, Campari and Noilly Prat (Vermouth) into a cocktail mixing decanter containing 3 boulder sized clear ice cubes stirring to bring the mixture to drinking temperature. He selects a ceramic bowl and adds chilled water to bring the bowls temperature down, and while waiting fillets zest off a mandarin. Dumping the water out of the bowl, he then rinses the bowl with orange bitters and then strain the Negroni mixture into the bowl. Selecting a cube of ice the size of my fist, he carefully places it into the bowl along with the filleted zest. It is perfect, I have found my new barscene for Okinawa.

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A Negroni paired with a Partagas 1849. 

I return a few days later with a groups of skeptical friends who doubt my claims of this cocktail heaven. Upon entering we seat ourselves away from the bar into the plush couches and contemplate our cocktails.Before they arrive, we are handed warmed, moist paisley printed handkerchiefs to wipe away the stress of the day.  

I decide to have a Negroni to see if the first was a fluke ( it was not), and my companions decide on an Irish coffee and a Rusty Nail. The drinks are made with practiced ease and then made unique with Okinawan style flair. The Irish coffee is made with the bars homemade cold brew and topped with hand whipped cream to create a cap of white, an orange peel is then branded (with a blowtorch nonetheless) with a stylised B and served ice cold.

Attention to detail makes this average cocktail something truly unique.

The night degrades from classy cocktail conversation to friendly embittered comments over an enthusiastic game of UNO. My camera is forgotten in the intial rush for cocktails, but a few images made it out. 

Orange, Ginger and Gin combine to make an interesting almost healthy cocktail. 

Every cocktail ordered was crafted strictly according to recipe and then altered to better represent Okinawan  flair. A Mojito becomes a caramelized banana Mojito, A Manhattan is served with fresh strawberries in lieu of cherry. A Zombie is ordered and delivered in a bowl resembling a Tiki paradise with allll the rum (3 kinds of rum).The list goes on and the night draws to a close.  

A perfect smoke ring is produced from the remains of a NUB Habano.

I write this post while enjoying a Gin martini fortified with Lillet and with smoked pistachios. Thank you Bobbys Bar for a fantastic time and to many more cocktails to come!

A 3 story view out of the window of Bobbys Bar. 

Motley crew of brews

A quick trip to a local liquor store gave me an opportunity to pick up some interesting micro brews to sample.  

De Molen Hel & Verdoemenis (Hell and Dammnation)

This first beer comes all the way from Bodegraven Netherlands, and is brewed by Brouwerij de Molen. A beer deserving of a snifter (or in this case a Glencairn), it is dark and foreboding with a thin brown-gold head and a thick viscosity. This beer is best served at 10C/50F or slightly chilled if you do no keep a thermometer in your wallet. The aroma rising from the glass is of roasted coffee and malted barley moving to coffee at the end. The flavor.....this company has made a customer for life! Roasted malt, cold brew coffee and chocolate coat the palate before giving way to a pleasant bittersweet finish that takes a moment to recover before your next sip. At 10% ABV this Imperial Stout punches above its weight class, so be sure to grab an extra glass to share. 

 

A glencairn glass is filled with Hel & Verdoemenis Imperial Stout.