Recently, there have been an increasing number of izakayas (Japanese-style pubs) serving Okinawan cuisine and stores where Okinawan food can be purchased in Tokyo. In a sense, people have become "accustomed to Okinawa" and have come to think of themselves as having been there easily.


In order to find out, we visited the fast food chain " A&W ", which has been in existence since the time of American colonial rule and has 26 stores in Okinawa Prefecture as of 2013. It is nicknamed "Ender" by the locals. As is typical in Okinawa, which is a car-dominated society, the stores have both a hall and a drive-through (or drive-in, depending on the store).



A&W is promoting Rootbeer, a drink with a strong personality. Root beer is A&W's original carbonated beverage made from more than 14 kinds of natural medicinal herbs, including hollyhock, candlenut, and salsa root. It sounds like it would be good for the body, and if it is only available in Okinawa, I would love to try it. The locals looked at me strangely, "Are you sure about that? But as a lover of B-class gourmet food, I can't help but feel nothing but romance.

The concept of A&W is "all American food. A&W sells a variety of burgers, side dishes, desserts, and, depending on the restaurant, bento boxes called "bento-meal. This time, I ordered the standard "Bigger Cheeseburger. Since the combo (set menu) seemed to offer a discount, I chose curly fries as a side menu item.

And for drinks.... There was one. Root beer was the top-shelf drink, overtaking cola and orange juice.


The set menu cost about 700 yen. After paying the bill, I was handed a mug full of root beer. It looked no different from a Coke. It is a tough root beer that is 100% self-possessed.



Drinks are brought in first, and we wait for our food while admiring the spacious interior.


The sunny weather made me thirsty, so I couldn't wait to try a sip of root beer.

Ghew! The chemical smell was so strong that I gagged. My nose was instantly overcome by a distinctive (probably licorice) smell like that of sip or Seirogan, followed by a gentle sweetness and a refreshing carbonation. The gentle sweetness and refreshing carbonation that comes afterward makes this drink addictive once you start drinking it, but it makes you feel like a sick person.

While I was sipping my root beer, my meal arrived. The Bigger Cheeseburger was a perfect combination of a 100% beef patty and thick, crispy onion slices, and was simply seasoned to be "the hamburger. The curly fries are fried to the perfect crispiness, and the spicy seasoning is a real hit. It looks so cute and tastes so good. The volume is American enough. Yes, it's delicious!



Here I drink root beer again. My mouth is taken from America to the infirmary at once. Reflexively, for some reason, a dimly lit infirmary comes to mind. What a difference! This gap may be addictive for some people, but when asked if it goes well with a meal, I am hesitant to answer.

Incidentally, root beer is served as much as you want at A&W! You can enjoy it as much as you like.

Root beer was originally a popular soft drink in the United States. Perhaps it is a healthy drink that gently soothes the body after eating too much junk food. Even the locals are divided on whether they like it or not. If you visit Okinawa, you should definitely give it a try.