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The Hyatt Regency is known as a high-end hotel, and you may think that its lunch buffet is expensive.
Here’s a tip: it isn’t.
Although you have to pay a little more than the typical lunch buffet at an on base restaurant (of course), trust me, it’s worth it!
Recently, I took a friend to Sakurazaka, a restaurant in the Hyatt Regency in Naha, to try out their lunch buffet.
One step inside, we were greeted with chic interior - something you would expect from a high-end hotel or restaurant. Sakurazka is a restaurant where customers can enjoy food selected and gathered from all over the country and the world. However, bearing the name of an old bustling area in Naha where the Hyatt hotel now stands, this is also a place where people can touch Okinawa’s culture and cuisines as they immerse themselves in the new aspect of the city as an international tourist city.
Like a normal buffet restaurant, Sakurazaka offers “everything.” On top of that, they have a different theme Monday through Saturday each week. Monday: sushi; Tuesday: shrimp; Wednesday: desserts; Thursday: meat; Friday: Asian; Saturday: special brunch.
We looked at the daily options, and it wasn’t hard to choose. Meat Thursday, of course! A girl’s got to eat!
“Among the daily specials, the meat menus for Thursday are the most popular,” says Chie Nakao of the sales and marketing of the hotel. “Every day, we prepare the freshest food possible, and our chefs use their ingenuity to serve the food the best way. Plus, the network of Hyatt Regency allows us to have fresh food from many parts of the country and the world.”
The food is beautifully presented and comes in two types, regular buffet menus and daily specials. Although deemed to be regular, the everyday menus include elaborate dishes such as beef simmered in red wine, or perna gratin, as well as local dishes such as Sata Andageee (Okinawan donuts) and sautéed tofu and vegetables. The mild sweetness of the perna or the soft texture of the simmered beef deserves to be called “exceptional.”
At the live kitchen area, chefs worked hard, cooking lamb, sirloin steak, duck and hamburger steak. You can actually watch them cook the tasty meats as you prepare to devour. Yummy!
There I was, staring at all the meat dishes, trying to figure out which one to try first. I decided to start with the lamb chop and sirloin steak. Meat secured!
Then I went to the salad bar. I was so happy to see a wide range of fresh vegetables at the salad bar. And the dressings were original too. Fresh salad - check! Off to the side dishes counter.
From Asian to Western dishes, there were so many side dishes to choose from! They said there are more than 40 dishes are available daily. Talking about huge food selection.
The dessert section was full of many different sweets. Ice creams, cakes, pies, cookies, and more! The sweets I tried were delicious.
And as you can guess, the meats were so juicy and tender that I had to go back for seconds. And, overall, I’d go back to Sakurazaka for seconds…and thirds…and so on!
They also have a private room for larger get-togethers (up to 14 people), so if you are looking for a place for get-together or luncheon with your friends or family, give Hyatt Regency Naha a try!
A visit to Naha often means walking down a busy street or having a quick meal as feeling the hustle and bustle of the city. But at Sakurazaka, people can slow it down and enjoy a luxury buffet mixed with global and local treats as a getaway from the ordinary. Oh, and there’s three-hour free parking for customers, so there is no need to rush!
Sakurazaka ADDRESS: 3-6-20 Makishi, Naha city, Okinawa 900-0013 (Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa, 2nd floor) HOURS: 11:30 a.m. – 3 p.m. LUNCH BUFFET: 2,500 yen for adult, 1,250 yen for 7 to 12 year olds, 600 yen for 4 to 6 year olds *3,800 yen and 2,686 yen for adults on Sat. and Sun. (Live music and allyou-can-drink available on Sat.) (Tax and service fees are not included. Free of charge for those who are young than 4). TEL: 098 866 8888 WEBSITE: https://naha.regency.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html (Hyatt Regency Naha Okinawa) http://hyattregencynaha.jp/restaurant/sakurazaka.html (Sakurazaka)
