GLOBAL – The really cool thing about most airports if you are an avid traveller, is the food. While air plane food is looked down upon like its dirt, airport food is a whole other level and for people who travel frequently and live in transit lounges, they tend to find a food stall they like and that becomes the high light of their travel plans.
Now most of these food outlets are outlets that exist outside of the airport. Local restaurants that have branched out so that foreigners who can’t leave the airport can still enjoy some local food without having to gorge on international food chains. We now meet this Japanese-language reporter Kouhey often finds himself thinking back fondly to the trip he took to Okinawa last year. Lovely as they may be, though, it’s not the beautiful beaches and tropical climate that recently has him longing to return to Okinawa, but his memories of the delicious local food, especially the Pork Tamago Onigiri from the chain of the same name.
The Pork Tamago Onigiri alters the standard onigiri (rice ball concept) into a folded semi-sandwich shape stuffed with a slice of tamagoyaki (Japanese-style omelet) and Spam-like pork luncheon meat.
The Pork Tamago Onigiri branch in Naha Airport, Okinawa’s main air travel hub, always has a line of customers stretching from the shop either looking to try one ASAP upon arrival or to enjoy one more before heading home.
Unfortunately, Pork Tamago Onigiri, also known as “Potama,” has only five branches in Okinawa, two in Fukuoka, and one in Hawaii, leaving Tokyoites like Kouhey out of luck when the craving hits. Or at least that was the situation until September 17, when Pork Tamago Onigiri opened its first-ever Tokyo shop, located inside the Tokyo Midtown Yaesu complex near Tokyo Station!
Kouhey, naturally, went on opening day, arriving about 40 minutes after the store’s 10 a.m. opening to find there was already a line of customers snaking back and forth from the order counter. Staff members were handing out menus to those in line, which was a smart idea because there are actually several options to choose from, including one that’s exclusive to the new Tokyo branch.
As he got closer to the front of the line, Kouhey got to see the staff assembling the onigiri in the open-layout kitchen. It all looked great, but what got his mouth watering more than anything else was the sight of the freshly made tamagoyaki.
Since it had been a year since his last Pork Tamago Onigiri fix, Kouhey decided to try three different onigiri, and added an Okinawan style drink to wash it all down. The Tokyo branch doesn’t have any eat-in space and all orders are to-go, but Kouhey wasn’t about to wait until he got home to start digging in, so he made his way to Tokyo Midtown Yaesu’s public-space terrace, found an open bench, and got to taste-testing.
