Taco Rice?

When I first heard the term, I didn’t think anything of it as I’ve eaten burritos with rice before, so why not tacos?  However, then I remembered that I was in Japan and realized it didn’t make as much sense.  I’d heard of omurice before, but what the heck is taco rice?

It turns out that taco rice is a popular Japanese dish from the island of Okinawa.  It is basically taco flavoured ground beef over a bed of rice with shredded lettuce, tomatoes, cheese and salsa, which makes for a very literal taco rice.  I had heard that this dish is especially popular amongst American military personnel stationed in Okinawa.

We made our way to Okinawa Republic Danshiro Kitchen inside Hakata Station, and ordered the original taco rice.  It looked and tasted exactly as we expected.  With the subtle Mexican flavours, I can see why it would be popular amongst the military personnel.

We also ordered some desserts to try.  The first was a cheesecake with fresh fruit and the second was a more unique sweet potato and taro pie.  Both were delicious and surprisingly light, which finished the meal off quite well.

Okinawa Republic Danshiro Kitchen
Address: Hakataeki Chuogai Hakata-Ku | JR Hakata City Amu Plaza Hakata 10F, Fukuoka 812-0012, Fukuoa Prefecturek
Telephone: +81 92-413-5080