Thank you very much for visiting OkuMasa.
Since publishing our renewal notice, we have received many inquiries. We are truly grateful.
We have also received warm messages and encouragement from many regular guests. I am very happy to hear from you, and I sincerely apologize that my replies have been delayed.
From your responses, I understand that the end of our pasta dishes came as a great shock to many guests. I am truly sorry.
To everyone who looked forward to Arasaki’s pasta, I sincerely apologize for the disappointment. This explanation is a little long, but I would like to share OkuMasa’s current situation and our thoughts on how we can continue the restaurant in a sustainable way.
At this point, I would like to explain things honestly and clearly.
Until now, OkuMasa has valued dishes that require careful preparation and attention, served one plate at a time.
Our pasta was one of those dishes. From preparing the ingredients and making the sauce to boiling and finishing, each order required full concentration in the moment.
Thankfully, many guests have enjoyed our food, and some guests from overseas have even called me a maestro. At the same time, as we continued operating, several major challenges became clear.
In the early days of OkuMasa, I hoped to develop people in Kunigami Village who could support the cooking and service together with me, and gradually build a restaurant that could contribute to the local community. However, because of the nature of Yanbaru, the specialized work involved, and the speed and judgment required in modern restaurant operations, we were not able to consistently recruit, train, and entrust work to people as much as we had hoped.
As a result, Chef Arasaki ended up carrying much of the work personally.
To be honest, over the past few years I have struggled many times between wanting to protect the quality of the food and the future vision of the restaurant, and facing the physical burden and practical realities. The layout and facilities of the restaurant also made it difficult to keep serving pasta in the same stable way as before.
Pasta requires many steps after an order comes in: stove work, boiling, finishing, and plating all need to be coordinated at the same time. With a limited team, while also handling other dishes and service, continuing to serve pasta at a level I could feel fully satisfied with placed a heavy burden on the kitchen flow, equipment, and overall operation.
If we forced ourselves to continue in that form, waiting times could become longer, the condition of the food could become inconsistent, and we might ultimately inconvenience our guests.
We decided to end the pasta not because we did not value it.
Rather, because we valued it so much, we could not choose to continue it in a half-finished way.
Most importantly, for OkuMasa to continue in a better form, we needed to reshape the restaurant into a style that can protect quality without forcing the current team beyond its limits.
This renewal is not about simply cutting something away.
It is a review of our style so that we can continue welcoming guests while honoring what we have built so far.
For that reason, we cannot promise at this time that pasta will return soon.
Still, we fully receive the feelings of everyone who loved those flavors.
If there is ever a possibility of offering it again in a different form, we will let you know with care.
From now on, OkuMasa will move toward a more casual style and a simpler menu structure, so that more people can enjoy Yanbaru island vegetables and local ingredients in a stable way.
The idea is to carry the flavors and philosophy we have valued into a café-style lunch.
We are creating a relaxed café time centered on house-roasted coffee and curry.
Of course, we want to serve Yanbaru island ingredients in a way that feels good for the body, delicious, and enjoyable.
We hope to grow a café lunch that feels true to Yanbaru.
For dinner, we will continue to center on Agu pork shabu-shabu and value a relaxed time for enjoying a meal.
By day, a café and curry experience where you can casually enjoy delicious island time.
By night, a special shabu-shabu experience where you can slowly savor the deep flavor of the ingredients.
We will grow both of these, in OkuMasa’s own way, without rushing, and in a direction that feels enjoyable.
At present, because of daily operations and preparation, we are adjusting lunch opening days and the way we receive guests.
For future café time, we aim to make it possible for guests to enjoy OkuMasa without reservations as much as we can.
Once again, I sincerely thank the staff who support us now, the friends who encourage us, and the guests who continue to visit.
I hope to repay that support in a style that is true to Arasaki and OkuMasa.
Please look forward to the OkuMasa that is taking shape from here.
