Best Burger in Town -- Kin Para (きん ぱーらー) I Found Out Today

Things Just Happen to Me

The past week I've been busy shooting nightlife attractions, until the wee hours.

From this weekend on, I'll be more busy, doing festival photography.

Bar scenes, supermoons, gals prancing, in what looks like underwear, can wear a guy out.

So, I've been getting to the office, a bit later than normal and, skipping  breakfast.

Iced coffee keeps me going for awhile and, I forget about lunch, I'm so busy catching-up.

Around 2:30 this afternoon, I decided to go to town and find something to eat.

Chef Making a Kin Burger

Kin Para, is a fairly new restaurant and, I had never eaten here.

There were no customers waiting so, the guy let me shoot in the kitchen.

There are some small tables and chairs, to sit at but, I wanted a takeout order.

It's blazing hot, for October. I hurried back, walking on the shady side of the street.

Sitting outside in the shade, looking at the rock garden, was where I wanted to be.

It's like 3:30 by now and the smell of that hamburger, got me drooling.

I decided to put the camera away. Noticing a cat watching me, the burger had to go, too.

They don't think nothing of stealing a starving man's lunch. Animals.

The few little, non-absorbent napkins, they give you around here, wouldn't work, for me.

So, I sat at my desk, where there's a box of tissues, that's supposed to be handy.

Japanese folks can eat a hamburger, out of that wax paper wrapping and, not make a mess.

Not me. I'd have cow drippings, splattering all over the room.

Well, I grab the hamburger and, started devouring it. It was terrific. Delicious !

Nobody else, around this town, makes hamburgers like that one.

Munching away, I hardly noticed the cholesterol, sliding down to my elbows. 

When, I was finished the desk looked kind of oily so, I wiped it clean with those tissues.

For now, I'm designating the Kin Burger the best in Kin Town.

Where Is this Place?

Well, I'm trying to get it on Google Maps but, it's so new, it ain't there, yet.

Late afternoon wasn't a good time to photograph, the sign outside the establishment.

So, I might go back over tomorrow morning, to get a better shot of it.

By then, it may be on the map, as well and, I'll do a review.

Meanwhile Check These Places Out

Seventailz is a Gentleman's Club.

And the Zone is a place famous for spicy BBQ chicken and hot women !

Time to go now. I think, I just heard a cold beer calling me !

It Wasn't a Hamburger That Set Me Off

It Was Some Sort of Humburger

 

 

Sunday was the Annual Hamburger Festival in Ginoza, Okinawa.

The place was sort of crowded and, I had other things to do but, I visited briefly.

Driving the car was, Map It Okinawa dude and here's where we got in line.

ToTo la Bebe Hamburgers have been champions for a few years so, we ordered some.

 The most popular burger joints had the longest waiting lines.

After about 25 minutes, I decided to order something from a place, with no line.

Way down to the left, was some sort of Brisket Burger tent and, nobody was waiting.

Hah.  I plopped down my 800 yen and, ordered me one and, went to eat it.

Waiting for my partner in crime to bring the real hamburgers, I looked at this one.

There wasn't any hamburger meat on the thing so, I shot it.

Some sort of boot leather, cheese and maybe, tofu, were on the bun.

Map It, showed up with the real deal from ToTo la Bebe and, we left the festival.

The plan was, to do a comparison on the two types of burgers but, it didn't happen.

Well, I ate the two hamburgers from Toto la Bebe but, couldn't do the test.

Tonight was the first time, I noticed, what the little flag on the concoction, says.

The thing was Bones, some sort of brisket, HUMBURGER !

They will never have to worry about me, doing a review on their restaurant.

Truthfully, I'd rather be eating hamburgers, buffalo burgers or, kangaroos. 



Related Posts:

The Hamburger With a Wide Angle Lens 

Ginoza Okinawa Announces --- The Number One Hamburger 

Food Photo of the Week: Toto la Bebe Special Burger

A Wagyu Burger in Kitanagusuku Okinawa

Sign Said Freshness Burger

 

That sounded kind of silly, to me but, I looked at a menu in the window.

The promise, I made to the gal in the Orion Beer restaurant, got broken, right then.

She was nice enough to let me take some photos so, I told her, I'd be back for lunch.  Liar !

 Welcome to Freshness Burger

Once, I saw the advertisement for a Wagyu Burger, the Orion Beer girl was history.

Wagyu beef is supposed to be some of most expensive and delicious cow meat in the world. 

When I saw the price, advertised on a poster, I knew I had to give it a try.

Heck, if you didn't order anything but the hamburger, it cost less than 10 bucks !

Quiet Uncrowded Atmosphere

 

 

When Doc Graff and I, walked in to the place, the population doubled.

We placed our orders and, asked if photography was allowed.

The hamburgers are hand made and, it's not a fast food joint so, we had to wait awhile.

It's fun, to go poking around with the camera, when the place is almost empty.

The was no need to worry about anybody, moving and ruining my shots, in the low light.

Somebody decorated the place with Norman Rockwell paintings.

He painted scenes of American life, to show the world, as he saw it, through his eyes.

The only art, on the walls of this establishment, were all works of Norman Rockwell.

It was sort of like being in some American history museum. But, I only snitched this photo.

Food Began to Arrive

 

First the fries, which are grown way up in Hokkaido, showed up at the table.

These things were yummy and, came out piping hot.

Don't ask me, why Japanese people eat their hamburgers, wrapped in wax paper.

They say "In Rome, do what the Romans do." So I pretended to be Japanese.

 In ten or fifteen minutes, I woofed everything down and, used about a dozen napkins.

Somehow, when I eat stuff like this, food, grease and cheese, runs down my beard.

Next time, I'll remember, to bring my own fork and knife.

It was a decent meal.  All the vegetables were fresh and tasty. I'd rather eat it off a plate.

There was so much food, I didn't even think of asking for second helpings or, desert.

Will I Ever Go to Eat in Kitanakagusuku Again ?

 

Now that I'm back in the office and, my research is done, I've been thinking.

A food dude from the UK, named Harry Wallop, did a review on Wagyu hamburgers. 

He says, they stick breadcrumbs in the beef, to bring down the cost. Hah !

So, next thing, I did was checkout the Freshness website and, learned something.

All the vegetables are grown on Freshness farms sites.

They get the safe and fresh beef patties, from Australia !

Here's a Freshness Burger Menu in Japanese and English if, you want to try some.


Feeling a little bit guilty, about that pretty Orion Beer gal, I left behind, I'll go back.

And, just tell her, "I said I'd be back for lunch. But, I didn't say, what day."

"So, here I am. Please, show me the menu!"

5 GIFs from the Ginoza Hamburger Festival

Action Away from the Food Tents

 

 

A little confession. I did eat one hamburger.

It was a lot more fun watching the entertainment. And, that part didn't cost anything.

Little kids were banging on these Taiko Drums like professionals.

I had to get closer to focus one one drummer.

Away from the crowds, I went to investigate the noise motorcycles were making.

They were doing some wild stunts with those bikes.

Like, this guy, standing up and, riding on only one wheel.

It wouldn't be a festival, without Eisa dancers.

With over a thousand images to process, I left the fairgrounds early.

Lots of people were still standing in the long lines, waiting for their burgers.

So, I went back to the office and downloaded the camera.

And, went across the street for a sit down meal.

Hamburger steak !

When It Rains in Okinawa -- Go Eat Pigs !

Tropical Islands Can Be Tricky

 

 

The sun was shining as we left Kin Town for Ginoza this morning.

Just like any other island in the world, the weather can make sudden changes.

The remnants of a tree photo, was taken before it really started pouring down.

 The Pentax K3, didn't mind getting wet.  But, I do.

 We decided, cave hunting, could wait for another day and ended up here.

This is where the Village of Ginoza has everybody beat.

When you go to this Tonga place and order a burger, it's authentic.

How do people get away with calling things hamburgers, when they are made of beef ?

A Tonga Burger is made of pork.

Today, I decided to try this Bu-Tan's meals, run by the same folks as Tonga.

After I placed my order, I noticed this little display and, had to shoot it.

Pork cutlet, soup, salad and rice was just what I needed.

Everything was delicious so I told the gal cooking, this is a Five Star Restaurant.

Just before we departed, this pink Tonga-mobile showed up.

Too bad, I didn't snap some photos while the engine was still running.

It has a curly pig tail that wiggles on the back end.

Wouldn't you love a machine like that ?

The next time I see this beauty, I'll have them leave the engine running.

The Auto Awesome folks could do something like this butterfly thing they made for me.

A Most Respectful Bow in Japan (Photos)

The Deepest Bow Seen in 2013

 

 

 

Bowing, in Japan, is more common than the Westerner's handshake.

When you see it done and, do it everyday, it just becomes something like a reflex action.

The Missus, in my house, even bows when she's talking to someone important, on the phone.

What I want to show you is three frames of photos, shot in less than one second.

This is to demonstrate, the most impressive bow, seen in Okinawa this year.



Notice the man in the red shirt. He is receiving an award.

The bow, starts with a simple lowering of his head.

And, continues until he has bowed to a 45 degree angle.

He is the owner and Master of Toto La Bebe, being given an award.

It is for the Best Hambugrer on the island of Okinawa, Japan.

And, he made that, the Bow of the Year, if you ask me.

MORE ABOUT BOWING IN JAPAN

Motobu Okinawa -- The Oceanic Culture Museum

 

An Attraction Worth Visiting Twice

 

Yesterday, four of us bloggers, hit this site, at the same time.

It was a good thing, a busload of tourists or, children, didn't show up while we were there.

Museums are always great places to visit on cold, rainy days.

Taking photos, can be challenging, because of the harsh lighting.

The group of us split up and headed out in different directions.

The place is pretty huge and it is chock full of treasures.

Now, I want to go back and spend more time there to get all the details.

The plan, after leaving this site, was to get two other things done.

First we were going to check on the Cherry Blossoms.

Then, we planned to go eat the best hamburgers on the island.

So, I went breezing through the place, in sort of a hurry, because I was hungry.

 The OkiNinjaKitty, made this video, showing some of the Oceanic Culture Museum.

If you watch, closely, you may see me in it.

It's a good thing she added that music. You probably can't hear my stomach growling !

 



Ginoza Okinawa Announces --- The Number One Hamburger

Just a quick blog post tonight to pass along this news.

In the Matsuda district of Ginoza Village, a Hamburger Festival took place today.

Here's a photo of the winners.

On the left, Captain Kangaroo Burgers, won third place.

To the right, Restaurant Tempusu, took second place with their hamburger.

Dead center in the photo, and winner by People's Choice....

drum roll, please...

Toto La Bebe 

Remember, last year, I said this was The Best Hamburger on the Island !

NOTE: By the time, I showed-up with my camera Toto La Bebe Burgers were sold out.

So, I didn't cast any votes.  But, I cussed a little.

Ginoza Village was a bit overwhelmed with crowds at this 1st annual event.

By my estimate, over 10,000 hamburgers were served in about five hours.

For sure, next year, there will be improvements in logistics surrounding the event.

Everybody loves hamburgers.

Don't they ?



A Whole Week Flat on My Back



Out of Action

 

Thanks for the Tweets, messages and emails from around the globe.

Something wicked and evil grabbed ahold of me last Saturday night and made me go home early.

A bunch of the best nurses, doctors and pharmacists in town got me hooked-up.

Right now I feel 100% better but, I'm supposed to be in bed for one whole week.

My loving wife, who makes the best chicken soup on the planet doesn't know I sneaked in here.

So, I have to hurry and finish this hamburger and get on home.

On my futon, the huskies make sure the Missus, Grandkids and bill collectors stay away.

When papa is sick, nobody enters this room.

Maybe, I'll just eat the bread and, let the dogs have the hamburger.

They really are, a man's best friend !



V

When I'm Hungry: Where's the Beef ? Short Rant/Photo Essay

 

Hungry Cameraman Needs Red Meat

 

 

There's nothing wrong with the vegetarian crowd.  I ain't pokin' fun at you.

Fruits and vegetables are an important part of my diet.

But, I'm carnivorous, too.

After hiking a few hills in the northern part of Okinawa, it gets hungry outside.

And, my stomach starts dreaming about woofin' down a big, juicy lunch.

The best hamburger in Okinawa would be nice, is what Map It Okinawa and I were thinking.

Once, I saw a dude eat two of them in one sitting.  

Four or five times we got to the Toto La Bebe place and couldn't get in.

They must have changed their hours of operation.  What a bummer.

With juicy, red meat on our minds and stomachs growling, we headed to Nago City.

Then stopped by the Cafe Gusto.  I've had hamburgers here before.

It's a really fancy place so, I hid in the corner.

When the waitress came by I asked for a hamburger. But, they don't serve them anymore.

What you do then, if you want a decent meal is this:

Point at whatever looks good on the menu that is within your wallet's capability.

Some sort of hamburger-tasting thing was on my plate, covered with a diet sauce.

It tasted alright.  I woofed it down too fast to take a photo.

Probably, should have ordered two.  Because I left there saying...

...where's the beef ?

Friday Food Photo: The Hamburger With A Wide Angle Lens

Playing around with a Sigma 10-20mm lens, this turned out to be my favorite shot today.

It seems these Toto La Bebe Hamburgers are becoming habit-forming for me.

We drove all the way back to Motobu for lunch, again today.

The owner wasn't there.  I want to ask him to build a franchise in my hometown.

That way, I could walk to lunch everyday. 

Even help out around the place, for free.

Like, I could volunteer to be the busboy and dish washer. 

Eat everybody's leftovers and lick the plates clean before washing them.

That'd be fun.

The Toto La Bebe got a five star review from me on TripAdvisor.

It isn't just the best hamburger on the island of Okinawa.

It's the best in the world.

If you don't believe me, hop on a plane.  Come on over here and see for yourself !

TripAdvisor can hook you up with flights and hotels.

We could do lunch together.  I promise, not to lick my plate (while people are looking).

Then, after that, we could go bar-hopping, or something !




 

The Best Hamburger on the Island of Okinawa, Japan

There it is. Up in Motobu, again today, we stopped for lunch.

You can't find a better burger, anywhere, that I know of on this island.

Doc Graff wrote about it on his Goya Republic Blog.

So, if you need directions, pop on over there.

What you see in my photo is the ToTo la Bebe Special.

The only thing I can add to what Doc already said is, they now have a menu in English.

Now, I have to hurry and do a TripAdvisor Review on this place before I fall asleep.

Sunday's Silly Sign (Photo) Nov 27, 2011 Ask for Ketchups

One of my favorite silly signs comes from a McDonald's in Okinawa, Japan.

The large order of french fries is what I always order because, if you're going to have a healthy, well-balanced diet you have to include lots of vegetables.  Right ?

Go look at the food pyramid scientists came up with if you don't believe me.

Well, I get one of those hamburgers with cheese on it.

To balance that you should have lots of vegetables and grains.  Healthy stuff.  You know.

  There's the bun; that'd be a grain.

The bun has sesame seeds on it; another healthy grain.

There are tomatoes, onions and lettuce.

And, they give you a few slices of pickles.

The large order of fries almost rounds out the daily recommended food pyramid, for me.

But, I figure, just in case I come up short on vegetables,  I should douse the fries with ketchup.

Ketchup is a vegetable.  Ain't it ?

So, I've been thinking.  I should probably keep a big squeeze bottle in my backpack.

That way I wouldn't have to keep running back to the counter to:

PLEASE ASK FOR KETCHUPS, WHEN NEEDING ONE

Do the McDonalds where you live make you ask for ketchups one at a time, too ?

VISIT MY HOMEPAGE FOR THE PHOTO OF THE DAY