A warm, intimate corner is one of the attractions of dining at Pizza Da Tutti on Ishigaki Island, Okinawa. (Giselle Pinard/For Stars and Stripes)
Hidden away on the remote Japanese island of Ishigaki is a local gem that brings traditional Italian flavors and quality ingredients to this unlikely outpost.
Pizza Da Tutti — a restaurant barely distinguishable from the surrounding homes — serves up authentic, Italian wood-fired pizzas and other delights that are popular with tourists and locals alike.
Expect to wait for a table at this popular destination. The converted, traditional Ryukyu-style home — more than a century old — has room for 32 diners. The red-tiled roof and open, airy dining area beneath an open-beamed ceiling create an island atmosphere.
The menu at Pizza Da Tutti on Ishigaki is worth the trip to reach Ishigaki Island in Okinawa prefecture. (Giselle Pinard/For Stars and Stripes)
Pizza Da Tutti has a relatively large menu for such a small eatery, offering multiple pages just for beverages, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic. Wine, beer, Aperol and specialty drinks are offered to accompany the main event, pizza.
Red sauce pies include marinara, Margarita, siciliana, diavolina, and Cocca. Pugliese, Felice, bianchetti, Guido and quatro formaggi are the white side.
Pizza Da Tutti also offers prosciutto and herb french fries a la carte, as well as seasonal items.
Pizza Da Tutti serves red- and white-style pizzas on Ishigaki, a small island in Okinawa prefecture. (Giselle Pinard/For Stars and Stripes)
The menu offers three sets, including set A, salad and pizza; set B, the daily appetizer platter (three kinds) and pizza; or set C, appetizer platter, pizza and dessert.
The atmosphere has been one of the unique characteristics of the converted home-to-restaurant that keeps the eatery in my mind.
Calm with warm lighting on each table and sunlight shining through the windows, Pizza Da Tutti lends itself to a spa atmosphere, or the feeling of dining al fresco.
The inside is tranquil — only the quiet sounds of couples and groups seated together in conversation. Located on a street connected to the beach, my party walked down to the shore and enjoyed the breeze off the coast of Ishigaki after our immaculate meal.
Pizza Da Tutti is situated in a century-old traditional style home on Ishigaki, an island in Okinawa prefecture. (Giselle Pinard/For Stars and Stripes)
For drinks, I tried the pineapple ginger cordial soda, a non-alchoholic beverage made with pineapple and ginger fresh from the island. It was refreshing but tart. If you enjoy fresh ginger and a bitter taste, this drink is for you.
My party also delighted in the Margherita, Felice and Guido pizzas, rich with fresh Italian ingredients in every bite.
The Felice stood out to me as a must-try with delicious ham and mushrooms, a classic American favorite, but fresher and with more authentic ingredients than the typical pizza shop down the street.
Each pizza came with a salad — simple lettuce but with shaved radish and parmesan — as well as a unique and tasty dressing to accompany. The garlic and herb fries are a classic, but the pizza stands out for its oven-fired flavor and homemade taste that keeps you remembering the experience for many years to come.
Pizza Da Tutti is a welcome find on one of Japan's farthest flung island territories. (Giselle Pinard/For Stars and Stripes)
Pizza Da Tutti
Location: 1288 Shiraho, Ishigaki, Okinawa 907-0242
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., Thursday through Monday. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday.
Prices: Expect to pay between 2,000 yen and 3,000 yen per person for dinner.
Dress: Casual
Directions: Ishigaki is accessible via frequent, regular flights from Naha, Okinawa.
