Japan is home to such great cuisine like sushi, tempura and ramen, and now, it looks like it's also home to sopapillas?

That's right, deep in the heart of Okinawa, Japan, one restaurant is keeping New Mexican cuisine alive and well!

New Mexico Sopapilla
PatrickCivello
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If you find yourself in Okinawa, Japan and catch yourself missing a taste of home- New Mexico- then do yourself a favor and stop in at Mesilla Kitchen! They are serving up some of your favorite New Mexican dishes!

The name being a great homage to the historic town of Mesilla, New Mexico!

Their menu looks diverse- and the photos looks amazing. Just look at these burritos (which are complete with a homemade tortilla)!

New Mexican food is a distinctive cuisine rooted in the traditions of the Southwestern United States, particularly influenced by Native American, Spanish, and Mexican culinary practices. It is characterized by its use of local ingredients, particularly chile peppers, which are central to many dishes; and the Hatch green chile is what makes New Mexico dishes pop. Luckily, you can also find Hatch Green chile at Mesilla Kitchen.

I haven't found much more information about the restaurant; is this owned by a former New Mexico resident? What I did find is that Mesilla Kitchen started out as a food truck.

It wasn't until this past March that it became an established restaurant in Okinawa; it's official address is 4 Chome-16-1 Misato, Okinawa, 904-2153, Japan.

New Mexican cuisine is an artform so it's thrilling to see that it thrives in other parts of the world!

You can keep up with what Mesilla Kitchen is up to here.

New Mexico's Oldest Restaurant

Gallery Credit: Dubba G

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