Infinisis Naha Shuri Castle by Hewitt Resort Launches Summer Buffet Featuring Okinawa's Sustainable Umamo Ingredient

AlgaleX Inc. (headquartered in Uruma City, Okinawa Prefecture; CEO Daichi Takada), which produces and sells the Okinawa-born ingredient "umamo," has had its algae adopted as the theme ingredient for the summer buffet fair at Infinisis Naha Shuri Castle by Hewitt Resort (operated by Core Global Management Co., Ltd.), which reopened under its new brand on July 31, 2026 (Friday).

By pairing umamo — a sea-flavored algae — with dishes from across Europe, the fair proposes a new kind of dining experience unique to Okinawa.

Infinisis Naha Shuri Castle by Hewitt Resort is holding its first buffet event since rebranding, "Summer in Europe & Sweets Fair — Feel the Power of Umamo to the Fullest: This Summer, Get Through It with Sustainable Umamo," starting August 1, 2026 (Saturday).

The fair serves 13 dishes in total that combine European cooking with Okinawan food culture and umamo, including a bouillabaisse made with Shuri miso and a choucroute featuring the traditional Okinawan ingredient tebichi (stewed pig's trotter). Drawing on the richness and umami of umamo, the menu brings together Okinawan and European food culture for a lineup that feels distinctly of this summer.

The fair also features a collaboration dessert created with the culinary club of Okinawa Prefectural Okinawa Technical High School as part of an initiative with local high school students, helping to spotlight the island's food culture.

Fair Highlights

A 13-dish buffet menu that brings together the appeal of Okinawa, Europe, and umamo!
Drawing on the rich umami of umamo, the fair pairs dishes from across Europe with ingredients and flavors unique to Okinawa.

• Shuri Miso Bouillabaisse, Layered with the Umami of Umamo
• Tebichi Choucroute with Umamo Powder — a Europe-Okinawa collaboration
• Asa Seaweed and Parmesan Quiche with Umamo — combining Okinawa, France, and umamo
• Pizza Capricciosa on House-Made Bamboo Charcoal Focaccia Dough
• Fritto Misto (Italian-Style Mixed Seafood Fry) with Umamo Salt and Lemon Tartar Sauce, and more

The restaurant also offers a different theme each day of the week, such as: Tuesday, Bread Day; Wednesday, Sweets Day; Thursday, Ladies' Day; Friday, Fried Shrimp Day; and weekends and holidays, Family Day.

What Is Umamo, Okinawa's Sustainable Ingredient?

Umamo (official name: Aurantiochytrium) is an Okinawan algae favored by shellfish and shrimp. The reason they taste so good is that the algae they feed on is nutrient-rich and flavorful. AlgaleX sustainably cultivates umamo — the source of that seafood flavor — using awamori lees, an underutilized local resource, creating a cycle that puts unused resources back to use.

Umamo has been adopted by leading chefs across Japan and by more than 100 restaurants and retailers nationwide.

Umamo

Rich in umami components

Extremely rich in DHA and GABA

Event Overview

Comments

Moriaki Maekawa, Executive Chef, Infinisis Naha Shuri Castle by Hewitt Resort

"With something this simple, there's no room to hide behind tricks. What came through was a real depth and a clear umami. Umamo, which grows on a diet of awamori lees, isn't just delicious — it's a sustainable ingredient that supports the future of food. As a chef, I want to keep incorporating it into my cooking."

CEO Daichi Takada

Daichi Takada, CEO, AlgaleX Inc.

"I'm truly happy to see the umamo we've cultivated transformed into an appealing dish as a local ingredient. Algae is an unfamiliar ingredient to many, but it's actually the origin of nutrition and a vital foundation supporting the creatures further up the food chain. I hope it continues to spread as an ingredient that adds a little extra deliciousness to the travel memories of everyone who visits Okinawa."