This post was written in 2006. Shop details and prices may have changed since then.
I’d heard plenty of times that Guam has no good restaurants, and honestly there really wasn’t anywhere worth going.
Sushi or Korean food didn’t feel quite right either… Other people just headed to McDonald’s, Denny’s or KFC without a second thought,
but I just couldn’t bring myself to do that ^_^
Tony Roma’s, where we went on the first day.
The steak and ribs were better than at any Tony Roma’s I’ve been to in Korea or Japan. The portions were huge too, almost two servings per person. America really is different, I thought.
The rice is long-grain indica rice. I’d heard so many times that indica rice tastes bad, but when I actually
tried it, it was pretty good. You couldn’t make nigiri sushi or brew sake with it, though…
A steak/hamburger place we went to on the third day. I think it was called J.G.? Something like that…
We ordered drinks and they came in glasses about three times the size you get in Japan… The taste was nothing special, but no complaints about the quantity.
The main dish, steak topped with mushrooms. The taste was just average again, and the portion was enough for two.
A gigantic hamburger and fries that the next table ordered
I have great respect for Americans who eat this as a single serving.
The steak set at La France, the restaurant on the second floor of the Outrigger hotel, where we went on the morning of the last day.
I think it’s probably the best thing you can get with a breakfast voucher.
On the main street of Tumon, the center of Guam, there are some cheap and tasty Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants.
The photo below is Hoa Mai II.
The owner, a middle-aged lady, apparently worked in Thailand before coming over to Guam and opening the restaurant. It was a meal my boss was treating us to, so I couldn’t
take photos, but every single dish was delicious. On top of that the portions are generous, the prices aren’t high, and best of all, the food
comes out right after you order. A very satisfying place.
Old Town, the Chinese restaurant right next door.
According to a local’s recommendation there are lots of cheap, tasty dishes, but sadly I didn’t get the chance to go this time.
Besides these, I hear dinner at a famous restaurant called Sam Choy’s is good. It’s 95 dollars per person,
but apparently one order is enough for two people to share.
There was no tropical fruit in Guam. The only things grown on the island are watermelon, melon and papaya, and while they were cheap, none of the three tasted good.
Everything else is imported, so there’s no reason to buy fruit in Guam. California wine was a bit cheap, though. The Robert Mondavi range
seemed to be about 30% cheaper than in Japan. Everything else didn’t seem much different.
For shopping in Guam, the outlet stores seemed like the best bet. I bought an outfit myself ^_^; The duty-free shops were way more expensive than
at Incheon Airport. I also checked out Micronesia Mall, a sort of department store meets theme park, and the big Kmart, but they’re places for the
locals, not really worth a visit for tourists. And they weren’t cheap at all either…
All things considered, Guam seems best for just going to relax with no particular goal. As long as you avoid the rainy season,
it’s a good place to take it easy for a while. The flood of Japanese tourists is a bit of a problem… but if you speak Japanese,
it’s actually quite convenient.