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Stimpunks.World · a lane off the street · a table in the shade

A table in the shade of a lane

Champuru

Mediterranean and Okinawan cooking, and what comes of mixing the two on one plate.

Both shores have this lane. A whitewashed wall stands in full sun on one side, and on the other a wall of coral stone under a red-tiled eave stands in shade, with bougainvillea over the top of both and a strip of sea at the end. The table is set in the shade, and no sun lands on it at all: everything at the table is lit by the sunlit wall across the lane, so every lit face looks towards that wall, every shadow is soft and falls away from it, and the shade itself is the colour of the sky.

The lane

In words: a narrow lane seen from one end, running away to a strip of blue sea under a strip of blue sky. On the left, a white wall in bright sun, with a green arched door, a green shutter, and magenta bougainvillea spilling over the top; a thin strip of sunlight lies along the paving at its foot. On the right, a grey wall of coral stone in shade under a red-tiled eave, warmed a little by the light from the white wall. In front, in the shade, a round table with a white cloth and a chair beside it, both lit on the side facing the white wall, with a soft shadow falling away to the right. On the table, a plate of purple sweet potato, a plate of greens with a tomato, chopsticks on a rest, a fork, and a glass of amber tea.

The name

The name is the word for the dish everybody on Okinawa cooks. Chanpurū is Okinawan for “something mixed”, and the word is sometimes used for the culture of Okinawa itself, a mixture of traditional Okinawan, Chinese, mainland Japanese, Southeast Asian and North American culture, by Wikipedia’s article on chanpurū, read 3 November 2026. The sign spells it the way it is most often written in English. A table where two shores’ cooking is mixed on one plate is what the word is for.

Whose table this is

This is Ryan’s restaurant, and he set it up to eat in. In his words:

I want to create a restaurant on Stimpunks.World to hang out in when I eat. I use Vital Plant Living often, but I want another spot with a broader palette of dishes that reflects the rest of my diet.

This restaurant is first and foremost for me and my personal tastes and not a prescription for anyone else.

Ryan Boren, whose table this is, in his brief for the room.

So the menu is what he likes, from the kitchen next door’s plants out to fish and the odd bit of chicken. Anybody may sit down; nobody is being told what to order.

The menu

Every dish says what is in it before you order it, then its allergens, worked out from those words by the same engine as Hey, Good Cookin’, and every drink says whether it has caffeine, by the same engine as Pekoe and Purrs. Under each, one line on where it comes from.

From the Mediterranean

  • Horiatiki

    Vegetarian

    In it: tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, green pepper, kalamata olives, feta, oregano, olive oil

    Contains milk. No gluten.

    Greek: the salad with the slab of feta left whole on top.

  • Fasolada

    Vegan

    In it: white beans, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, bay leaves, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Greek white bean soup.

  • Gigantes plaki

    Vegan

    In it: giant white beans, tomatoes, onion, garlic, dill, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Greek: giant beans baked slowly in tomato.

  • Fakes

    Vegan

    In it: brown lentils, onion, garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, olive oil, red wine vinegar

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Greek lentil soup, with the vinegar on the table.

  • Horta

    Vegan

    In it: dandelion greens, chicory, olive oil, lemon

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Greek: greens boiled and dressed while they are warm.

  • Grilled sardines

    Fish

    In it: sardines, olive oil, lemon, parsley

    Contains fish. No gluten.

    Grilled whole, the way they are along every Mediterranean shore.

  • Lavraki

    Fish

    In it: whole sea bass, fennel, orange, olive oil

    Contains fish. No gluten.

    Greek: a whole sea bass roasted on fennel.

  • Chicken souvlaki with tzatziki

    Chicken

    In it: chicken, lemon, oregano, olive oil, yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill

    Contains milk. No gluten.

    Greek skewers, and the yogurt sauce beside them.

  • Mujaddara

    Vegan

    In it: brown lentils, rice, onions, cumin, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Levantine: lentils and rice under onions cooked down until they are dark.

  • Mezze board

    Vegan

    In it: chickpeas, tahini, aubergine, bulgur wheat, parsley, tomatoes, roasted red peppers, walnuts, breadcrumbs, pomegranate molasses, lemon, olive oil

    Contains tree nuts, wheat, sesame and gluten.

    Hummus, baba ganoush, tabbouleh and muhammara, from all round the eastern Mediterranean, on one board.

  • Shakshuka

    Vegetarian

    In it: eggs, tomatoes, red peppers, onion, garlic, cumin, paprika, olive oil

    Contains eggs. No gluten.

    North African: eggs poached in peppers and tomato.

  • Ribollita

    Vegan

    In it: cannellini beans, cavolo nero, carrots, celery, onion, tomatoes, day-old bread, olive oil

    Contains wheat and gluten.

    Tuscan: a soup thick with yesterday’s bread.

  • Caponata

    Vegan

    In it: aubergine, celery, onion, tomatoes, capers, green olives, red wine vinegar, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Sicilian: aubergine stewed with capers, olives and vinegar.

  • Imam bayıldı

    Vegan

    In it: aubergine, onion, tomatoes, garlic, parsley, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Turkish: a whole aubergine filled with onion and tomato and cooked in its oil.

  • Harira

    Vegan

    In it: chickpeas, brown lentils, tomatoes, celery, onion, coriander, parsley, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, lemon

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Moroccan chickpea and lentil soup, made in this kitchen without the lamb.

  • Gazpacho

    Vegan

    In it: tomatoes, cucumber, green pepper, garlic, sherry vinegar, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Andalusian: a cold soup of everything in the garden.

  • Yogurt with walnuts and honey

    Vegetarian

    In it: Greek yogurt, walnuts, honey

    Contains milk and tree nuts. No gluten.

    Greek: thick yogurt, a handful of walnuts and a little honey.

From Okinawa

  • Gōyā champuru

    Vegetarian

    In it: bitter melon, shima tofu, eggs, carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains eggs, wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    The champuru: bitter melon stir-fried with island tofu and egg.

  • Tofu champuru

    Vegan

    In it: shima tofu, mung bean sprouts, cabbage, carrots, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    Island tofu stir-fried with whatever is in season.

  • Fū champuru

    Vegetarian

    In it: wheat gluten, eggs, cabbage, carrots, spring onions, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains eggs, wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    Wheat gluten soaked in egg and stir-fried.

  • Sōmin champuru

    Fish

    In it: somen noodles, tuna, chives, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains fish, wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    Thin noodles tossed in the pan with tuna and chives.

  • Kūbu irichi

    Vegan

    In it: shredded kombu, konnyaku, carrots, shiitake, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    Shredded kelp stir-fried with konnyaku and mushrooms.

  • Mozuku-zu

    Vegan

    In it: mozuku seaweed, rice vinegar, ginger, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Okinawa’s fine seaweed in vinegar, cold.

  • Umibudō

    Vegan

    In it: sea grapes, shikuwasa juice, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Sea grapes, the seaweed that pops, with a dish to dip them in.

  • Jīmāmī dōfu

    Vegan

    In it: peanuts, sweet potato starch, kokuto syrup

    Contains peanuts. No gluten.

    Okinawan peanut tofu, with Okinawa’s dark sugar syrup on the side.

  • Nābērā nbushi

    Vegan

    In it: loofah, shima tofu, miso, kombu dashi

    Contains soy. No gluten.

    Young loofah stewed in miso.

  • Kufa jūshī

    Vegan

    In it: rice, kombu, shiitake, carrots, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Okinawan mixed rice, cooked here in kombu rather than pork stock.

  • Okinawa soba with fish cake

    Fish

    In it: wheat noodles, kombu and bonito dashi, fish cake, spring onions, pickled ginger

    Contains fish, wheat and gluten.

    Okinawa’s own wheat noodle soup, topped here with fish cake rather than pork.

  • Beni imo

    Vegan

    In it: purple sweet potato

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Okinawan purple sweet potato, steamed.

  • Sashimi of the day

    Fish

    In it: the day’s sushi-grade fish, shikuwasa, shiso, wasabi, soy sauce

    Contains fish, wheat, soy and gluten.

    Whatever came in that morning, sliced, with Okinawan citrus where a lemon would be.

  • Yushi dōfu

    Vegan

    In it: soft tofu, kombu dashi, spring onions, soy sauce

    Contains wheat, soy and gluten.

    Okinawan soft tofu in a light broth.

Both shores at once

  • Beni imo hummus

    Vegan

    In it: purple sweet potato, chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic, Aleppo pepper, olive oil

    Contains sesame. No gluten.

    Okinawa’s purple sweet potato in the eastern Mediterranean’s dip.

  • Gōyā caponata

    Vegan

    In it: bitter melon, aubergine, celery, tomatoes, capers, green olives, red wine vinegar, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Bitter melon cooked the Sicilian way.

  • Crudo-sashimi

    Fish

    In it: sushi-grade tuna, olive oil, shikuwasa juice, shiso, flaky sea salt

    Contains fish. No gluten.

    Italian crudo and Japanese sashimi on one plate.

  • Sea grape tabbouleh

    Vegan

    In it: parsley, bulgur wheat, tomatoes, sea grapes, mint, lemon, olive oil

    Contains wheat and gluten.

    Tabbouleh, with sea grapes in it.

  • Miso-tahini horta

    Vegan

    In it: dandelion greens, chicory, miso, tahini, lemon

    Contains soy and sesame. No gluten.

    Greek greens in a dressing from both shores.

  • Farro champuru

    Vegetarian

    In it: farro, shima tofu, bitter melon, eggs, sesame oil, soy sauce

    Contains eggs, wheat, soy, sesame and gluten.

    The champuru, stir-fried with an old Mediterranean grain.

  • Shima tofu souvlaki

    Vegetarian

    In it: shima tofu, lemon, oregano, olive oil, yogurt, cucumber, garlic, dill

    Contains milk and soy. No gluten.

    Island tofu on Greek skewers, with tzatziki.

  • Miso sardines on white beans

    Fish

    In it: sardines, white miso, white beans, garlic, parsley, olive oil

    Contains fish and soy. No gluten.

    Sardines glazed in miso, on a Greek plate of beans.

  • Za’atar edamame

    Vegan

    In it: edamame, thyme, sumac, sesame seeds, olive oil, sea salt

    Contains soy and sesame. No gluten.

    Young soybeans in the Levant’s herb mix.

  • Mozuku with lemon and olive oil

    Vegan

    In it: mozuku seaweed, lemon, olive oil

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Okinawa’s seaweed, dressed like a Greek salad.

  • Lentil taco rice

    Vegetarian

    In it: rice, brown lentils, cumin, chilli, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar

    Contains milk. No gluten.

    Taco rice is Okinawa’s own fusion, from the American bases; here it is made with lentils.

To drink

  • Sanpin-cha

    Vegan

    In it: jasmine green tea

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    Has caffeine.

    Okinawan jasmine tea.

  • Ucchin-cha

    Vegan

    In it: turmeric

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Okinawan turmeric tea.

  • Mugicha

    Vegan

    In it: roasted barley

    Contains gluten. None of the nine.

    No caffeine.

    Roasted barley tea, cold.

  • Greek mountain tea

    Vegan

    In it: mountain tea

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    The dried flowering tops of a Greek hillside herb, steeped.

  • Fresh mint tea

    Vegan

    In it: spearmint

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Leaves in a glass of hot water.

  • Shikuwasa and soda

    Vegan

    In it: shikuwasa juice, sparkling water

    None of the nine, and no gluten.

    No caffeine.

    Okinawan citrus over ice.

How this kitchen cooks

Okinawan home cooking uses a good deal of pork, and SPAM, which came with the American military, and a champuru there is as likely to have either in it as tofu. This kitchen cooks its Okinawan dishes with tofu, egg and fish, and its Greek and Moroccan ones without the lamb, because it is Ryan’s kitchen and that is how he eats. Nothing on this menu says how anybody else eats, in Okinawa or round the Mediterranean or anywhere.

At the table

Job marker — a bougainvillea flower fallen into the lane

You have found a job marker. The Adventurer’s Guild is a shopfront on the street, and it posts jobs that send you round these rooms. Take the code below to its board and that job is done. Nothing here is scored, nothing expires, and one is a perfectly good number of jobs to do.

The job: What is in the name?

Before the code: Chanpurū is a word in the Okinawan language. What does it mean?

Hint 1

It is in the section headed The name.

Hint 2

It is what a stir-fry of a little of everything is.

Last hint

Something m...

Give me the answer

The answer is Something mixed. Chanpurū is Okinawan for something mixed: the stir-fry of tofu with whatever is to hand, and, sometimes, the mixed culture of Okinawa itself.

Taking the answer is a real way through this, not a lesser one. Nothing is watching and nothing is written down.

Quest code: CHAMPURU

Hand it in at the Adventurer’s Guild →

HOW LOUD DO YOU WANT IT?

Starts wherever your device says. Nothing moves, flashes, or plays until you say so — and in the lane, nothing moves even then.