In Beppu — How to live a life
\My Mom said that I did not show enough appreciation and affection towards APU and Beppu, where I spent 3 out of my 4 years in University.
It was not completely the truth.
Despite the outdated education system and many cases of neglection towards students welfare, APU was where I got to make friends with a bunch of amazing people, and grasped many life-changing opportunities. Also, Beppu, or Kyushu in general, is such a beautiful and lovely place to live in. Such friendly people, astounding nature scenes, and a comfortable life that I could experience. Beppu always holds a special place in my heart. To be honest, I really wish I could have more time to explore all of it. I think the people who claim that their lives in Beppu are boring have not tried hard enough.
So, to make your lives much easier and more enjoyable, I would love to write up a budget-friendly guidance on delicious places to eat, interesting things to do, and off-the-beaten-path places to go around Beppu and Kyushu.
There are a few parts. So feel free to look at what you are interested in.
Part 1: Lunch
Part 2: Dinner
Part 3: Desserts / Sweets
Part 4: Things to do
Part 5: For tree-huggers
About restaurants, I try to go as local as possible when choosing where to eat. That is why instead of Tripadvisor, I go for Tabelog, or Google Maps for restaurant reviews in Japan in general. A better way to discover new eats in Beppu is to roam around the area by yourself. You do not want to miss out little taverns (izakaya) that are not registered online, because they are the hidden gems of Japan.
I also include the link and map to the locations I introduced, so you can research more about them yourselves.
Now, let the series begin!!!
Part 1: LUNCH
First, I want to share my interesting finds for lunch:
- Mochigahama — Ariran Yakiniku — 1,500yen
While it is quite pricey at night, the lunch menu is very reasonable.
This is for the salad lovers, because all of the lunch sets go with all-you-can-eat salad bar. The meat is juicy, flavorful and melts in your mouth. I guarantee you will have to loosen your belt after having lunch here.
Time:
Lunch 11:30AM-3:00PM / Dinner 5:00PM-11:00PM
Link:
Map:
2. Beppu Station — Itsudu (海鮮いつづ )— 1,000yen
Being a big fan of fish (in both sightseeing them and eating them), I really recommend this place. They are in the top 5 restaurants in Beppu for a reason.
There are many types of fresh fish as toppings (sometimes they also include seasonal catch). Some fish are very soft and melty (like katsuo). Some fish are a bit tougher (like tai). They all taste very fresh, sweet and flavorful. I love the egg roe (ikura). They pop, and introduce a whole ocean to your palette.
The shop closes on Monday, and can get quite busy in peak hours. So choose your time wisely.
Time:
Lunch 11:30AM-3:00PM / Dinner 5:00PM-10:00PM
Link:
Map:
3. Beppu Station — Hitoyasumi (一休み) — 500yen Lunch all-you-can-eat Japanese food.
A friend introduced us this shop. I am a big fan of small local shops, because that ensures the attention and love put into the cooking. And this is a very typical Japanese mom-and-pop restaurant. All of the food was single-handedly made by the owner, who is an old lady. Also, there are only a few seats in the shop.
When you go in the store, you will automatically get a bowl of rice and miso soup. On the counter, the owner places 8 or 9 kinds of food to eat with the rice. Those dishes are typical toppings for bento, like stir-fried mustard leaf (horensou), fried fish, pickles, etc. Eat until you are full!
Time: 11:30AM–7:00PM
Map:
4. Beppu Station — Yorimichi (より道) — 500yen Lunch Japanese food.
This is another tavern that offers home-cooked lunch that is filled with motherly love. The lunch set teishoku is only 500yen, with free refill. And the shop also offers other food like Okonomiyaki and drinking food.
Lunch set is not offered on Sunday.
Time: Lunch 11:30AM — 1:00PM / Dinner 6:00PM — 10:00PM
Map:
5. Beppu Station — Nishimoto — Tonkatsu lunch set for under 700yen.
The shop is again, run by an old lovely couple. The lady cooks everything freshly by order, right in front of you. I love this kind of experience.
Again, I was served with love, and hefty amount of food. The tonkatsu was still piping hot from the frying pan, so juicy and soft. An old TV playing by the counter adds more to the vintage vibe of the shop.
Time: Lunch 11:30AM — 3:00PM / Dinner 4:30PM — 7:00PM
Map:
And that concludes my 5 recommendations for a fulfilling and delicious lunch! If you have any recommendation, please share it by commenting below. We can even schedule a lunch together, too ;-)
See you again in the next part!
