The resort hotel, Amane Resort Sekai, is located in a perfect position overlooking Beppu Bay. I had also heard that it was a lunch spot here where you can enjoy seafood dishes and hot spring baths at a discounted price, so I decided to check it out.
Kaisenryori Eitarou: Home of a Luxurious Seafood Lunch
The Kaisenryori Eitarou restaurant is on the second floor of the hotel. Beppu is famous for its seafood dishes, such as Seki Mackerel and Seki Horse Mackerel, and Sekai is a popular place to enjoy local seafood at a very reasonable price. It’s also nice because you don’t have to be a hotel guest to use this restaurant.
Since it is a popular restaurant, we adjusted our schedule a bit to arrive just before the last order. The tables are arranged comfortably in a spacious space, and there are private rooms in the back. This time, we were shown to a private room.
The private room was Japanese-style and gave us a sense of Japanese style and elegant calmness. It seemed like a great place to enjoy our meal while looking out the windows at the ocean.
Looking through the menu, I noticed a sushi set that was limited to 20 servings. I decided to give it a try. So I ordered it, but it was sold out!
If you enter the restaurant late, it seems to be relatively empty and you don’t need to make a reservation. However, the limited menu seems to sell out fast, so it’s possible you, like me, won’t be able to order much from it.
So, I changed my mind and made another choice. I gave up on sushi and ordered Eitaro’s popular lunch set. This set includes sashimi, tempura, chawanmushi (steamed egg custard), nanbanzuke (pickled horse mackerel), miso soup, and rice. It seemed to be quite a large meal, but I was hungry!
While we were waiting in our room, we took a look at the rest of the menu.
There is a wide variety of local sake, Japanese sake, wine, and beer.
I noted that the children’s lunch seemed to require a reservation. There were also some gorgeous dishes for lunch, such as a sashimi platter.
Our food arrived in about 10 minutes.
Inside the large bowl was a generous chawanmushi. The miso soup was Oita’s unique style pork soup, and the tempura consisted of two prawns, shiso leaves, shiitake mushrooms, and burdock. The local fish sashimi included Seki Mackerel, salmon, sea bream, and octopus. A small plate of pickled horse mackerel also came with the meal. (Extra servings of rice are free.)
The chawanmushi (steamed egg custard) was very large and filling. The soup stock was full of flavor ,and there were plenty of ingredients, so I never got tired of it.
I personally enjoyed the Seki Mackerel the most when I ate the local fish sashimi platter. Beppu’s Seki Mackerel has an amazing sweetness, almost like salmon, that melts in your mouth.
The miso soup was filled with a variety of ingredients, and the sweetness of the pork blended into the miso soup to give it a comforting taste. It goes well with rice.
The pickled horse mackerel really revitalized me, too. The vinegar is a little sweet and easy for children to eat, and the meat is tender and delicious.
The tempura batter is crispy and addictive, and I have to say the shiso leaf tempura was my favorite.
The price was 1,980 yen (as of August 2021) for such a large number of dishes. Moreover, the set also includes a free day trip to the hotel’s hot spring. (Orders over 1,500 yen include the hot spring.) After the meal, you can enjoy the luxury of relaxing in the hot spring.
Shiosai no Yu: A hot spring with a spectacular view
After lunch, we went to the hot spring. From Eitaro, take the elevator down to the first floor and go to the left. On the way, there was a spacious lobby-like area where many people were enjoying chatting with a cup of coffee in hand. The coffee was self-service, and it seemed to be freely available. There is also a terrace where you can enjoy your coffee while looking out over Beppu Bay.
At the back of the building is a hot spring called Shiosai no Yu. Show the staff your receipt from Eitaro, and they will lend you a towel. The Shiosai no Yu is an open-air bath with a spectacular view located right next to the ocean. It is so close to the ocean that you feel as if you are bathing in it. The bath is open until 3:30 p.m. for lunch customers.
We were able to enjoy the luxurious meals and hot spring time that only Beppu can offer at a very reasonable price. You should, too!
Kaisenryori Eitarou
Address: 6-24 Kamijingahama-cho, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Tel: 0977-66-3638
Opening hours: Lunch 11:30-14:30, Dinner 18:00-22:00
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