From village fields to a kitchen of volcanic steam
Everything served at our restaurant, Sato no Zen, comes from growers and fishers within 40 km. We cook much of it the Kannawa way: over natural hot spring steam.
Ingredients from the villages next door
Every morning, farmers and fishers from nearby villages deliver the day’s produce: vegetables grown without chemical pesticides or fertilisers, shiitake cultivated on oak logs in the mountains, and fish landed from the fast currents of the Bungo Channel. Our head chef plans the menu only after opening the boxes.
- Ajimu (Usa)
- Organic rice, grapes, Ajimu wine
- Kunisaki Peninsula
- Log-grown shiitake, organic vegetables, seaweed
- Hiji
- Shiroshita flounder, herbs
- Yufuin & Kokonoe
- Highland vegetables, free-range eggs, Bungo beef
- Kitsuki & Usuki
- Citrus, kabosu, miso and soy sauce
Kannawa’s famous “hell steaming”
Jigoku-mushi is a centuries-old Kannawa cooking method: vegetables, seafood and eggs are steamed in moments over near-100°C volcanic vapour. No oil and no water. The steam’s natural minerals bring out the sweetness of every ingredient.
At Sato no Zen, spring vapour is piped straight into the kitchen. Long-stay guests can also cook their own meals in our shared steam oven.
Menu
Dishes change with the seasons. Prices include tax. Day visitors are welcome.
Lunch (11:30–14:30)
Dinner kaiseki (17:30–21:00, last order 20:00)
Breakfast
Overnight guests enjoy breakfast from 7:00 to 9:30: steam-cooked onsen eggs and vegetables, freshly cooked organic rice, house-made miso soup and local kabosu juice.
Dietary needs
We cater for vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and halal-conscious diets, as well as food allergies. Just let us know when you book.
Your own time, in the town of steam.
From a single night to a month-long soak. Our English-speaking team is happy to help you plan your stay in Beppu.