Nihonryouri Beppu Hirokado.

Perched on a mountainside overlooking Beppu Bay, Nihonryouri Beppu Hirokado offers a rigorous, locally rooted take on kaiseki. Chef Taizo Hirokado, a Beppu native, emphasizes "just-caught" vitality over the trend of aging fish; the omakase often begins with a presentation of live seafood before it is sliced into translucent sashimi. The kitchen is best known for its "Hirokado-style" boneless hamo, a technical feat where the pike conger’s bones are removed without scarring the flesh. As a disciple of soba master Kunihiro Takahashi, Hirokado also weaves hand-rolled buckwheat noodles into the menu, a signature that defines the meal's conclusion. With only eight counter seats, the experience is intimate and highly choreographed, bridging the gap between Oita’s rugged mountain game and its pristine coastal waters.