CONTENTS
About Otto e Sette Oita
Concept
Otto e Sette Oita is an Italian restaurant located in the Kannawa Onsen district of Beppu City, Oita Prefecture. Its concept is to offer a unique “Onsen Cuisine” that leverages the region’s rich local ingredients and hot spring resources.
The restaurant name “Otto e Sette” means “Eight and Seven” in Italian, deriving from the historical division of Oita Prefecture into eight domains and seven territories. This name embodies the intention to incorporate Oita’s diverse cultures and ingredients into its cuisine.
Chef Tetsuya Kakehashi
Chef Tetsuya Kakehashi visits local producers to source carefully selected ingredients from Oita Prefecture. He also incorporates hot spring cooking techniques such as “jigoku-mushi” (a method dating back to the mid-Edo period that uses onsen steam) and cooks pasta in onsen water, making full use of the hot spring resources. Through these approaches, guests can enjoy an original Italian cuisine that blends local food culture with onsen traditions.
Restaurant Accolades
It has been selected as a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide and was also named one of Tabelog’s “Top 100 Italian WEST Restaurants 2023.”
Dining Prelude
Entrance
The exterior and entrance feature a design that evokes traditional Japanese aesthetics. The restaurant is situated in the Kannawa Onsen area of Beppu City, blending seamlessly into the picturesque streets characteristic of a hot spring town.
Upon entering from the parking lot, the first thing you see is a Jizō statue, a warm and symbolic presence that reflects the culture and history rooted in Kannawa Onsen.
Additionally, a jigoku-mushi steam facility and drinkable onsen water are available, allowing visitors to directly experience the benefits of the hot springs. The mineral-rich taste unique to onsen water hints at the start of a special dining experience.
Dining Space
The dining space is a spacious area renovated from the grand hall of a former ryokan, where modern design harmonizes with traditional Japanese elements. Featuring high ceilings and an open layout, it offers a relaxed atmosphere for diners. An open kitchen is also equipped with a jigoku-gama (hell cauldron), providing a live-cooking feel that adds to the appeal.
Menu Presentation
The menu is structured to incorporate Italian techniques while making generous use of local ingredients from Oita. The menu also features a map of Oita Prefecture, visually indicating the production areas and characteristics of the ingredients used, which is a unique touch.
Starter Drink
A fragrant and spicy ginger ale made with ginger cultivated in the natural environment of Usuki City, Oita.
Dishes Actually Tasted
Dragon Fruit Soup with Yellow Kabosu and Honey
A pink-colored soup made with dragon fruit from Kitsuki, characterized by its beautiful appearance and fruity flavor.
Chicken White Liver Rolled in Hojicha Dough & Octopus and Burdock Barolo Stew in Monaka
The creamy, mellow white liver offers a distinctive texture, and the aroma of hojicha provides an elegant finish. The uniqueness lies in combining a stew made with Italy’s prestigious red wine “Barolo” with the Japanese monaka shell.
Sōrin Pumpkin Flan
The origin of the Sōrin pumpkin dates back to the 16th century when a Portuguese ship washed ashore in Bungo Province (present-day Oita Prefecture) and the pumpkin was presented to the feudal lord Otomo Sōrin. Once extinct in Oita, the revived Sōrin pumpkin is prepared as a flan using jigoku-mushi, harmonizing sweetness and shrimp umami, complemented by mushrooms and ginkgo nuts, and gently brought together by milk foam.
Bijin Buri & Turnip Salad
The melt-in-your-mouth umami of Bijin Buri, the fresh texture of turnip, the saltiness of olives, and the rich sauce made from yellowtail collar come together beautifully, creating an appetizer salad that fully showcases the ingredients’ charms.
Rice Flour & Shio Koji Bread & Buckwheat Flour Bread
Breads offering a natural taste that pairs well with the meal.
Jigoku-Mushi Broccoli
This simple cooking method using onsen steam maximizes the ingredient’s potential, resulting in a highly refined dish with minimal seasoning. The combination of broccoli’s sweetness, the creaminess of aioli sauce, and the saltiness of cheese harmonizes perfectly, and jigoku-mushi highlights the ingredient’s innate virtues.
Pointed Hat Cabbage & Sea Bream
By boiling the pasta in onsen water, minerals are added compared to regular water, imparting a subtle flavor and umami to the noodles, giving the pasta a slightly chewy texture and a unique firmness. “Tongaribōshi” cabbage, known for its sweeter flavor and tender texture compared to regular cabbage, harmonizes its gentle sweetness with the umami of sea bream and the acidity of tomato, bringing cohesion to the pasta.
Blue Skewer
The blue hue from butterfly pea flowers offers visual delight, and the refreshing aroma and coolness of wild herbs serve as a palate cleanser.
Oita Wagyu with Red Wine Sauce
The luxurious umami of Oita Wagyu is enhanced by a red wine sauce, complemented by the sweetness of jigoku-mushi turnip, the fresh flavor of salsa verde, and the saltiness of micro olives, creating a composition that allows for various taste transitions within a single dish. This refined main course fuses Oita’s food culture and hot spring cooking techniques, adding a unique essence to a classic red wine stew.
Dessert & Finale
Ishigaki Mochi
This dessert takes the traditional Oita sweet “Ishigaki Mochi” and fuses it with jigoku-mushi techniques and Western influences, blending tradition and innovation. By jigoku-mushi steaming the sweet potato variety “Kantakun,” its natural sweetness is maximized and then encased within the mochi to create a unified texture and flavor. Additionally, the saltiness of salted milk gelato, the acidity of butter-sautéed fruit, and the richness of mascarpone balance sweetness and savory notes, ensuring the composition remains engaging until the last bite.
Summary and Impressions
A one-of-a-kind course meal born from local bounty and hot spring culture. A refined dining experience that skillfully merges Oita’s abundant ingredients, the regional jigoku-mushi technique unique to hot spring areas, and Italian and French culinary techniques. The use of jigoku-mushi and onsen water cooking establishes a distinctive style that can only be savored here.
Reservation & Access Information
Reservation Methods:
Phone or Online Reservations: TableCheck
Phone Hours: 14:30–18:00
Access Information:
Address:
2-kumi, Ida, Beppu City, Oita Prefecture
Nearest Station:
About 2 km from Beppu Daigaku Station on the JR Nippo Main Line
By Car:
Approximately 15 minutes from Beppu IC on the Oita Expressway
Parking:
Spaces available in front of the restaurant
Opening Hours:
Lunch: 12:00–15:00 (Last order 14:00)
Dinner: 18:00–22:00 (Last order 21:00)
Closed:
Every Tuesday and Wednesday (other irregular closures may apply)
Please check the latest information on the official website or contact the restaurant directly before your visit.
Here’s How to Enjoy Beppu’s Kannawa Onsen by Making Otto e Sette Oita Your Travel Destination
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