Seafood Izakaya Sakanaya Dojo - Beppu Station East Exit | Private Rooms — Restaurant in Beppu

This restaurant is just a stones throw from Beppu station but was a great find. We went there because it was not crowded and full of Japanese people. No westerners when we were there at all, and we went two times. The ordering is very easy, and they have a button on the table to call the server when you need them. We ordered a set of twelve sushi pieces and clam miso. Both were excellent. The sushi was surprisingly good and very reasonably priced. So we ordered another 12 set, ha ha. It's these kinds of small nondescript places that I have always found the best food in Japan. No Osaka or Tokyo but small businesses that put thier heart and soul into what they are doing. They are so interested in creating their own atmosphere and ensuring that everyone gets good service and good food. It's places like this one that I talk about after I have gone home, and people ask me why I go so far from Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto when I go to Japan. There are really no places like these little Japanese ones that I would put on the same level anywhere I have been in the world. We went back two days later and ordered some different food, some sushi, and had an equally great experience. The room has interesting decor and funny posters and nice background music at a volume that does not overcome the table conversation. Take those few hundred extra steps from Beppu station and try this place out. My bet is you...

A restaurant with a menu and service in English! Bravo. However, just briefly look at the English menu and then open the big menu in Japanese. It's full of pictures, so you won't get lost. The sashimi horse mackerel was great! The fish was still alive when they filleted it, and its fins were still moving. This requires great skill from the chef. The ponzu that came with the cold soba was a disappointment: just watery. The pan-fried gyoza is another hit, and so we the grilled mackerel. Overall, a good restaurant to go to if you have no clue...

Please avoid this restaurant at all cost! Sashimi tasted average at best. The yakitori was ok. The gyoza tasted worse than gyoza from a budget ramen restaurant in my home country. I can put frozen gyoza from Don Don donki into an air fryer and it will probably taste better.

The fried squid (can’t remember exactly. I don’t want to remember) was overly breaded and tasted absolutely bad. Absolutely terrible and embarrassing. This place was traumatising and I ended up going to an Izakaya nearby that...