Awamori and Okinawa Soba 923

令和6年度　伴走型小規模事業者支援推進事業　別府商工会議所

Awamori and Okinawa Soba 923 is a hidden gem in Beppu, where even first-time customers feel like regulars. The owner, Mr. Kunie, greets everyone with a warm smile, making them feel at home. He learned to make his favourite Okinawa soba from an Izakaya owner while living in Okinawa.

He shared that the Izakaya master travelled all the way from the southern islands of Japan to taste his soba right after he opened his shop in Beppu.

Mr. Kunie humbly insists that he hasn’t mastered all the skills required for this business.

Behind the counter, rows of Awamori are displayed. When Awamori is aged for more than three years, its flavour becomes rich and rounded.

The recommended way to enjoy it is by pouring it into an Okinawan sake bottle called Karakara, and then into a small cup known as Chibuguwa. Drink it slowly for over 20 minutes to fully appreciate the changing flavours. Mr Kunie warns that drinking it in just five minutes, as many people in Oita do, is a waste of Awamori. 

Customers who order aged Awamori receive a special snack: brown sugar. It’s said that placing brown sugar in your mouth while sipping the aged Awamori creates an incredible flavour experience.

When foreign visitors come to his restaurant, Mr. Kunie uses various gestures to communicate.

Why not enjoy the friendly atmosphere of Okinawa while listening to Mr Kunie’s performance on the Sanshin, the Okinawan guitar?

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