Kogetsu (Beppu Reimen)

Kogetsu is one of the definitive addresses for 'Beppu reimen', a cold noodle dish that is a genuine local specialty and a delicious surprise for visitors who associate reimen only with Korea or Morioka. Beppu's version has its own character, developed over decades into comfort food that residents crave in every season, and Kogetsu is among the shops credited with keeping the tradition alive.

Beppu reimen is built on distinctively thick, chewy, springy wheat-and-buckwheat noodles, quite unlike the thin, translucent strands of Korean naengmyeon. They are served in a chilled, clear broth that balances the savoury depth of beef or chicken stock with a gentle tang, and topped simply but effectively with slices of chashu-style meat, cucumber, boiled egg, and a mound of house-made kimchi that lets each diner adjust the heat and acidity to taste. The pleasure is in the contrast: cold, refreshing soup against warm-weather appetite, and the satisfying, almost bouncy resistance of the noodles that makes the dish so moreish.

The style traces back to post-war Beppu, when returnees and cooks influenced by the Korean peninsula adapted cold noodles to local tastes and ingredients, thickening the noodles and mellowing the broth. Over the years reimen shops multiplied across the city, each with loyal followers, and today it stands alongside toriten and hell-steamed cuisine as one of Beppu's signature foods. Kogetsu's long-running kitchen has a reputation for a clean, well-balanced broth and properly chewy noodles made to order.

The restaurant itself is a modest, welcoming neighbourhood spot rather than a polished tourist venue, the kind of place where regulars nod to the staff and the focus is squarely on the food. Portions are generous, prices are reasonable, and the menu is refreshingly short, letting the kitchen concentrate on doing one thing very well. Warm versions of the noodles are usually available too for cooler days, but the cold reimen is the reason to come.

For travellers, reimen offers a genuinely different taste of Beppu, a dish rooted in the city's particular history and worth seeking out beyond the famous onsen. It makes an ideal light lunch between sightseeing stops, refreshing rather than heavy, and pairs naturally with a morning at the hells or an afternoon soak. Come at lunchtime for the freshest turnover, bring cash as many local shops do not take cards, and don't be shy with the kimchi, which is integral to the flavour balance rather than a mere garnish.

Eating a bowl of Beppu reimen at a veteran shop like Kogetsu is one of those small, authentic pleasures that make exploring a Japanese city rewarding: an unshowy local dish, made with care, that you will not find in quite the same form anywhere else, and that rounds out a picture of Beppu as a place with a food culture every bit as distinctive as its steaming springs.