Kosaku — Restaurant in Fuefuki

This place was recommended to us by the manager of our guesthouse. We arrived at 7:30 PM and, despite the restaurant being quite large, it was completely full. We had to put our names on a waiting list and wait for a table. While waiting, you can already choose your dishes – menus are available outside the entrance. Around 8:00 PM, the crowd started to thin out noticeably.

The service was efficient and friendly. They even found us an English menu. The hōtō was served in cast-iron pots, which kept it hot for a long time. The noodles were wonderfully firm and springy, and the soup was aromatic and nicely thickened. The portion was very generous – had we known, we would have shared one soup between two people and ordered a side dish.

At the exit, you can buy packaged hōtō noodles and locally made mochi.

There is a large parking lot in front of the restaurant. It’s clear this place is well-known and popular among locals – which is usually the best...

They don’t take reservations so expect to wait! We waited about 50 minutes for our table for 7. There were so many people waiting, we actually weren’t allowed to all wait inside despite the rain outside.

I wouldn’t say the service was necessarily that attentive. They were just so busy! But also they weren’t rude, so it was fine.

We ordered 7 different varieties, and actually all of them were good. No complaints from anyone. In fact, I loved that it came in the stone pot so that my food stayed hot until the end. The hoto noodles were interesting (in a good way), and the toppings were plentiful.

By the end, we were all rolling out of the restaurants like balls cause we were...

Unique food called Hōtō where you can only find in this Yamanashi area. We had to wait for 10 minutes since the restaurant was packed.

Hōtō is like a flat udon with miso soup, plus a LOT of vegetables. It's very warming. Feel especially good in a cold or rainy days.

Great atmosphere, you have to sit on the tatami though so prepared yourselves if you're not used to sitting with crossed legs. They have English menu for foreigners too. You just raise your hand up when you want to call the staffs, they'll...