enico.cafe&bar Kawaguchiko — Restaurant in Fujikawaguchiko

I do not write reviews frequently, but DAMN! What. Just. Happened??

I stopped by because I wanted to try out the eggs benedict and the cafe has an inviting modern/minimalist vibe with much-appreciated AC, lots of power outlets, and a free WiFi available, but unfortunately.... or very much the opposite, now that I think of it: there were no eggs available when I came by. (Apparently, they can get pretty busy in the mornings, leading to selling out of items...) Which, in turn, took me on a crazy journey I have been both unprepared and completely blindsighted by.

So. the Waffle Plate. Holy wow. I don't usually order waffles as they are usually very thick, heavy, and just leave me overwhelmed and generally exhausted. (Do not mean to offend anyone, but the ones I refer to are generally the US-type of waffles that I am used to.) So, let me tell you, when I took the first bite of the waffle, I kinda felt transported into some sort of a parallel dimension in which Belgian waffles were crisp, airy, but still had the same familiar flavor as they usually do. As I poured the maple syrup on them, it got perfectly absorbed by the fluffy, almost translucent, and yet crispy wedge. These were undoubtedly the best waffles I have ever had, no contest. After this, I obviously googled reviews and saw that there were others requesting the recipe for them too, but... yeah, no way they would give that away))) 😂

Given the above first impression, I should not have been surprised (and yet I was, tbh😅) that the karaage and the salad (ie the dressing) too were genuinely 100% hand-made, perfectly balanced for the sweetness of the waffles. The diligience put into creating the entire plate really shines through.

Anyhoo, I am SO coming back for those eggs...

I went in today to order food and coffee. Before placing the order, I specifically asked how long it would take and explained that we had a bus to catch in 25 minutes. The staff told us it would be ready in about 10 minutes. Unfortunately, the food came out closer to 20 minutes later, which meant we were already running late.

The lady at the front desk was very kind and helpful, but the staff behind the coffee bar were not as friendly. To make matters worse, when we asked for a takeaway bag so we could bring the food with us, we were told no because we “might get sick and they would be liable,” which made no sense. As a result, all the food we had just paid for went to waste, and we didn’t even get to eat it.

Really...

It’s the best place!

First of all, the entire staff is extremely kind and they really want to come towards the customers, which is not very common in Japan. I’m a vegetarian and they agreed to adjust one of the menu items even though it wasn’t an option.

Food+drink: Their coffee is amazing and they have oat milk- also not very common in the Fuji area:) The food was amazing, just what you need for a good breakfast.

Environment: Beautiful industrial place. Very clean.

And the best part- they let us go to their roof top to see mt. Fuji and why took pictures of us!

Overall- an amazing experience, very very recommended!

*they opened just 2 months ago, that’s why there are a...