Non hei — Restaurant in Fujikawaguchiko

のん兵, the hidden yakitori gem in Lake Kawaguchiko, Japan, truly saved the day for us. After a series of unexpected travel mishaps, including a winter storm, transposition delays and cancellations leading to missing our dinner reservations at Ubuya, we were resigned to having ice cream for dinner. However, stumbling upon のん兵 was a stroke of luck. The owners, despite nearing closing time, warmly welcomed us and made our evening truly memorable.

Having just gotten engaged, we were eager to celebrate in Fuji, and we were crushed by the turbulence in our journey to Lake Kawaguchiko. But のん兵 really turned it all around!! The food was exceptional—every bite elicited genuine "wow" and "yum" from us. Everything we tried on the menu was beyond exceptional! Despite the late timing, the owners stayed open and ensured we had a taxi back to the hotel, going above and beyond to make our experience unforgettable.

Their hospitality and delicious food will remain etched in our memories as a highlight of our Japan trip. We are incredibly grateful to the owners of のん兵 and highly recommend this absolute hidden gem to anyone visiting Lake Kawaguchiko. I just hope we will have another opportunity to...

The restaurant is run by a couple and only has limited seating, which makes this a wonderfully intimate dining experience. It felt like you're eating in the couples' kitchen.

The hosts are super friendly and make you feel very welcome. I loved the relaxed atmosphere. You don't feel rushed here. Since dishes come out one by one - this is a great place to go with your partner and enjoy this experience together. I read that it can get very busy. We were lucky that there were only 3 other people dining here, so we didn't feel like we needed to hurry. To ensure you get a spot, I would aim for an early dinner (opens at 5.30pm). Last order is at 9pm and the restaurant closes at 10pm.

An English menu is available. Considering it is yakitori - most dishes are meat. My partner liked all of his meat dishes. I had the grilled asparagus, tofu rolls and grilled rice. I loved the tofu rolls with lemon squeezed on top; the asparagus was great as well. There is complimentary miso soup also. And if you order alcohol (we had delicious draught beer and warm sake) - you can add radish for 100 yen, which was absolutely delicious and shouldn't be missed.

I will cherish this authentic and...

It's not often you read a review online, and the place is as everyone said, this is one of the rare occasions and well worth arriving 30 mins early to wait for it to open, with 4 other groups turned away. The elderly couple running the place put their heart and soul into serving each and everyone of us.

Food: Everything we ordered was great. Ingredients noticeably fresh, better than many places we have been The chicken meatball, the chicken wings, the shrimps, the ramen, and the yakitori are all top notch.

Environment: Homey, the elderly couple were as everyone said, did their best to communicate with foreigners like ourselves. They warmly told us where best to go for the fireworks that evening, in spite of our very broken japanese. You can really tell they care for their customer, and always love a chat if they have the time.

Overall, could not have asked for a better dining experience! You know they work very hard to serve everyone the best food they can. Long may they continue, for as long as they still...