Fuki — Restaurant in Hakone

Fuki is lovely in every way. I lived in Japan for over a decade, and in Kanagawa for most of that time - so I’ve been to Hakone many times. It’s a must-go for friends and family who visit me here.

The first time I stumbled across Fuki was in 2019, with a group of 3 friends visiting from overseas. Bizarrely, we had been turned away from another restaurant down the street (my only experience of such a thing in Japan!) and many other lunch places had closed already. Fuki was our refuge, offering absolutely delicious, hearty, and lovingly made dishes.

In 2023 I had family visiting - and I was so happy to see Fuki had survived the pandemic and I was able to bring my guests there again!

The staff both times was entirely female, mostly older ladies. They were kind, joyful, and efficient. The atmosphere was so homey and welcoming. Their Katsu Don was a big hit among all of my loved ones, and as a resident of Japan I can surely say it was top notch!

Thank you so much to everyone at Fuki! My friends and family STILL talk about the meals we shared there (and I will always remember your delicious Katsu don!)...

Home cooked food but the chef is pro

We ordered their signature dish - the set meal with the fried smelt. The smelt tasted very fresh and were fried nicely, so they were crunchy. They had a slight fishy taste, but it was not overpowering nor unpleasant. The set meal came with sides of pickled vegetables, pickled radish and bamboo shoots, as well as a bowl of steaming rice and a generous portion of cabbage.

We also ordered the curry rice. The curry was extremely fragrant and tasty and the pork katsu was juicy and tender. The portioning was really generous too. The side was potato salad and crunchy cabbage with some sauce which was really good. The rice was fluffy and delicious and went well with the katsu and curry.

The food was hearty and the atmosphere was comforting. All the portioning was generous, so you will definitely feel satisfied after your meal. Would definitely recommend to anyone who wants to try the smelt fish that Lake Ashi is...

This is a trap restaurant. As a seasoned traveller I should have known that if the staff need to come out and get customers it should be a red flag. Nevertheless I thought 4.3 rating, it was one of the higher ratings in the area and we expect to have at least decent food, but guess what? To our disappointment the fried chicken we ordered came raw. Totally pink raw on the inside. If my husband had not cut to checked, it would have been in our stomach. How could any restaurant ever serve chicken raw? We gave it the benefit of doubt as a honest mistake, but guess what, they simple took the same raw chicken back to fry it till it’s over-fried and serve us back. The whole dish is of overly bad oil smell. No compensation was made or offered. The food here isn’t cheap too. Single main is 1500 yen average. For this price we had expected quality food. Can’t recommend this place. Most of there reviews here might not...