The thick noodle is a specialty in this region. It is firm, just the way I like, and cooked with local vegetables - radish, cabbage, leek and pumpkin, in a soup which has slight miso flavour. The restaurant is inside a beautiful wooden building. Definitely worth making the stop here.

Authentic Japanese Houtou Fudou. Must try place in Kawaguchiko.

They only have this item as main course on their menu. Its freshly made Udon in a deep tasty broth with veggies and mushrooms. Really good, i especially liked the consistency on the Udon. Service was rather mediocre, not really paying attention and if you want anything you would need to call them almost screaming across the big hall there. But ++ for the food

I had the opportunity to visit a famous houtou restaurant in the Fuji area, and overall, it was a mixed experience. Here are some key takeaways from my visit: Firstly, houtou is a local noodle soup that is made by stewing flat udon and vegetables, and this restaurant is well-known for its version of this dish. However, due to its popularity, there is always a long queue outside the restaurant, even during off-peak hours. Despite my efforts to arrive early, I still had to wait for around 45 minutes before being seated. Unfortunately, there are no reservations available, so everyone has to wait in line. Once I was seated, I ordered the houtou and horse sashimi. The restaurant is large, but the kitchen is small, which meant that it took another 20 minutes before my houtou was served. The houtou soup was excellent, with a rich and flavorful taste that was truly satisfying. However, the portion was quite large, and I would not recommend it for one person. The horse sashimi, on the other hand, was a bit of a letdown. The meat was still frozen, and I could taste the ice between each bite. I have had some good horse sashimi before, but this one did not meet my expectations. Despite the mixed experience with the food, the restaurant had a good selection of local sake called "甲斐の開運," which I learned was brewed in the nearby city. I enjoyed this sake a lot during my trip to Fuji. Overall, this houtou restaurant has its pros and cons. The houtou soup is definitely worth trying, but be prepared to wait in line and order carefully. The horse sashimi may not be the best option, but the local sake is a great addition to the meal.

A very popular food option in the area. The service was lovely. We opted for a Japanese style seating which required us to remove our shoes. The menu itself was reasonably small and centred around the noodles with a few options of sides. Horse sashimi was on the menu but I was not quite brave enough to try it. Noodles itself came in a huge quantity and was hearty and warming - although slightly slightly lacking in flavour (personal preference!).

Must go place for lunch if you are traveling to Mt Fuji surroundings in winter. We visited this place in late summer hence the views weren't the best. The big pot of fat noodle/udon is served hot and stays hot for a long time, hence why I say it will be the best for winter. The service is one of a kind I have seen, the whole process of the waiters running to you with the hot pots is a scene to be seen in person. Highly recommend giving this place a visit. Oh and the big pot is vegetarian so order meat separately.

Houtou - handmade noodle in a thick broth with several veg. We had this + pickled veg (/tsukemono (¥550). Quite liked the tsukemono especially the gobo (burdock root in red marinade) and houtou was good but nothing out of the ordinary. This is a warm hearty dish that's great to warm you up and also after a good hike (we did 5.5 hrs mitsutoge - kawaguchiko shrine).

Unfortunately, totally overrated place - the noodle were fresh but overall the soup is really nothing special . The taste is was ok , but it is definitely not worth waiting 30 min in the queue . The staff was in a hurry and a bit rude Waitresses were are loudly shouting like an izakaya which contrast with the nice traditional music they play in the background that can’t be heard at all . I wanted to sit on the tatami but they would not allow me even though there were seats available . However , they let others customers coming after me . I really regret having lunch there and wasting 1h of my time that was anyway short at Kawaguchiko. If you are short of time skip this place - no matter what vloggers say

Parking: Plenty all around building Ambience: The restaurant has sit on the floor dinning (Seiza) and table dinning great for gatherings. Service: The service was welcoming and attentive to cater our large party with kids Food: The menu is very limited but it does appear they’re known for their Yamanashi-style Flat Udon Noodles and Vegetables on Miso Soup. For someone that loves miso base ramen, I thought It was ok. Overall: Drove by and saw a really big line and thought it had something great there but overall the service and food was good.

Highly recommended! Noodle soup broth is hearty. Do come early, around 1045-1130am, before the tour buses arrive as it can get crowded.

Great place to stop for a nice Udon at lake Kawaguchi. Pick this one as it’s less crowded and no need to queue. We took a cab to get here. Udon is very fresh.

Lunch idea for friends, couple or family when visiting Kawaguchigo Lake. Convenient parking, spacious, lot of tables. Signature menu is Yamanashi -style flat noodle in hot soup (no meat only vegetables, mushroom and pumpkins). If you don’t want to have noodle, you may not consider this restaurant due to limited choice of food.

Delicious bowl of vege-based flat udon noodle soup. Not pricey and I like the setting and ambience. Apparently this noodle is popular among local and is a local specialty here (with an interesting history). Worth to try out.

Everything in this shop is exceptionally good! We were fortunate to arrive before the busy lunchtime, avoiding the need to queue. The bowl of noodles is enormous, so we ordered one along with other dishes for sharing. The noodles are exceptionally tasty—definitely a must-try if you're in Kawaguchiko! We also tried the Inari sushi and miso pork filet, both of which were quite good. While they offer horse meat, we didn't try it this time, but it's available for those interested in exploring different flavors.

I just visit in this afternoon after hiking to 天空の鳥居. The "ほうとう" was delicious with adequate vegetables. The host and members in restaurant offered kind service to us. Thank you very much!!!

Great great experience! Lots of energy, amazing looking place and the food is incredible. It’s said to be typical to find houtou fudou in this area, being a large bowl of steaming miso soup with the signature large thick noodles and lots of vegetables too. Cold outside and a queue to get in, but the broth leaves you warm and fuzzy, ready to tackle the day. Worth a visit if you are seing the lakes, mount fuji, churreito pagoda, etc.

Limited choices of food. Main is the handmade chewy noodles. The pork is nice. Lively environment. Portion is super big got to share among 2.

This restaurant does not have several food options. It’s signature dish is the houtou, which has no meat in it. It is like hotpot with thick noodle in it. The noodle is chewy and the soup has a rich flavor. I like it a lot. Also, I like the decoration of the restaurant. It provides two kinds of seats. One is the Japanese tatami and the other is the normal.

A must restaurant you have to try if visit this area! I love when the staffs are yelling for welcome people! First time I saw the queue I was give up but try to waiting is not too long. The queue is run fast. Udon is too big for 1 person. I order to share for 4 persons with the other dishes. I also recommend the tofu with rice tastes sooo good.

Wow, wow! Must go for the atmosphere, traditional style seating, and delicious varieties. Heads up, it's so good your patience is tested, but absolutely worth the hour wait. Once seated and ordered. The food got to us quickly with good service. My husband loved the sashimi horse meat as we split a veggie tempura that was lightly battered to a crunch of perfection. I really enjoyed the hoto mushroom noodle soup all by myself, which stuffed me to the brim.

A traditional and local veggie noodle of Kawaguchiko. A feelinf og flat udon in fish soup. Serve in a very huge pot which could be enough for 2 persons. The restaurant is huge and decorated in a traditional style. No need to wait for a long queue unlike the one near main bus station.

the houtou is so deliciously. The waiting line is long but they get us a table as soon as possible. Please note that there will be long waiting time til the food is served. The parking near the place is full, so the guard guides us to a near parking lot (about 50 m). Overall, I think you should try it if you come to Kawaguchiko.

Recommended, they only have 1 dish and a few side dishes, it's done well though. They welcome you loudly as you come in and you can sit on tables and chairs or on the floor Japanese style.

This place mainly serves Hoto noodle soup - flat udon noodle with thick broth, cabbage and kabocha. This restaurant has very nice traditional tatami setting and also has very few regular table and chairs. Food is simple and delicious! Horse sashimi is worth a try.

Very good serving of noodle. Lots of vegetable and extremely tasty. The noodles are nice and chewy and not to mention steamy hot in a cold day is a blessing. They also have horse meat sashimi for those dare to try. They have cute little Fuji mountain container with their home made Shichimi seasoning. You can even buy for souvenirs.

Superbly delicious local houtou noodle. The menu isn’t extensive but the main highlight which is the houtou noodle in hot pot is not to be missed. The pumpkin melts in the mouth, the noodle is so springy and the broth is so delicious that I drank every drop. Do not miss this noodles if you are in the area.

An absolutely delicious, life-giving, warming and huge bowl of noodles. The broth had a really deep, rich and complex flavour, and the noodles were so thick and the perfect firmness and chewiness. We also ordered inari sushi which came in big pieces and this was phenomenal in its simplicity. Really nice atmosphere and architecture of the building also.

Very tasty and healthy food. Extremely quick service. Definitely worth a stop during the cold months. You will leave with a full belly and a warm heart.

Awesome udon with fantastic broth served in a pot. Serving may be big to some. Beware the long wait times during peak hours. Horse sashimi is worth a try too

The houtou is big portion, enough for 2 of us. (¥1100) The taste is a bit less for me, and it’s thick texture. Vegetables inside the soup is good! The inari sushi is very good (¥400). Ambiance is japanese, there is tatami area, friendly for baby and family. Location is just in front of kawaguchiko station. Worth to try the original one in here. The service is nice.

Amazing noodle hot pot! Beautiful authentic Japanese style decor. Highly recommended!