Tabelog ratingEvery dish here passes through a wood fire, and the wood is specific: Nagano apple trees felled by the 2019 typhoon. Reviewers say it gives a milder, sweeter smoke than charcoal, and the chef uses it with range, from a faint trace to a full char. A husband-and-wife team serves seven or eight guests at a counter facing the open firebox, so the cooking is the show.
Two dishes come up in review after review. The first is suppon (soft-shell turtle), shown live on the skewer before it goes over the flames. The second is Kansai-style unagi, grilled without steaming until it is crisp outside and soft within. Guests also single out the smoked shime saba on a fried yam-and-buckwheat base, ikura rice with the roe prepared in front of you, and an ice cream of wood-smoked Jersey milk. In winter a bear hot pot draws strong praise. The couple's warm, unforced hospitality is mentioned constantly.
Criticism is minor. Some diners found portions small, the bear and turtle too fatty, or the 2.5-hour meal too long. One American mother alleged that she and her children were given the worst cuts and platings. No other review reports anything similar.
Dinner is a single omakase course. Reviewers paid around ¥18,000 in 2022, ¥24,200 in 2023, ¥24,000 in 2025 and ¥28,000 in late 2025. Expect roughly ¥24,000–28,000 for the food, and more with drinks: one diner's total came to ¥33,700. A lunch course cost about ¥12,000 in 2022, or around ¥14,000 with a glass of wine. The current listing shows dinner service only. Value is good: several reviewers say the same ingredients would cost several times as much in Tokyo, though a couple found the meat portions small for the price.
- Getting there: 15 minutes on foot from Karuizawa Station, or about 5 minutes by taxi; 2 minutes on foot from Karuizawa Rotary.
- Booking: reservation only, no walk-ins. With one seating, book weeks ahead, especially for weekends. Bookings through TableCheck incur a cancellation fee from the moment you book, and a date change counts as a cancellation. Phone: 050-1721-7880.
- Timing: everyone starts together at 18:00, so arrive on time and allow 2.5–3 hours.
- Children: no age limit, but children must be able to eat the same course as adults.
- Payment: VISA, Mastercard, JCB, AMEX and Diners accepted. Electronic money and QR code payments are not accepted.
- Seats: 8 counter seats, no private rooms. Private hire is available for up to 20 people.
- Smoking: non-smoking.
- Parking: none. Use nearby coin parking.
- Language and drinks: some English is spoken, though one guest noted a language barrier. There is no drinks list, so ask the chef to choose the sake or wine.
- Season: open year-round, including winter.
