What you should eat around Lake Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi? There are famous local food / gourmet, great sweet made with local ingredients, popular long-seller souvenirs, etc. Check it out before visiting!
What Food is Lake Kawaguchiko Known for?
Before going to the list of restaurant, cafe, and foods, here are some local foods and its famous product that I’d love to introduce.
Hoto Noodles – Local Speciality
Hoto Noodles is Yamanashi’s signature food that is eaten for over 400 years! Miso-based soup, flat noodle, veggies, etc. You can eat a lot of veggies in it which is nice. And it warms up your body especially when it’s cold.
Shine Muscat – Popular Fruits
Shine muscat is developed in Japan, and Yamanashi Pref is one of big producing places in Japan. It’s sweeter and bigger than normal muscat, and you can eat it without peeling its skin. You will find Shine Muscat itself and sweets made with that in Yamanashi prefecture.
Koshu Tenku Kabocha – New Brand Pumpkin
It’s Koshu’s new brand Kabocha (pumpkin). The farmers raise this pumpkin using grapes’ farm, and it grows as grapes (hanging) not on the ground. I’ve heard it’s not easy to take care of them, so it’s not cheap nor I had never seen it anywhere else before visiting Yamanashi. It’s sweeter than normal pumpkin, and I pretty like it!
Other Famous Products
Koshu Kyoho (Grapes), Plums, Persimmon, cherry, etc.
Funari : Hoto Noodle Restaurant Restaurant with Mt. Fuji View
Funari is a Hoto noodles restaurant that is 5-10 minutes away from Lake Kawaguchiko by car. If it’s clear sky, you will be able to see Mt. Fuji from this restaurant!
Funari’s speciality is O-gon (Gold) Hoto. My husband ordered an “O-gon Hoto with Pork”, and I got myself an Ise ebi (lobster) Hoto which is seasonal.
We found a lot of vegetable in it,
- Hakusai (Chinese cabbage)
- Carrot
- Daikon Raddish
- Shimeji mushroom
- Enoki mushroom
- Maitake mushroom
- Gobo (burdok root)
- Kabocha (pumpkin)
- Potato
- Aburaage (Fried Tofu)
- etc
The O-gon Hoto with Pork, the soup tastes sweet and very mild with Miso and veggies. About Ebi one, I could smell the Ebi even before opening the lid! Its soup tastes Ebi (shrimp) a lot. I’m glad I tried both.
Hoto Funari, Kawaguchiko
I recommend going there a bit before its opening hour, you can check-in yourself with a machine, so that you might be able to get seated when it opens. Also you need to take off your shoes, just let you know.
Parking : Available
Gelateria Angela – Gelato with Local Ingredients
Gelateria Angela is a gelato shop that they make gelatos with local ingredients. Sounds like their flavor options often change depending on seasons, timing, etc.
- Maron (chestnut) Latte
- Kyoho (grapes) Sorbet
- Tenku Pumpkin
- Blueberry x Cream cheese
Gelateria Angela
- Parking : Available (few)
- Eat-in : Available
Fruits Sandwich from Kinzo
In Japan, we make sandwich with whipped cream (or/and custard cream) and fresh fruits. You can find “Fruits sandwich” at convenience stores, grocery stores, bakery, etc.
Around Lake Kawaguchiko, we found the fruits sandwich with local fruits and decide to try the Fruits sandwich with Kyoho (grapes) + Shine muscat. Yamanashi Pref is famous for both Kyoho (grapes) and Shine muscat.
The whipped cream is rich that could be a bit heavy for some people, but it’s not too sweet so that it can bring out the sweetness of fresh fruits!
Fujisan Fruits Sand Kinzo
Tabi no Eki Branch
Parking : Available
Main Branch
Shine Muscat Fruits Daifuku
Fruit Daifuku is a modern Japanese confessionary item, that a fruit and white bean paste are wrapped with mochi. Here in Yamanashi, Shine Muscat is famous, as I mentioned earlier, and I found Shine Muscat Daifuku.
You can find the sweetness and freshness from Shine muscat within bean paste and mochi.
Tabi no Eki Kawaguchiko Base
Parking : Available
Shingen Mochi – Yamanashi’s Popular Sweet
Shingen Mochi is a famous and popular local sweet from Yamanashi. Every time I visit Yamanashi, I buy it for family, friends, coworkers, and myself as souvenir. It doesn’t last long though.
Shingen Mochi is a product of Kikyouya, they named it after Shingen Takeda who is a famous Daimyo in this area during Sengoku Period with wishing their product would be known by many people as Shingen is.
It’s packed in a small container individually, and there are 3 small pieces of mochi, Kinako (soy beans) powder, Kuromitsu (brown sugar syrup) inside.
Mt. Fuji Yokan – Great for Souvenir
I recommend this for souvenir. It lasts longer (please check the expiration date), and looks beautiful!
There are literally many flavors! Looks like they have classic ones and seasonal ones. I bought 2 flavors; matcha and Koshu Kyoho (local grapes).
Personally, I prefer Matcha one that has a perfect harmony of Matcha and Anko (red beans paste). However, if you are not a big fan of Wagashi (Japanese traditional sweets) or Anko (red beans paste), grape one is better because it’s like a grape jelly.
As I wrote, there are great food around Lake Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi’s speciality = Hoto Noodles, desserts / sweets made with local ingredients, popular souvenirs, etc. that you can enjoy there 😉
