: Hanafubuki

During this Yatsugatake tour, one pleasant surprise was how beautiful my friend's wife is. Not only that, but she doesn't drink and is an excellent driver—what a trio of advantages! With such powerful support, we ventured into an izakaya that we could never have visited on our previous ski trips with kids. By the way, Google Maps shows that 73 reviewers have given it a high rating of 4.5, while on Tabelog, 3 reviewers rated it with two at 4.0 and one at 3.5, giving an overall rating of 3.02.
Regardless, all visitors seem to agree that "everything is delicious and satisfying" and "be careful not to over-order as the portion sizes are generous."
We veered off the farm road headed to the beloved candy store at Chateraise Snow Resort, advancing into the darkness. A single house light flickered amid the fields, evoking the mysterious veil of Kenji Miyazawa's 'The Restaurant of Many Orders.' However, the parking lot was filled with cars, which was a bit reassuring.
Upon entering, we found numerous muddy agricultural shoes stuffed in the shoebox by the entrance. Are they celebrating the autumn harvest? Aside from us, there were no signs of tourists, and the crowd of local regulars filled the restaurant with high expectations.
Despite its isolated location, the restaurant had a very intricate design. At the counter, a man who seemed to be the owner was serving dishes with a large ladle, surrounded by elevated tatami seating. It would surely delight any foreign visitor.
As many reviewers have praised, every dish we ordered had a flavor that brought out the freshness of the ingredients. From the moment they were served, we couldn't stop saying, "This is delicious!" Particularly noteworthy were the flavorful chicken dishes, like tsukune (chicken meatballs) and karaage (fried chicken). The Caesar salad highlighted the crunchiest parts of the lettuce, and even my second son, who usually avoids eggplant, found he could eat the fried eggplant and mochi.
The Japanese sake "Daishinshu," recommended by the owner, hit the spot perfectly, and my friend and I polished off a whole liter. Although we ordered two 180ml bottles, they felt quite small—perhaps due to their deliciousness.
It’s unfortunate that there are so few reviews; a rating of 3.02 just doesn’t reflect the quality here. This night reaffirmed that relying solely on Tabelog for hidden gems is not entirely reliable. It was a great meal!