The owners are Chef Kohei Horiuchi, originally from Fujiyoshida City, and his brother Moichiro Horiuchi, a sommelier.
Kohei trained for 10 years in Tokyo before moving to France. He honed his skills at the renowned restaurant “La Grenouillère” and after returning to Japan, won the grand prize at “RED U-35 2021,” Japan’s largest culinary competition, marking him as a promising chef in the culinary world.
His brother Moichiro refined his skills as a sommelier in restaurants in Tokyo and at “Michel Bras Toya Japon” in Hokkaido’s Lake Toya. He then worked in restaurants in New Zealand, winning various awards for service and wine expertise during his time there.

The brothers’ dream was to return to their hometown and create a new culinary and service experience using ingredients from the northern slopes of Mount Fuji where they grew up, applying the skills they had cultivated. This restaurant-auberge “Notori” is the realization of that dream.
The L-shaped counter is arranged to surround the kitchen. Guests can enjoy a course meal that combines the rustic charm of the forest with the sophistication of French cuisine while looking at the green forest through glass windows.
As the locale is surrounded by forest, the chef can use firewood for cooking. This allows for both bold and delicate cooking with wood fire without concern for disturbing the surroundings.

Being local to the area, the Horiuchi brothers can obtain fresh ingredients through strong connections with local producers, including rice grown by their father.

One such producer is Yuta Hirano, who runs the herb farm “HERB STAND” in Fujiyoshida City. Hirano is a new farmer who moved to the area, attracted by the nature of the northern slopes of Mount Fuji. He produces high-quality herbs with strong fragrances and now supplies to famous restaurants in Tokyo, becoming a powerful partner in “Northern Slope Gastronomy.”

A dish that represents the roots of the Horiuchi brothers is “Yasai-Meshi” (Yasai: vegetables, Meshi: A meal).
The “Yasai-Meshi” made by their mother gives both Kohei, who trained in France, and Moichiro, who worked in New Zealand, a sense of “Ah, I’m home” when they eat it upon returning.
Chef Kohei has reinterpreted this home-cooked dish through his own filter and serves it as the final rice dish.
It’s a mixed rice dish using about 20 kinds of vegetables and mushrooms prepared in various ways. Rice cooked in an earthenware pot is topped with lightly sautéed vegetables, seasoned with shiitake and mushroom soaking liquid, homemade shiitake soy sauce, tomato soy sauce, and brown sugar.

This “Yasai-meshi,” which combines the flavors of the Horiuchi household with nuances of French cuisine, is a dish you’ll want to have seconds of.
Please enjoy it yourselves.