Houtou Fudou

The broth is rich and having it on a cold day is very comforting. Portion is big, vegetables fresh. No meat inside. The staff ran around to provide service as quick as they can. The ambience of the restaurant is so traditional👍👍

Food: • Fudou Houtou (Signature): A hearty bowl with a light vegetable broth that feels comforting and wholesome. The flavors blend nicely, but the noodles are on the thicker side, so it’s best for those who enjoy that chewy, rustic texture. • Horse Meat: A unique experience! The taste is surprisingly similar to tuna, with a bit more bite from the tiny tendons. Definitely worth trying if you’re feeling adventurous. • Braised Pork (Limited): A lighter, more delicate take on braised pork. If you prefer bold, dark, and heavily spiced flavors, this might feel a little mild, but it’s great for those who enjoy a more subtle profile. Environment: The setting feels like stepping into a traditional tribal gathering hall. It is spacious, lively, and full of local character. There’s no air conditioning, which adds to the authentic atmosphere, but it can get quite warm in summer. If you don’t mind the heat, it’s a fun and memorable experience that really immerses you in the local culture.

Rich veg miso broth. Noodles are perfect texture. The pork is super tender.

Good food, very generous but without any protein, you can eat it and 1 hour after you will feel hungry again. The main dish is weak

A great place to make a stop when hungry... Like... VERY HUNGRY. Because while taste might not surprise you - the size of portions are huge! We've made a mistake by ordering a little bit too much as we didn't expected such a huge portions. Despite that, service and atmosphere are phenomenal - a very humble and welcoming place.

We had climbed Mt Fuji today and were looking for some traditional mountain food to finish our day. This was the perfect meal to replenish our energy. Service was really kind and the venue was gorgeous. ほんとにありがと！

Hotu was really nice. There are basically 3 dishes in the menu. The soup was full of flavors as well as the noodles. Service wasn't so good (it seemed like the lady didn't want to have us). Price for a bowl is about 800 Yen.

The perfect meal on a cold winter's day! One item menu restaurant, of handmade noodles in a flavourful miso broth sweetened with plenty of vegetables. Mix the pumpkin around to enhance the sweetness of the soup! We arrived at about 230pm and caught the last of the lunch crowd, so we queued for about half an hour. The noodles come served piping in the huge bowl that they are cooked in. For about $11, it was a generous and filling portion. There are plenty of parking spots, and both Japanese and western seating styles for customers. They also sell their noodles as take home cooking packs, and have a small array of souvenirs available.

Yelp Review 2024 #180: This place is listed being open from 11am to 7pm daily. We arrived at Kawaguchiko Station at 3pm and this place was still open. We had places to see before 5pm so, we went and did the things on our itinerary. We came back here at 5pm and the place was closed! Like what in the actual F? I was looking forward to eating hot noodles. There was no explanation posted whatsoever. It was a huge letdown!

Hoto noodles was on my list of food to try in Mt Fuji, so I was on the look out for a restaurant that served them. We picked this restaurant since it was close to Kawaguchiko Station, which was very convenient. Arriving just before they opened for the day, a line was already formed. Upon opening, promptly seated and given an English menu, which made ordering easy. The staff were friendly and the restaurant is very spacious. We ordered the Yamanashi-style Flat Udon Noodles and Vegetables on Miso Soup. This was a hearty noodle soup packed with veggies, mushroom, and tofu. The portion was huge and can definitely be shared. The noodles were chewy, reminiscent of udon noodles. For drinks, we went with sake to get the whole experience. Overall, if you love noodles, you'll enjoy the hoto noodles and it was good to have a healthier meal as well. However, it isn't a meal I need to have again. Hence, I'd give this meal 3.5 stars.

Houtou noodles are a specialty in the Lake Kawaguchiko region so we wanted to try it during our stay. This place is conveniently located across the street from the station and a couple blocks away from Lawson with the view of Fuji. The line begins outside the door but nearly everyone, including ourselves, would end up peeking inside to see if anyone was coming to seat us. The seating is communal and rather cozy, especially for a rainy day. Luckily, we were seated promptly since there wasn't a wait. However, we did have to flag down the staff to order since they were busy. I ordered the Houtou noodles, my fiancé the soba, and my friend the horse sashimi and noodles. The noodles came out in a pot big enough for two people to share. The broth was rich and healthy with the amount of vegetables, though a bit gritty in texture for me. I would've preferred if the broth had more of the other vegetables than the cabbage. I opted out of trying the sashimi but my friend said the meat was tender and not gamey. My fiance stated the soba was standard and good. ** CASH ONLY! **

I'd been reading that Hoto noodles are a specialty in the Lake Kawaguchiko region, and that it is the "must try" food item when one is in that area, so we went to this Houtuou Fudou restaurant to try it. This restaurant is very popular and tends to have a long lineup out the door for it. It is right across the street from the train station. We managed to avoid standing in this lineup however by coming for a very early dinner. The noodles were good but not outstanding. Hoto noodles don't seem very different from regular udon noodles. A bit flatter, but basically they were like udon noodles. It was a hearty meal. Great for a cold winter's night. The dish was piping hot and full of tummy warming ingredients. There was kabocha squash, mushroom and other veggies in the bowl. They are able to make a vegan bowl of hoto noodles. Just make sure to tell them in advance and be prepared to wait a bit. My husband ordered a regular bowl of hoto noodles but as I requested a vegan broth for mine, my order took a good deal longer to arrive at the table. The menu is limited but what they do, they do well. Our daughter ordered Zaru Soba for her meal, and we ordered a side of dish of pickled veggies to go with our hoto noodles.They have a combination of regular tables and tatami mat tables. We were seated at one of the regular tables. I highly recommend coming early to avoid having to wait in line for a table.

Houtou Fudou | Kawaguchiko (Mt.Fuji) | $35 Yamanashi Udon Noodles and veggies on miso soup Roast Pork Cold Soba Noodles Horse Meat Sashimi The Yamanashi Udon Noodles are such #goodeats if they had some meat in the dish and the veggies weren't over boiled, this would be an easy We tried horse one time and while super tender, not too distinctive from thick cut beef. This place is iconic for those traveling to Mt. Fuji since it's right across the street from the closest bus station in the area. There's always a long line to get in and the menu is small but the Udon is so welcome when it's cold out.

The noodle soup was fabulous and the portion sizes were great!! The restaurant was a bit understaffed which led to the food taking a little while to come out, but once we were served it was completely worthwhile!

Located right across the street from Kawaguchiko Station and a local favorite, houtou noodles! Noodle soup is probably one of my favorite foods in the world and I was incredibly excited to try a regional noodle soup loved by locals. Unfortunately, it left a bit to be desired for me. The texture of the noodles were great, that was my favorite part. The veggie miso broth was a bit bland for me personally, and I would have loved the soup to include more than just... cabbage. There was maybe one piece of tofu, a lot of cabbages, a few carrots, and mushrooms. The portion is huge - one bowl is more than enough for each person. Depending on your appetite and usual eating habits, some could argue that one bowl is enough for two! Tip: I arrived right when they opened and there was no wait. However by the time we left, the wait was wrapped around the block. Also, cash only!

I miss SO MANY things about Japan! My husband being #1 and this fabulous bowl of noodles easily being #2. I literally love all noodles! Dry, soupy, you name it. My husband on the other hand prefers everything he eats to be SPICY. Although this bowl of comfort isn't at all spicy, he fell head over heels in love with it. So you know it's so good! The noodles are soooo chewy, the best texture if I've ever tasted one. And the broth! WOW. Super hearty, filled with veggies, punched with flavor more than you would ever expect. You will not miss the protein at all! If I can go to any place in the world right now. It would be to Yokosuka Naval Base to give my hubby a big smooch and to have this bowl of PERFECTION looking at Mt. Fuji across the street!

12 years ago, my family and I randomly stopped by this pumpkin noodle shop when we were visiting Mt. Fuji, located directly across the Kawaguchiko station. It was empty inside and we ordered one of the only item on the menu, their special pumpkin soup with thick chewy noodles, which arrives in a burning hot iron pot. It quickly became one of our favorite food item from that Japan trip. I remember loving it so much, the nostalgic memory of this place stayed with me for the past 12 years. This is even before I started writing yelp reviews or searching for food places to eat! Fast forward 12 years later, some friends and I were visiting Mt. Fuji and came upon the Kawaguchiko Station again. The station has changed only slightly, with more visitors/tourists now, and with more signs. I was super surprised to see this place still in business, found its Yelp page, and has awesome rating! The nostalgic me was beyond excited. Walking from the station to this restaurant was like traveling through time, my memories from 12 years ago faded, but came back instantly since the location and the exterior and interior of this restaurant have not changed at all! Enough about my feeling of this place. If you ever come to Kawaguchiko Station, 100% stop by this amazingly delicious noodle spot! Apparently, based on my food research, houtou is a must eat traditional noodle dish which can only be found in the Mt. Fuji region, so it is a popular spot for locals too! This time the restaurant was packed with Japanese and tourists alike, but luckily no line. It is only 1,100 yen (about $10) for a huuge bowl of boiling hot thick chewy knife cut noodles stewed in a sweet (from the kabocha pumpkin), aromatic, miso and dashi based broth. It is amazing in winter. My first sip of the broth brought me back in time to when I had this 12 years ago, although I can't confirm if it had tasted the same, but my tastebud memories definitely were very happy and satisified. Houtou is a simple dish mainly cooked with vegetables, consisted of kabocha pumpkin, napa cabbage, carrots, japanese mushrooms, and their special thick noodes, so there aren't any meat in the bowl, but it was still so satisfying and you will forget that you even need meat. The portion size is really generous, but I was able to eat it all up and even scooped up the last bit of the broth! I was busy analyzing the tastes of the broth, hoping to remake this at home one day! They do have souvenirs which you can buy to take home and make at home too.

My sister stayed one night in the Lake Kawaguchiko area and when we arrived at bus station on the first day, we saw a huge crowd waiting in front of this restaurant (directly across the bus station). We decided to skip it that day, but when we came back on the second day to return to Tokyo, we were able to be seated immediately. What they serve here is perfect for the rainy weather outside. Foolishly, my sister and I each got a bowl. We really should've ordered a single one but the amount of food in one is a LOT! As it was, neither of us were able to finish ours (sorry for wasting the food! :( ) It came piping hot in (a cast iron pot?) with thick noodles and a warming broth. It was soooo soothing and tasty. I didn't dare to try to horse sashimi, so no comment on that.

Right by the Kawaguchiko Station....ordered the local fav Noodle soup with veggie in the clay or ceramic pot. Must-try! Cash only!

Houtou is a local delicacy - thick, chewy wheat noodles cooked in a light broth with many different kinds of vegetables. Apart from the noodles, it is very similar to other light noodle soups, notably the ones my mum would cook at home. Oh yeah, it also comes in a giant cast iron pot. In fact, the employees carry the noodles while it's boiling from the cooking station to your table, in a hurried pace with tiny steps. They take care to warn you not to touch the pot at all. I like chewy noodles, so this is right down my alley. The soup is simple but good, but the vegetables in them are just average (mushrooms, cabbage and carrots). I also tried the horse sashimi, which was surprisingly good, like a fancy piece of fatty tuna crossed with wagyu. The food served here is definitely pretty special and specific to the region, and it is worth a visit. Just remember to bring a friend along as the giant pot of noodles is definitely good for two!

Big bowl of noodle! Okay, it looks really big but after you start eating it, it's not big at all and you'll finish it in no time. The noodle itself was very good. Chewy and tasty. It was a miso based broth and was filled with lots of vegetables such as cabbage, yam, fried tofu, carrots, and onions. Definitely worth a try if you're in the area! The noodle is specific to this region.

This place really hit the spot after a long hike up to see Mount Fuji. Their house specialty is a steaming hot bowl of homemade noodles cooked in a nabe with a vegetable miso based broth packed with delicious veggies like cabbage, pumpkin and mushrooms. Super hearty and satisfying. It's a no brainer to stop here if you are visiting Kawaguchi-ko in the Fuji Five Lakes area. It's well worth the wait to get in here.

Really nice noodle in a rainy day to keep you warm. Big bowl, one is enough for two person. Nice environment, nice service.

Came here with my family while site seeing Mt.Fuji and honestly this place wasn't my favorite. I most likely will not remember coming here or the food I ate, it wasn't anything exciting or special. We all ordered the big bowl of noodles, the "special" one the menu, and also my family ordered the horse meat sashimi, which I didn't touch. The big bowl of noodles, to put it simply was, boring & plain. The soup on its own lacked a lot of flavor and I wish there was more than just cabbage & pumpkin in the soup. I did really enjoy the noodles, they were chewy and had a nice texture and very different than any other noodles I've had before. The dish was much better and flavorful once we all added some spice to our bowls, I don't think I would eat this meal without the extra flavor. And regarding the horse meat sashimi, like I said above I didn't eat any, because I'm totally against eating horses, but my family did order it and they were extremely disappointed. They said it had no flavor and was very boring. My fiancé said he would have no desire to order it again. However, the place was clean and the staff were very friendly.

I decided not to listen to the bad reviews on here and ate here. One of the worst decision of my life. Not much food to choose, as well as the food that are available taste like something tasteless and bland. Moreover, i feel like their horse meat is something they should take down from their menu, its a frozen meat on a plate, hoping is to eat it like sashimi....its so far away from that. Tofu sushi is very mediocre, and perhaps the best dish from all dish i ate here, even though it supposed to be an appetizer. Do not even dare order the main dish (soup + noodle) because it is the worse dish you can ever taste. Trust me, spend your time and tastebuds else where.

Very tasty noodle I never have, best price and good services with English speaking ! I eat twice in 5 hour

Really good abd very good atitude! We are in hurry and they make it very fast for us!!!

Chewy wheat noodles with vegetables. It is good, we like it. They have big portion, good for 2-3. Prety special and specific to region. Must try.

The hoto soup was delicious with very large portions, great for a chilly, rainy day. Prices for the sides were a bit steep, but the soup portion was big enough that we didn't really need anything else. I definitely recommend this place for anyone looking to try a regional specialty.

Delicious noodles served in miso broth with so much veggies, the most veggies we've had in Japan. The bowl (pot!) Is huge but oddly enough I didn't have a hard time finishing it (and I usually struggle finishing ramen bowls in Japan), probably because it's a lot of veggies and not just all noodles. Pricing is amazing considering the fact that it's right across from the station. Highly recommended!

Convenient location right in front of the train station with Mt. Fuji in the backdrop, as well as one of the later closing restaurants from what I could tell on my walk from the hotel. Hoto noodles are thick, chewy noodles that are traditional farmer's fare. This place serves them in a giant metal pot with lots of vegetables that is really quite satisfying. If you have a small stomach, you may want to consider sharing, as it is quite a lot! We ordered two hot noodles as well as soba for 3 people, and were more than satisfied. Service was speedy (really, I was worried that our waiter would trip and fall as he was zooming around the restaurant so much... and he almost did!).

The location is only 10 min walk from our hotel. Quite few ppl @ 6pm. Tried the top sales noodles. Vegetables taste very natural and well processed. Outside feature of restaurant is interesting. Like north cave.