Savour Kawaguchi’s specialty at Houtou Labo
Located at the foot of Mt. Fuji, the town of Kawaguchi is famous for hiking and houtou! Houtou noodles are large, flat noodles and a local specialty of the Fuji lake town. While they look like udon noodles, they are prepared slightly differently, with a different shape and texture.
Houtou are often cooked in miso broth and served with vegetables, meat, and seafood, and many local restaurants offer the dish, including the restaurant Houto Labo. Situated along the shores of Lake Kawaguchi, this restaurant serves their houtou noodles in a seafood broth – you can order a bowl of fresh seafood houtou (topped with seafood prawns, crab, roe, etc), or a vegetable houtou which is served in kelp soup.
Houto Labo also conducts authentic houto cooking classes, where you can spend 2 hours learning how to stretch and cut the pre-kneaded noodles. Afterwards you can taste your self-made houtou by adding seafood ingredients to complete your meal.
Housed in a building resembling a log cabin, Houto Labo is very dog-friendly, even offering a dog menu!
Houto Labo
Address: 2746-1 Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0304
Opening hours: 11am to 9pm
Website: houto-labo.com
