Suwa, Nagano, Japan｜Koshu Houtou Kosaku Suwa IC branch

Family was craving Hottou noodle soup, which is a specialty of neighboring Yamanashi (Hokuto City). Fortunately, this store showed up when we Googled it so it saved us an extra trip to the next prefecture. The offer different meats in their soups. I went for the wild boar which was around 2200 yen but did not disappoint. The pots are heated over open flame so when the waitresses tell you not to touch it, don’t think that after it’s cooled down it won’t matter if you do touch it. Your hands will be filthy with soot. The place was huge and I believe it could seat 100 people. The tables themselves were enormous. Good for families with little kids that want to crawl around as it has tatami seating.

No wifi 😔

Store information↓ ---------------------------------------------- [Store name] Kosaku Suwa Inter-mae store 【business hours】 11:00～20:30(LO20:00) Regular holiday: No holidays 【access】 2 minutes by car from Chuo Expressway Suwa Interchange 【budget】 1,000-2,000 yen/person (lunch) [Recommended use scene] Travel/Use with family/friends/acquaintances [Tabelog evaluation (as of visit date)] ⭐️3.43 ---------------------------------------------- ☆Recommended points☆ ① More than 10 types of Koshu specialty “Hoto” alone ② Full of volume and very good value for money 【menu】 "Pumpkin Hotou (1,300 yen)" ``Hoto'' is a local dish that is often eaten in areas centered on Yamanashi Prefecture. ``Hoto'' is a dish of thick, short noodles kneaded with wheat flour and roughly cut, simmered with miso and vegetables such as pumpkin. This shop has a lineup of more than 10 types of ``Hoto.'' This time, I ordered the most standard dish, ``Kabocha Hotou'', which is the base of everything. One of the features of this restaurant is that each item is simmered in an iron pot after receiving your order. Therefore, you can enjoy piping hot, freshly made food every time. The ``Kabocha Houtou'' arrived about 10 minutes after ordering, and as you can see, it was huge and had a lot of toppings. The udon-like thick noodles called basic hoto are very chewy and very filling. However, it is impressive that it is not too soft. The vegetables are ·pumpkin ・Burdock ・Shiitake mushroom ・Wild vegetables ·Chinese cabbage ·White green onion ・Potato ·taro ·Carrot It's a luxurious lineup, and each one is large in size and will fill you up quite a bit. Especially when it comes to pumpkins, there are two quite large pumpkins in the dish, which will fill you up on their own. Miso soup is By adding the company's original ``Osaku Miso'' to the vegetable-based soup stock, the hoto soup has remained unchanged for 40 years. Apparently it's a brand of miso that specializes in making hotou delicious, and it had an exquisite flavor that wasn't too strong or too light. With such a large portion, 1,300 yen is a great value for money. If you are a small eater, you may not be able to finish one portion, so one serving may be good for two people. 【summary】 Kosaku is a famous chain store with over 40 years of history that specializes in hotou, a local dish from regions such as Yamanashi Prefecture. The company has nine stores, mainly in Yamanashi Prefecture, and the only store in Nagano Prefecture is this store, which is located near Lake Suwa and a short distance from the Suwa Interchange. The highlight of this restaurant is definitely their specialty, ``Hoto.'' There are more than 10 types of ``hotou'' alone, and there are also hotou made with pork, seafood, and red beans. In addition to ``Hoto,'' we also offer local dishes such as ``Suiton'' and ``Ojiya,'' as well as pork cutlets, chicken cutlets, and fried shrimp that are sure to be enjoyed by children. I visited at 13:00 on a holiday, and the restaurant was full. After waiting for several groups, we were able to be seated around 1:10pm. As it is a popular chain store and is located near the interchange, it seems to have gained a lot of support from tourists. Both the exterior and interior are tasteful, and that alone gives you the feeling of traveling. When traveling to the Koshu region, I highly recommend this restaurant as one of your options.