Cafe Fuu in the Beech Forest

After spending at a hotel in Tazawako Kogen near Tazawako Ski Area, you might have gotten an impression that there aren’t many big restaurants around. That is true—there isn't even a franchised fast-food restaurants in Tazawako, so what can you expect?

What you can expect, instead, are small family businesses with a feeling of timeless, placeless get-away! Oftentimes, Japanese travelers comment that Tazawako reminds them of alpine community in Europe or Canada: The Europeans and Canadians, on the other hand, praises the essense of Japanese landscape. Whatever might be said, it is true that Tazawako is a unique place that revokes the nostalgic, “been-here-before” feeling in you.

A restaurant, Café Buna-no-Mori Fuu (more photos), is a great example of such places. It is an Italian style café/restaurant located in Tazawako Kogen Area. The restaurant literally is located on the edge of Buna-no-Mori, a beech forest, next to a hotel, Tazawa Plateau Hotel.

Take this walkway to the beech forest..

Then appears Cafe Buna-no-Mori  Fuu

Back of the cafe

Refreshing under the young leaves!.

Cyphon Coffee is available.

Mrs. Kusanagi is the server who welcomes you to this tiny yet cozy restaurant, which seems just about enough for her to manage on her own: she serves and cooks on her own

This day’s lunch special was a spaghetti combination with your choice from two: Basil and Bacon in Tomato Sauce or Various Sansai (wild delicacies) Sauteed in Japanese style. It is served with salad and a cup of coffee. Very delicious!

Menu

The clear noodle is made of seaweed-- different from vermicelli. The poppy texture is addictive!

Spaghetti with Sansai in Japanese style

Basil and Bacon in Tomato Sauce

Besides pasta plates, they serve salads, pizzas, and steak. List of menu is kept simple but with a good quality. Furthermore, we all liked the plates and cups, which seemed to be individually collected by Mrs. Kusanagi by herself.

Home-made Tiramisu

The price is very reasonable. The pasta combination for the day was only 900 yen. Other single pasta order starts from 750 yen. You can also add a desert. What we had this day was Mrs. Kusanagi’s home-made tiramisu!

Fuu is located across the street from Tazawa Plateau Hotel off the main road leading to Nyuto Onsen. The business is open from 10 a.m. to 18:00 p.m. Dinners can be arranged on reservation only.