Since its opening in September 2020, this fermentation restaurant has quickly become a popular spot, now known for its difficulty in securing reservations.Opened by Natsuki Suzuki, who runs the restaurant alongside his mother, this place has gained immense popularity! After graduating from middle school, Suzuki did not attend high school and instead pursued a culinary career at the age of 16. His family has been running a local diner since his grandfather's time, so he developed a love for cooking and fish from a young age, becoming quite knowledgeable about seafood by the time he graduated.After middle school, he worked for four years as a pizza chef at an Italian restaurant called "Zingara." He then traveled to Italy alone, where he learned the language and was given the opportunity to make pizzas at a prestigious restaurant, working there unpaid for a year. Upon returning to Japan, he opened an Italian restaurant in Tokyo with friends.After working there for about three years as the manager and chef, he moved to Denmark to study fermentation at noma and Kadeau before returning to Japan. Initially planning to open a restaurant in Tokyo, he returned to his hometown of Karuizawa due to the COVID-19 situation and opened this establishment.This visit marked my first since the relocation. The original location was 1500 meters from Karuizawa West Elementary School, heading towards the old Nakayama Road via National Route 18, where the restaurant was on the left after turning left at the Asama Sunline entrance intersection. It has since moved a little further and reopened with a fresh look, including a new private room. The hours are from 11:30 AM to 3:00 PM (last order at 12:00 PM) and 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM, closed on Wednesdays and the third Thursday of each month.The restaurant operates on a reservation-only basis, with two seatings for lunch and dinner each day. Although it’s hard to get a reservation, cancellation information is often shared on social media, so it’s worth keeping an eye out.The dishes feature seasonal ingredients primarily from Nagano Prefecture, utilizing fermentation techniques that result in a diverse array of unique and exquisite plates. I always visit for the non-alcoholic pairing, which is homemade and complements the dishes as if it were one of the seasonings. The non-alcoholic pairing is exceptional and functions beautifully as a sauce for the dishes, leaving me impressed every time.【Order】 JPY 64,900◻︎ Goya Rice Steamed・Original Mochigome Rice◻︎ Fermented Cucumber with Raw Somen◻︎ Oyaki (Stuffed Dumplings)・Eggplant・Berkshire Pork・Perilla・Miso◻︎ Corn Ice Cream◻︎ Shinshu Salmon・Turnip, Fermented Tomato, Pomegranate, Fig・1 Month Aged, 3-Year Pickled◻︎ Sweetfish and Manjanji Pepper Spring Rolls◻︎ Summer Venison Fillet Cutlet・Fermented Pepper・Paprika and Red Wine Sauce◻︎ Zucchini Spaghetti◻︎ Watermelon Gelato◻︎ Hazelnut Cake◻︎ Yama Yomogi (Japanese Mugwort)◻︎ Amazake, Fennel, Granny Smith Apple◻︎ White Peach, Lingonberry, Lavender, Eggplant Skin◻︎ Benifuki, Oolong Tea, Cocoa◻︎ Rose, Fermented Raspberry, Red Shiso◻︎ Watermelon, Rhubarb, Butterbur◻︎ Blood Orange, Bell Pepper, Rose Hip◻︎ Apricot, Lapsang Souchong Tea.