This place could pass off as a Japanese friend’s living room. The beat is down-to-earth with homely décor, minimalistic, Muji-shade furnishings and large groups of diners clinking glasses loudly in the two tatami rooms. And then there’s the food, which is decidedly unpretentious. Definitely order the homemade chasu ($65) – lean but tender slices of pork imbibed in a sweet and savoury sauce. According to the chefs, this humble dish takes two days to prepare but the results are well worth the effort. In fact, it’s the seemingly simple dishes here that impress the most, like the homestyle Hokkaido potato salad ($40) mixed with Kewpie mayo, tobiko and salty blasts of ham, or clams and sliced 'shrooms slicked in rich, golden butter ($110).
There are also fancier, chef-recommended dishes on the menu. On the night of our visit, the staff suggest the sanma (pacific saury) from Hokkaido that’s just entering the peak of its season. Broiled with salt ($130), the streamlined fish is thoroughly delicious, boasting oily, sweet flesh that’s easily perked up with a squeeze of lemon. This is a must-try if you don’t mind picking the longer rib bones from the underside of the belly. Of course, you can also order sushi and sashimi but the selection is scant with most cuts offered only when they’re in their best season. If you go during these few autumn months, expect orange pearls of ikura bursting with brine (mp) and the aforementioned sanma in sashimi form ($160).
Still, Fuji No Sachi is a place where simple comforts reign supreme and we’d happily take a plate of soy-simmered pumpkin over a pricy cut of raw fish. You can go somewhere else for high-end Japanese dining but come here if you want to feel at home.