The sugidama cedar ball hanging outside the door promises good sake inside, and this modern izakaya doesn't disappoint. There are around 15 or 20 well-chosen sake, including local Yamanashi brands, and you can put together your own tasting sets - for example three premium daiginjo for Y1500. There's also local microbrew beer and a selection of Yamanashi wines for a change of pace.

The kitchen turns out excellent charcoal-grilled chicken to go with your drinks - the tsukune (chicken meatballs) were particularly delectable - and a five-skewer moriawase is Y750. There's also a very healthy grilled vegetable platter - five vegetables for just Y550, typically made up of shiitake mushrooms, leeks, okra, cherry tomatoes and cabbage with nice garnishes like umeboshi. The raw horsemeat - a local Yamanashi delicacy - is very tender and flavorful and goes well with the sake.

This being Kofu, the menu offers four variations on hoto - a hearty local noodle dish - including one made with horsemeat, although we prefer the mushroom version. The menu also covers pastas, a few seafood dishes, and a section for "wine beef" (beef stewed in locally grown Yamanashi wine). The attractive modern decor has a cozy, rustic feel to it - concrete floors and walls, bamboo and stone elements, with well-spaced tables and a comfortable atmosphere. If you're alone you can sit at the counter; if you're with a group you can reserve the private room in back. Budget Y2500-3000 for a meal with drinks.

Kofu City, Marunouchi 2-16-6. [walk south 2 min. from JR Kofu South exit; it's on the right. Kofu is 90 min. from Shinjuku ] Open 11am-4pm (cafe time), 5-11pm. Closed Sundays. Tel: 055-223-8110.

While you're in the area, it's easy to get to the wine-tasting cave in Katsunuma, about thirty minutes by train from Kofu Station, and the Fuefukigawa Fruit Park, about fifteen minutes away.