The story
Espoir De Maison offers refined French dining in Chino, where Chef Norihiko Fujiki treats the kitchen as an extension of the surrounding forest. Born in Tokyo but drawn to the mountains, Fujiki opened this establishment in 1998 after training at a local Tatsuno auberge and working in agricultural wholesale. His cooking rejects fixed recipes; instead, he adjusts techniques daily based on the specific sweetness of a vegetable or the health condition of the game animal. This dedication to deep local sourcing earned the kitchen a Gault Millau score of 15, recognizing a style that prioritizes the story behind every ingredient over standard convention.
Winter brings the prominence of domestic game, a category where Fujiki holds authority as representative director of the Japan Game Promotion Association. Signature French preparations include bone-in venison roti served with red wine sauce and roasted wild boar back accompanied by mushroom reductions. The menu shifts fluidly with the seasons, offering spring mountain vegetables and summer highland crops before turning to natural wild mushrooms and chestnuts in autumn. Other seasonal highlights feature wild pheasant poêlé with salmi sauce or red snapper prepared savoyarde style.
The dining room sits within a forest auberge setting, offering guests views of the changing landscape through large windows. A private room accommodates intimate gatherings, while a terrace allows pets to join their owners during meals. Beverage service matches the culinary depth, with a cellar housing over 500 varieties and 2,500 bottles of wine aged in the underground storage. After dinner, guests can linger with digestifs ranging from dessert wines to cognac, or visit the dedicated cigar room for a slow evening finish.
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