Maison Kei offers a multicourse, French-inspired dining experience with a view of Mount Fuji. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Eat a luxurious Japanese-influenced French meal with a view of Mount Fuji at Maison Kei in Gotemba.
Maison Kei offers a multicourse dining experience; the menu is a creation of Kei Kobayashi, the first Japanese chef to win three Michelin stars for Restaurant Kei, his establishment in Paris, in 2020.
The restaurant can seat 24, and each table has a perfect view of Fuji.
Maison Kei offers three types of dining experiences: the Decouverte, a two-hour course with two appetizers, a main dish and two desserts for 5,500 yen, or $35.66; the Voyage, a 2½-hour course consisting of two appetizers, a fish and a meat dish and two desserts for 9,500 yen; and Prestige, a 2½ to three-hour chef’s choice course of six to seven dishes, where customers can choose from several types of main meat dishes, including upgrades for 14,000 yen.
Drinks aren’t included in the price, but guests may order from an extensive list of wines, beers and champagnes from France, Italy and Japan.
Pigeon, with the liver and a wing served on the side, at Maison Kei in Gotemba, Japan. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
My friend and I opted for the Voyage course.
Throughout the dining experience, the maître d’ explains the ingredients of each dish and makes sure that the drinks are filled by the sommelier. After each course, the utensils are replaced with a fresh set.
All the food is plated to perfection.
At the opening, madeleines are served, plated on rocks, with small radishes and a salsa verde topping. Bread with olive oil is available throughout the meal.
The Jardin des Legumes, the restaurant’s signature, stands out. The salad is picture-perfect, covered in a large ball of foam with colorful edible flowers on top.
The servers sprinkle an almond-and-black-olive crumble on top and toss the combination, which becomes a salad with green sauce. The dish is earthy, and the ingredients are fresh from Shizuoka prefecture.
Truffle-topped scambled eggs from Maison Kei in Gotemba, Japan. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
My meat-free main dish was scrambled eggs topped with truffles, which added a pungent and earthy flavor to the eggs.
My friend’s main dish was pigeon. The tradition of eating this game bird in France goes back centuries and is considered a delicacy. The breast of the pigeon is served on a large plate with the liver and a wing on the side. My friend said it has a unique flavor — gamey, yet tasty.
Dinner concludes with coffee, either espresso or a latte, and crackers served with beni hoppe strawberry jelly on top. The server then adds a nice addition to the experience, a Fuji-shaped sugar bowl.
As guests depart, they receive a caramel toffee in a small bag to end their fine dining experience.
Dinner at Maison Kei concludes with coffee, either espresso or a latte, with crackers served with beni hoppe strawberry jelly on top. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
Maison Kei
Location: 527-1 Higashiyama, Gotemba, Shizuoka 412-0024
Hours: Open 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner, Thursday through Monday. Closes Tuesday and Wednesday.
Prices: 5,500 yen to 14,000 yen.
Dress: Smart casual
Directions: Between an hour and an hour and 45 minutes by car from most Tokyo-area bases. Free parking.
Information: online: maisonkei.jp; reservations are available by phone or on the restaurant’s website. Those with dietary restrictions can ask at booking that the kitchen adjust the course to their needs.
