ca'enne

The story

ca’enne Chino: Wood-Fired Italian Cooking in the Yatsugatake Foothills

The Kitchen and Its Traditions

Chef Noriyuki Usui founded ca’enne in Chino after training at Italian restaurants across Tokyo and Europe. He spent nearly a decade in Emilia Romagna and Piedmont mastering classical Italian cuisine before bringing those techniques back to Japan in 2012. The kitchen now centers on a single European method. Usui cooks locally sourced vegetables and meats over oak and cherry logs to highlight their natural sweetness.

Signature Preparations

The menu follows a strict seasonal course that shifts with the regional harvest. Usui produces a house-cured prosciutto using the traditional cratello technique learned at Antica Corte Pallavicina. Local sake koji from the Masuzumi brewery replaces standard salt during the aging process. These refined Italian preparations form the backbone of the twelve-dish dinner service.

The Dining Room and Setting

The property rests at one thousand meters elevation where sharp temperature swings shape the surrounding agriculture. Simple wooden tables and neutral textiles keep the focus on the plates. This restrained approach to hospitality secured a fifteen-and-a-half score from Gault&Millau for the upcoming guide. Evening service begins precisely at six when the chefs ignite the main hearth.