# Huckleberry: A Storybook Restaurant with Legendary Stew

> A log-house restaurant in Tsukui, Sagamihara. Owner-built 'a thicket inside a building' space, with a 3-day-simmered beef stew and house-made tempeh cutlet as the signatures.

Date: 2024-09-27

Tags: Sagamihara, Tsukui, Log house, Stew, Tempeh, Handmade, Western, Storybook, Hideaway, Restaurant

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## A log-house that looks like it stepped out of a picture book
![](https://img.wiredxeco.com/jjj-tokyo/huckleberry/4f825c1e348faeb16bebcb64ccea6457.webp)
"Huckleberry," in Sagamihara's Tsukui area, is a log-house restaurant with an exterior you remember on first sight. The first-generation owner, driven by the idea "**I want to make a thicket inside the building**," spent four years hand-building the interior. Open the door and there are actual trees standing in various spots inside — it genuinely feels like wandering into a small forest. The central pillar is a single cedar trunk the owner found in Akita, and the tables are made from all kinds of wood, so each seat sits at a differently shaped surface.

## A room full of details to find
![](https://img.wiredxeco.com/jjj-tokyo/huckleberry/378fa554b62a2bb97f962052acafab27.webp)
Lamps hung from the ceiling, a small sculpted beetle perched on a pillar, hand-applied plaster on the walls (the owner apprenticed as a plasterer for this). None of it is flashy, but look closely and you keep finding "wait, they made this?" details everywhere. Kids walk around pointing and asking, while adults get absorbed in the craftsmanship. A space where different age groups naturally find different ways to enjoy it.

## The second-generation's pick: house-made tempeh cutlet
![](https://img.wiredxeco.com/jjj-tokyo/huckleberry/1d61bf438d70dcd353225315b9fc7875.webp)
The current (second-generation) owner's recommendation is the **house-made tempeh cutlet**. Tempeh is a traditional Indonesian fermented soybean food, and here it's made from locally grown Tsukui soybeans. Minimal earthiness, clean on the palate — even people who aren't big on soy have an easy entry. The house sauce brings out the umami, and it delivers a lighter kind of satisfaction distinct from a regular meat cutlet.

## The signature beef stew is a 3-day affair
![](https://img.wiredxeco.com/jjj-tokyo/huckleberry/3bbcc35088c06f829f3a775d028aa653.webp)
You can't talk about Huckleberry without the signature **beef stew**, a menu staple since day one. Beef simmered to melting tenderness, onion sweetness and house sauce melting together — **prepared over about 3 days**. Local potatoes and onions deepen the flavor, delivering a stew that's simple yet layered. Pairs well with rice or bread; ordering it for lunch lifts the whole day.

## Takeout includes taking home the paella pan
Stew and paella are both available to go, and paella is cooked to order, so you can take it home fresh. You take **the paella pan itself home**, and returning it on your next visit earns you a discount. Nice touch for outdoor dining or a special night at home. Phone reservation is the safe route.

## Wrap-up
A warm, one-of-a-kind restaurant where the themes of "nature" and "handmade" run consistently through both the building and the cooking. Whether it's the destination of a Sagamihara-to-Tsukui drive or a stop along the way, the satisfaction is there either way.