Reported in Rockland
Mt. Fuji Makes the Drive Part of Dinner
The Hillburn restaurant begins making its case before anyone reaches the table, with a climb above Route 17 and a view across the Ramapo landscape.
Dinner at Mt. Fuji begins on the way up.
The Hillburn restaurant sits above Route 17 at 296 Old Route 17, high enough for the approach to separate it from the traffic below. By the time guests reach the dining room, the Hudson Valley view has already done part of the work normally left to the menu.
That setting helps explain why Mt. Fuji has remained a Rockland destination for decades. The restaurant serves sushi and Japanese classics, but its most recognizable experience happens around the teppanyaki tables, where chefs prepare the meal on the grill in front of the group.
The table becomes both kitchen and gathering place. Dinner unfolds in shared view, giving birthdays, family meals, and visits with out-of-town guests a built-in center of attention. The food matters, but so does the feeling that everyone at the table has arrived somewhere.
Rockland has plenty of places to eat without making an occasion of it. Mt. Fuji works in the opposite direction. The climb, the view, and the tableside cooking stretch the meal beyond what arrives on the plate.
A restaurant can serve dinner almost anywhere. In Hillburn, the mountain is part of the reservation.
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