Den

Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa is no ordinary Japanese chef. While others seek to replicate the high-class and historic cuisine of courtly Kyoto, he instead chose to cast light on a different side of his country’s food: a refined take on the home cooking of Japan. This down-to-earth choice of menu, along with his impeccable execution, has earned his restaurant — Den, in Jimbocho — two Michelin stars in 2018 as well as a Green Star for sustainability. Here the staples which hold a fond place in the heart of every Japanese person are raised to a higher level through the application of expert culinary techniques. Take for example their “Dentucky Fried Chicken”: chicken wings stuffed then deep-fried, potentially the best karaage on earth. The claypot cooked rice, topped with either meat or seafood, has also been met with endless praise. It’s no wonder that Hasegawa-san’s place is consistently rated among the top 50 in Asia.