You don’t need to feel as if you are dining at a temple is the motto of Zaiyu Hasegawa, the chef of a modern kaiseki restaurant called Den (2-2-32 Kandajinbocho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; tel.03-3222-3978 ). His “counter” restaurant has 2 Michelin stars and ranks very high on the Japanese language site tabelog.com. Nothing surprising about that – apart of the really delicious food, you will also have a really good time at Den. Zaiyu’s san cooking is inventive and playful, yet it’s not just a game. No compromises are made when the quality of the ingredients is concerned and the cooking techniques (Japanese and French) are mastered to perfection.
The images below are from my two recent dinners, so some dishes might look similar…
The entranceFoie gras waffle with Japanese persimmon and smoked radishFoie gras waffle with Japanese persimmon and smoked radishClam, soy milk skin, seasonable vegetable and seaweedWhite asparagus tofu and egg cooked in low temperatureSea urchin sashimi and baby shrimpSpecial “KFC” chicken, stuffed with Korean style riceSpecial “KFC” chicken, stuffed with Korean style riceTrout smoked with cherry blossom, homemade miso and leafMy next dish dining accessoriesPotatoesRed sea bream with bamboo,Japanese pepper sauce with butterWild plants from mount Fuji, duck meatWild plants from mount FujiJapanese beefJapanese beefJapanese beef with riceJapanese beef with riceCheese mousse, green and roasted tea, buckwheat nut“Pina colada” dessertBottarga cookieDen is one of the very rare high end restaurants in Tokyo where one of the sous chefs is a womanZaiyu Hasegawa and the team
