On Tuesday night (29), the Den in Tokyo received top group honors World’s 50 Bestwhich recognized it as the best restaurant in Asia.
Den is no stranger to compliments. It has two Michelin stars and has been in the top 10 of the World’s Best list in recent years. But it’s also where I had one of the best meals of my life.
Going to fancy restaurants can be intimidating, especially for a solo traveller. Some of the reputable restaurants I tried to visit on my November 2019 trip to Tokyo didn’t even take the reservation.
I put my name on the waiting list in Den, however, and a week before the trip, I got a phone call confirming that I’d gotten a seat thanks to an odd number on the table next to me. It was like finding out I was going to a cool kid’s party or getting accepted to my university.
While I was thrilled to get a reservation, I was also nervous – would the experience be stifling, formal, and full of ingredient names I’d never heard of? Would I leave the restaurant feeling like I’d just crossed off something, or would I really enjoy the food?
Deliciously, I can say that the answer was the latter option.
Den is sophisticated food with a sense of humor.
In the salad, carrots are thinly sliced and cut into smiley faces. Japanese-style fried chicken arrives in a mock fast food box covered in jokes and a goofy photo of the chef.
A plate arrives with each restaurant’s national flag pinned to it – a quick search around the tiny dining room that night brought up small American, Chinese, Japanese and Canadian flags, which are great reminders of the meal.
And that’s not all.
Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa is not the type of guy who hides in the kitchen and lets the food do the talking. He’s funny and chatty, with his long-haired Chihuahua Puchi often in tow when he pays a visit to the salon.
Tokyo is one of the best food cities in the world. During my week-long trip—my first visit to Japan—almost everything I ate was delicious, from what I found at the onigiri minimarket to the late night ramen, to the super-expensive sushi prepared in front of me.
Now I can say that one of the most memorable restaurants I have ever visited has been voted the best restaurant in all of Asia. But I can also say that my night at the Den was a lot of fun.
The 50 Best Restaurants in Asia in 2022:
2. Sorn (Bangkok)
3. Florilegio (Tokyo)
4. Le Du (Bangkok)
5. The President (Hong Kong)
6. La Cime (Osaka)
7. Suhring (Bangkok)
8. Odette (Singapore)
9. Neighborhood (Hong Kong)
10. Nusara (Bangkok)
11. Sazenka (Tokyo)
12. Fu He Hui (Shanghai)
13. Ode (Tokyo)
14. Villa Aida (Wakayama, Japan)
15. Narisawa (Tokyo)
16. Mix (Seoul)
17. Sezanne (Tokyo)
18. Joo Ok (Seoul)
19. Follow (Shenzhen, China)
20. Goal (Singapore)
21. Mask (Mumbai)
22. Indian accent (New Delhi)
23. Les Amis (Singapore)
24. Caprice (Hong Kong)
25. Blue by Alain Ducasse (Bangkok)
26. 7th Gate (Seoul)
27. Mosu (Seoul)
28. From Vittorio (Shanghai)
29. Masato Sushi (Bangkok)
30. Onjium (Seoul)
31. Samrub Samrub Thai (Bangkok)
32. Mono (Hong Kong)
33. Gaa (Bangkok)
34. Wing (Hong Kong)
35. Ministry of the Crab (Columbus)
36. La Maison de la Nature Goh (Fukuoka, Japan)
37. Zen (Singapore)
38. Logy (Taipei)
39. Ultraviolet by Paul Pairet (Shanghai)
40. Labyrinth (Singapore)
41. Burnt Tips (Singapore)
42. Ete (Tokyo)
43. Cenci (Kyoto)
44. Cloudstreet (Singapore)
45. JL Studio (Taichung, Taiwan)
46. Raan Jay Fai (Bangkok)
47. Lei Wing Palace (Macao)
48. 8 1/2 Mezzo Bombano (Hong Kong)
49. Megu (New Delhi)
50. Dewakan (Kuala Lumpur)
Source: CNN Brasil
