Den is not any stranger to accolades. It has two Michelin stars and has been within the best 10 at the International’s Perfect checklist in years previous. Nevertheless it additionally simply occurs to be the place I ate one of the vital perfect foods of my existence.
Going to positive eating eating places will also be intimidating, particularly to a solo traveler. One of the most big-name eating places I checked out for my November 2019 commute to Tokyo would not even settle for a reservation for a unmarried diner.
I put my call at the wait checklist at Den, despite the fact that, and every week prior to the commute were given a telephone name confirming I might scored a seat due to an odd-numbered celebration on the desk subsequent to me. It was once like learning I used to be going to a groovy child celebration or being approved into my “achieve” college.
Left: Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa along with his loved domestic dog; proper, a pillar at Den the place consumers depart thank-you messages.
Lilit Marcus/CNN
Even though I used to be extremely joyful to get a reservation, I used to be additionally apprehensive — would the revel in be stuffy, formal, and stuffed with component names I might by no means heard of? Would I depart the eating place feeling like I’d simply crossed one thing off of an inventory, or would I in reality benefit from the meals?
Delightfully, I will say that the solution was once the latter.
Den is high-end meals with a foolish humorousness.
Within the salad, carrots are sliced thinly and minimize within the form of smiley faces. Eastern-style fried hen arrives in a ridicule speedy meals takeout field lined in jokes and a goofy photograph of the chef. One route arrives with each and every diner’s nationwide flag caught in it — a snappy survey across the small eating room that evening displayed tiny American (hello), Chinese language, Eastern and Canadian flags, which make for excellent souvenirs of the meal.
A serving of “Dentucky Fried Hen” at Den.
Lilit Marcus/CNN
And that’s not all.
Tokyo is without doubt one of the global’s nice meals towns. All through my weeklong commute — my first-ever talk over with to Japan — almost about the whole lot I ate was once scrumptious, from minimart onigiri to late-night ramen to super-expensive sushi ready in entrance of me.
Now, I will say that probably the most memorable eateries I have ever visited has been voted the most efficient eating place in all of Asia.
However I will additionally say that my evening at Den was once loads of amusing.
Asia’s 50 Perfect Eating places for 2022
1. Den (Tokyo)
2. Sorn (Bangkok)
3. Florilege (Tokyo)
4. Le Du (Bangkok)
5. The Chairman (Hong Kong)
6. Los angeles Cime (Osaka)
7. Suhring (Bangkok)
8. Odette (Singapore)
9. Community (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. Mingles (Seoul)
17. Sezanne (Tokyo)
18. Joo Good enough (Seoul)
19. Ensue (Shenzhen, China)
20. Meta (Singapore)
21. Masque (Mumbai)
22. Indian Accessory (New Delhi)
23. Les Amis (Singapore)
24. Caprice (Hong Kong)
25. Blue by means of Alain Ducasse (Bangkok)
26. seventh Door (Seoul)
27. Mosu (Seoul)
28. Da Vittorio (Shanghai)
29. Sushi Masato (Bangkok)
30. Onjium (Seoul)
31. Samrub Samrub Thai (Bangkok)
32. Mono (Hong Kong)
33. Gaa (Bangkok)
34. Wing (Hong Kong)
35. Ministry of Crab (Colombo)
36. Los angeles Maison de l. a. Nature Goh (Fukuoka, Japan)
37. Zen (Singapore)
38. Logy (Taipei)
39. Ultraviolet by means of Paul Pairet (Shanghai)
40. Labyrinth (Singapore)
41. Burnt Ends (Singapore)
42. Ete (Tokyo)
43. Cenci (Kyoto)
44. Cloudstreet (Singapore)
45. JL Studio (Taichung, Taiwan)
46. Raan Jay Fai (Bangkok)
47. Wing Lei Palace (Macao)
48. 8 1/2 Mezzo Bombano (Hong Kong)
49. Megu (New Delhi)
50. Dewakan (Kuala Lumpur)
