Today we introduce to you the popular and ever hospitable restaurant of Japanese cuisine, “Den”. Having accumulated experience at Sakurazaka Uwo Toku and other restaurants, Zaiyu Hasegawa decided to start his own restaurant in 2007, and opened Den in Jinbōchō. In its third year, the restaurant received its first star from the Michelin Guide 2010th edition, and a second the following year. It is not an exaggeration to say that Den is currently the fastest growing restaurant in Tokyo.

The restaurant is a solitary building surrounded by Jinbōchō’s alleyways and black fences. As you can see in the picture below, there is a noren at the entrance.

The toast is provided compliments of the house; this time is was berlucchi spumante. It was something of a special day, and this kind of thoughtfulness really makes an impression on guests.

The appetizer was a soup of chrysanthemum flower mixed with small water snails and shiba shrimp. Our mouths were watering just from the smells.

The next dish was a cream croquette. These types of dishes really bring out the attractiveness of restaurants that don’t follow the norm of Japanese cuisine.

The smell of matsutake mushrooms really stood out when I cut into it with my chopsticks. The salt accompanying the croquette is cooked with konbu for added seasoning, and makes for an excellent combination of flavors along with the sudachi citrus.

At this point we decided to have some saké to accompany the meal. We started off with “Jūyondai Nakadori Junmai Ginjō Saké” from Banshū Aizan. Jūyondai, an illusive saké and extremely hard to come by, is locally made in Yamagata Prefecture. Upon trying this brand you will find not only the exquisite fragrance and depth of flavor in perfect harmony, but also hints of fruit, altogether making for an enjoyable and easily drinkable saké.

“Den” is also very particular about the water it serves. Used in the brewery “Mt. Kirin Sansui,” the finest refreshing natural water. The softness of this water supports both alcoholic drinks and the flavor of the food.

For our sashimi, we had slices of seared bonito. Being in season, the level of fat on the bonito matched excellently with the sudachi citrus.

The fried dish was dengaku, baked bean curd coated with miso, from Nasu.

It is currently the season of Halloween, so the restaurant added some extra details to our dishes. Cocoa powder, mixed in with the miso, made for a fuller taste.

The featured food at Den is its fresh vegetable salad, made with vegetables picked daily each morning from the store owner’s older sister’s farm in western Tokyo, and from a farm in Chiba Prefecture. The crispy leaves on top are black cabbage, slowly cooked over a low flame. What appears at first glance to be a simple salad actually incorporates several ingenious ideas.

Next up was “Junmai Ginjō Yamada Nishiki Hōken Saké,” made with care by a well-known brewery.

The next dish was Japanese butterfish and tofu, served in a bowl. Because the fried dish was somewhat light, this one came in a larger amount. What a great sense of balance.

The rice was cooked with chicken in it.

The dessert at the end was pear compote with a cream cheese sauce. The combination of sweet and sour was perfect.

According to Mr. Hasegawa, the name of his restaurant “Den” originates from his love of home-cooked cuisine. Bringing joy to people who you love and are special to you, that is what home-cooked cuisine should look like, and it is what Mr. Hasegawa strives for.

Being a skilled chef is important, but it is also important to convey the thoughts of everybody involved. The hard work from all the farmers in growing the vegetables, the determination of the skilled craftsmen who made the dishes and utensils; it is Mr. Hasegawa’s hope to convey these feelings through cuisine. The word den (傳) is the ancient character for den (伝), meaning to pass on, to transmit. With these thoughts in mind was Den opened, and has created a new standard for Japanese cuisine. Please take the opportunity to see Den for yourselves.

■Jinbōchō Den
Address: Jinbōchō, Kanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 2-2-32
Directions: One minute walk from the A3 exit of Jinbōchō Station
Hours of operation: 5:00pm – 11:30pm (Last order at 10:30pm)
Closed: Sundays (Open if Monday is holiday)
Website: https://www.jinbocho-den.jp