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Den is no stranger to accolades. It has two Michelin stars and has been in the prime 10 on the World’s Finest record in years previous. But it also just happens to be the place I ate one particular of the best foods of my everyday living.
Heading to wonderful dining dining places can be overwhelming, in particular to a solo traveler. Some of the major-identify places to eat I appeared at for my November 2019 journey to Tokyo wouldn’t even acknowledge a reservation for a one diner.
I put my name on the hold out list at Den, nevertheless, and a 7 days right before the vacation received a cellular phone call confirming I might scored a seat thanks to an odd-numbered occasion at the table future to me. It was like locating out I was heading to a cool child bash or staying accepted into my “attain” university.
Still left: Chef Zaiyu Hasegawa with his beloved pup appropriate, a pillar at Den wherever shoppers go away thank-you messages.
Lilit Marcus/CNN
Nevertheless I was thrilled to get a reservation, I was also nervous — would the practical experience be stuffy, official, and full of component names I would under no circumstances read of? Would I leave the cafe emotion like I would just crossed a thing off of a listing, or would I basically enjoy the food stuff?
Delightfully, I can say that the answer was the latter.
Den is superior-conclude food with a silly sense of humor.
In the salad, carrots are sliced thinly and slash in the condition of smiley faces. Japanese-design and style fried rooster arrives in a mock quickly food items takeout box coated in jokes and a goofy photograph of the chef. 1 class comes with each and every diner’s national flag trapped in it — a swift study all around the modest eating area that night time shown tiny American (hi), Chinese, Japanese and Canadian flags, which make for fantastic souvenirs of the meal.
A serving of “Dentucky Fried Chicken” at Den.
Lilit Marcus/CNN
And that isn’t really all.
Tokyo is one particular of the world’s great foods towns. In the course of my weeklong vacation — my 1st-at any time check out to Japan — just about everything I ate was delicious, from minimart onigiri to late-evening ramen to tremendous-high priced sushi prepared in front of me.
Now, I can say that a person of the most memorable eateries I’ve ever visited has been voted the most effective cafe in all of Asia.
But I can also say that my evening at Den was a complete large amount of enjoyable.
Asia’s 50 Finest Dining establishments for 2022
1. Den (Tokyo)
2. Sorn (Bangkok)
3. Florilege (Tokyo)
4. Le Du (Bangkok)
5. The Chairman (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. Mingles (Seoul)
17. Sezanne (Tokyo)
18. Joo Ok (Seoul)
19. Ensue (Shenzhen, China)
20. Meta (Singapore)
21. Masque (Mumbai)
22. Indian Accent (New Delhi)
23. Les Amis (Singapore)
24. Caprice (Hong Kong)
25. Blue by Alain Ducasse (Bangkok)
26. 7th 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. La Maison de la Mother nature Goh (Fukuoka, Japan)
37. Zen (Singapore)
38. Logy (Taipei)
39. Ultraviolet by 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)
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