Zaiyu Hasegawa pauses for a moment when I comment on the diversity of the clientele at Den, his restaurant in Tokyo¡¯s Jinbocho neighborhood.
¡°It¡¯s by word of mouth, I think. People come and they tell their friends, ¡®You should go here. It¡¯s fun!¡¯ ¡± he says, explaining the variety of people. He pauses again and laughs. ¡°I don¡¯t really get told it¡¯s delicious, but people always say Den is fun.¡±
The simple, offhand way in which he expresses his answer might seem odd coming from the owner of a restaurant recently ranked at No. 37 on Asia¡¯s 50 Best Restaurants list, but it¡¯s also telling. Though the 37-year-old chef¡¯s talent is a major draw, it¡¯s the Den experience that impresses his customers.
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