What an eventful 12 months it¡¯s been for Zaiyu Hasegawa and his team at Den. This time last year he had just closed his hugely in-demand restaurant ¡ª at the busiest season ¡ª and relocated across the city. At the time it seemed like a leap into the unknown, a step sideways rather than ahead. Now it¡¯s starting to look like a stroke of genius.
After nine years at his iconic Jinbocho address, Hasegawa was ready for change. He had moved into the premises as an unknown 29-year-old, soon turning Den into an under-the-radar insiders¡¯ secret ¡ª and from there into one of Tokyo¡¯s must-visit addresses for visitors from home and abroad.
But he was beginning to feel the physical limitations of the discreet entrance and narrow corridors, the intimate nine-seat counter and private rooms hidden away upstairs. The new Den, on the northern edge of Jingumae, could hardly be more different.
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