On an afternoon in early July, Hiroyuki Sato, owner-chef of the renowned sushi restaurant Hakkoku, is in high spirits after a few glasses of Champagne. He¡¯s celebrating the debut of Sushidan, his new casual sushi bar inside the two-story food hall ¡ª titled The Restaurant ¡ª of Tokyo¡¯s recently launched Eat Play Works, and the positive reception has bolstered his optimism for the venture.
¡°This project is possible because of friendship,¡± Sato says, describing how the food hall¡¯s group of loosely acquainted operators decided to create a dining concept based on cooperation. The plan came together like a pot-luck party on a commercial scale: One chef called another chef, who in turn introduced another. The result is a diverse collection of 17 restaurants ranging in style from sushi to ramen, and modern Spanish to Japanese-infused French bistro fare.
¡°Instead of competing with each other, we¡¯re working to make the building itself a dining destination,¡± he explains.
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