It was a special night for chef Zaiyu Hasegawa and his team at Tokyo’s Den, as the restaurant was announced No.1 in the list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, sponsored S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. After the tenth edition of the prestigious list was unveiled, 50 Best caught up with chef Hasegawa-san for his first interview as the chef-owner of the finest place to dine in the continent
For the first time since the launch of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2013, a Japanese restaurant has been named the best in the continent. Tokyo’s Den – led by the charismatic and ground-breaking cook Zaiyu Hasegawa – was crowned The Best Restaurant in Asia, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna. The Japanese chef community united at The Palace Hotel for the live streaming of the show, which was one of three official 50 Best events taking place across Asia. Other live screening celebrations took place in Bangkok and Macau, where chefs came together to take part in the ceremony in person for the first time since 2019.
Den has been a consistent performer in the ranking, having been named The Best Restaurant in Japan every year since 2018. It rose from No.3 in 2021 to take the top spot this year, to the delight of chef Hasegawa-san and his team at Den. “This is the greatest honour of my career so far,” said Hasegawa in the exclusive interview with 50 Best immediately after his win was announced. “Our team has worked very hard for this and it is the reward for all of our hard work.”
One of Den's popular contemporary takes on traditional dishes – steamed fish and turnip
One of the key characteristics of the food at Den is the way it blends international influence with authentic Japanese cuisine. It holds true to the kaiseki style, Japan’s hyper-seasonal dining tradition where produce is selected at the pinnacle of its season, though it is not uncommon to see globetrotting ingredients intertwined with good humour and always presented in a highly considered, colourful style. The iconic Dentucky Fried Chicken is perhaps the best example of this playfulness, served in a bespoke ‘takeaway box’ with chef Hasegawa’s image emblazoned on the front.
“While this is an important moment for me and Japanese restaurants, what I am really looking forward to is our borders opening fully so we can start sharing what we do with the global food community again,” says Hasegawa. “It has been a difficult time for everyone in the hospitality world, but I think that this year will be the year that we can all begin exploring and discovering once more.”
It was Japan’s year at the reveal of the ranking, which celebrates its tenth anniversary this year. No fewer than 11 Japanese restaurants made their way into the list, making it the best-performing destination this year. Thailand was the second-most-successful country, coming to the party with nine restaurants, followed by Singapore with seven. It marked a record year for new entries to the list too – 16 restaurants that have not been featured before received enough votes from the 318-person-strong 50 Best voting Academy to break into the ranking for the first time.
Asia's top chefs celebrated across the continent at events in Bangkok (pictured), Macau and Tokyo
Other notable awards revealed on the night included the peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award, which went to David Lai of Hong Kong’s Neighborhood, the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award, which went to previous No.1 Odette in Singapore, and Mume in Taipei, which picked up the prestigious Flor de Caña Sustainable Restaurant Award after an audit by 50 Best’s Sustainability Audit Partner, Sustainable Restaurant Association. Maira Yeo from Singapore’s Cloudstreet earned the title of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona.
Signing off with 50 Best, chef Hasegawa-san said: “I wish all the chefs across Asia a huge congratulations for their success this year. It is a special moment for hospitality and I hope we can all come together in person next year.”
Stay tuned to 50 Best’s social channels over the coming days as exclusive photography and videography from the events held across the continent will be revealed.
The new edition of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced on Tuesday 29th March at live ceremonies in Bangkok, Macau and Tokyo. Browse the website, join the community on Instagram, follow us on Facebook, visit us on Twitter and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay up to date with the latest news and announcements.
