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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