Hakunei (ç˝ĺŻ§)
⭐⭐⭐⭐
đ Innovative đŻđľ Japanese x đŤđˇ French / đ Nishi-Azabu
đ Visits: 2 (2024-2023)
The structure of the menu was similar on both by visits: consomme, vegetable ice-cream/sorbet, aori ika, chawanmushi, spring roll, pasta/somen, unagi galette, fish, meat, rice, dessert, mille crepe, herb tea. Only the unagi galette and mille crepe were exactly the same on both vists. On visit #1 an extra savoury dish was included (shirako). Visit #2 included a pre-dessert, which wasn't present on visit #1.
I enjoyed my first visit more than my second. My lowest score for any dish on visit #1 was 8. On visit #2 I scored two eights, two sevens and one seven point five. I scored two dishes 10/10 on visit #1: (1) the foie gras and chestnut chawanmushi which contained chestnut puree, fresh chestnut pieces and grated chestnut, the flavour enhanced with some light smoke; and (2) the vanilla mille crepe: 30 layers, rich, super sweet and the perfect end to the meal. On visit #2 I also scored two dishes 10/10: the chawanmushi again and the fish course. The chawanmushi was takenoko this time. It had an amazing purity of flavour and none of the bitter aftertaste that takenoko invariably has. I think this dish is an acquired taste: if you haven't eaten much Japanese food you might be wondering why a dish that tastes "of nothing" is so special. The second 10/10 was the fish: the shin shoga, myoga, tomato and chamame sauce that came with the isaki, a large piece, the skin charred, finished with a little butter, was perfectly balanced. The mille crepe wasn't as good on visit #2 as I remembered it: the apple jam replaced with a seasonal citrus jam that just didn't do it for me. I thought there was more vanilla last time as well. As for the unagi galette, the unagi was burned on this visit.
I particularly liked the second appetizer on both visits. A nasu ice-cream and puree on visit #2: a bit sweet but bags of flavour in the ice-cream from the smokey eggplant. On visit #1 this was a celery sorbet with apple juice and juniper. I didn't understand the point of serving what seemed like a pre-dessert at this point and the sorbet had crystallised a little but it didn't matter: it was celery flavour to the max. The shirako meuniere on visit #1 missed the mark a bit. French from the buttery puff pastry it came with, but then Japanese from the taro and hamaguri sauce, shungiku and heavy on the yuzu. The balance was off and the flavours too bold for what had come before. The main dish on visit #1 showed the full potential of Hakunei: straw smoked venison with a katsuoboshi sauce (9.5/10). I expected more from the main on visit #2, which was a pretty conventional roasted pigeon with red wine sauce (8.5/10). No bread is served. Instead, carbohydrate comes from takikomi gohan. The rice is finished with a little butter, making it quite different from what you'd get in a traditional Japanese restaurant, though I "only" scored the rice 9/10 on both visits. You can have one refill of rice. The meal ends with two desserts. The final dessert is the aforementioned mille crepe. The seasonal dessert served before this on both visits has been a bit weak. On visit #1, each component was good but eaten together all you could taste was sweet brown rice. The seasonal dessert on visit #2 was completely forgettable.
The nearest comparison is jinen. (review here). Both jinen. and Hakunei label themselves as "French", but I'd call Hakunei innovative Japanese x French. The ingredients are almost entirely seasonal Japanese. Some of the techniques are French (consommes, savoury ice-creams, crepes, sauces) but the flavours are much more Japanese. I wonder if jinen. and Hakunei label themselves as French so that people don't go expecting a kaiseki meal and wonder what the Dickens they are being served.
The space is pretty much unchanged from how Satoshi F left it, and why would you change it when it's so comfortable and beautiful. Chef Dai Hayashi (ex Florilege and ex Margotto e Baciare) doesn't speak any English but one of the two wait staff does. The chefs look like they should still be in school.
The drinks menu is bilingual. A glass of Champagne is JPY 3,000. There is a long wine list and pairing options that are more expensive than the food. Water is charged at JPY 1,500 a bottle. A terse course menu (transcribed below) will be printed in Japanese or English for you to follow along.
Given the ownership of Hakunei (and quality of food) I'd expect the restaurant to get a Michelin Star. Though for the same reason I expected jinen. to, and it hasn't (so far). It's difficult for innovative restaurants to get Michelin Stars in Japan, I guess because Michelin can't pigeonhole them.
My most recent visit to Hakunei will probably be my last for a long while. While the meal was good and while there's certainly plenty of food, I need a meal that costs 30k+ to have more 10s.
đ https://tabelog.com/tokyo/A1307/A130703/13289034/
❓ My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.2
đą Booking: đŠ A day in advance via Tabelog (2 or more diners), TableCheck or phone. (English spoken)
đ Location:
4-9-11 Nishi-Azabu. 10 mins North from Hiroo Station Exit 4.
Map data ©2024 Google
đś Free WiFi? ✅ Yes (not the best phone reception)
đ Visit May 2024
Sadowara eggplant
Bigfin reef squid Urui
Bamboo shoot
Bamboo shoot Firefly squid
Tiger prawn Udo
Sansho pepper Potato
Eel
Grunt
Pigeon
Sakura shrimp
Amanatsu
Miyazaki mango
Mille crepes
đ´ Damage: 34,001 (27.5k + drinks @ 3100 + 10% + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 2h5m
đ Visit December 2023
Apple celery
Bigfin reef squid sea urchin
Chestnut foie gras
Golden bream
mushroom
Scented crab
Milt lily
eel
Sweet bream
Ezo deer
Barracuda Maitake Mushroom
persimmon
Mille crepes
đ´ Damage: 29,403 (22k + drinks @ 2300 + 10% + 10%)
⏱️ Time taken: 2h15m
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