Kaiseki Den - Exquisite Japanese tasting menu in Wan Chai

We never cease to be amazed by the plethora of world class restaurants in our neighborhood, and Kaiseki-Den was no exception. This high-end Japanese kaiseki restaurant is steps away from our front door and serves some of the most elegant flavors and beautifully plated courses I have enjoyed in Hong Kong.

Kaiseki-Den is the first Japanese restaurant in Hong Kong to earn a Michelin Star (back in 2010). It has maintained that star ever since and continues to execute exquisite tasting menus. Chief Executive Chef Hiroyuki Saotome, the mastermind behind these tasting menus, has over 30 years’ experience. His signature dishes include uni truffle rice and his wagyu beef dishes(more on those below!).

I remember being giddy with excitement as each course came, telling Bryan “I could eat here regularly . . . maybe once a week!”. I was sort of joking, knowing that this exquisite tasting menu wasn’t an everyday sort of meal, even if it was located underneath our apartment.

The photos below showcase the particular meal that we enjoyed. Because ingredients are seasonal, your tasting menu may be quite different from the one I enjoyed. However, I can attest to Chef Saotome’s brilliance in creating balanced and beautiful dishes – both in flavor and aesthetics.

The Kaiseki Tasting Menu at Kaiseki-Den by Saotome

thinly sliced beef for Sukiyaki
Wagyu Shabu Shabu
Final product: Hida Sirloin in Chef SAOTOME’s Sukiyaji style
Yum – delicious egg yolk foam!

The restaurant was formerly called “Wagyu Kaiseki Den”, and therefore it’s no surprise that beef is a specialty here. You choose between the Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki preparation. We chose one of each in order to try both, and they were both excellent.

Thankfully, by this point we had tried traditional sukiyaki (including with the foamy egg!) in Japan, so it was fun to compare with this creative version.

Nozaki beef is a type of Wagyu beef from Kagoshima, Japan. Here it’s grilled perfectly over a charcoal grill.

shaving white truffles
white truffle fried rice

poached egg
crunchy rice from the clay pot!
Uni truffle clay pot rice

The best – the signature uni truffle clay pot rice had beautifully browned crunchy rice at the bottom.

General Thoughts – Kaiseki Den by Saotome

We really, really enjoyed our beautiful kaiseki meal. It was fun to explore so many different types of Japanese dishes in a single tasting menu. Throughout the meal we enjoyed excellent renditions of sashimi, tempura, clam soup, grilled seafood, claypot rice, shabu shabu, sukiyaki, and grilled steak.

It was a fun culinary adventure and – despite its length – managed to stay on the lighter side. I did not feel heavy or too full afterwards. Instead, I felt good and fully satisfied.

Prices are on the high side, with a single tasting menu costing upwards around HKD2500 (over USD 300 per person) not including service fee and drinks. Definitely the type of meal to save for a special occasion, but most certainly very worth it!