Tokyo
Hakuun
日本料理 伯雲
A Japanese culinary experience perfected with refined sensibility and craftsmanship. Building on his experience as the former chef of RyuGin, Shingo Sakamoto elevates his art to new levels at his very own Hakuun. The eclectic menu features flavorful dishes such as abalone soup and charcoal-grilled bonito that speak for the quality of the ingredients. From the choice of tableware to presentation, every detail reflects his sole wish to entertain his guests with authentic Japanese flavors.
Opened in 2021, Hakuun is located on a quiet residential street in Aoyama. A small wooden sign hangs outside the building with the restaurant’s name, which the chef took from a Zen poem.
“There’s a saying, Seizan moto fudo; Hakuun onozukara kyoraisu, depicting how flowing hakuun (white clouds) roll past unmoving green mountains,” he explains. "If we imagine the mountains to be a metaphor for Japanese cuisine, I hope to be like these clouds that flow and change their shapes as they add to the scenery.”
As you step inside, you will immediately sense the beauty of Japanese aesthetics. In front of the smooth counter, made of Yoshino cypress wood, eight seats are neatly set with square Wagatabon trays made by craftsmen in Ishikawa Prefecture. The bamboo-woven ceiling and shoji screens create an inviting atmosphere.
Sakamoto greets the guests warmly as the door behind the counter slides open, letting the lively atmosphere of the kitchen flow into the dining room. The door stays open throughout the meal until it’s closed again during dessert. It may be a subtle gesture but it is a way for the chef to provide the guests with a quiet and peaceful moment after the long meal.
CUISINE
Refined sensibility and craftsmanship
"We prepare everything so that our guests can enjoy all the details from the texture, temperature and aroma of the food, as well as the tableware and the space,” the chef says. “In our cuisine, we want the ingredients to do the talking, not the chef.”
Reflecting his intentions, he curates an exquisite omakase menu that brings about the flavors of the season. Served in a bowl by a Japanese glass artist, Kyohei Fujita, marbled flounder sashimi is served with white radish, mitsuba herbs and delicate foam made from tomato extract.
The day’s soup brings together rich flavors of steamed abalone and hairy crab. The abalone is garnished with finely sliced yuzu citrus. The fragrant dashi is made with Rishiri kombu and Ibusuki bonito flakes that are freshly shaved in front of the guests. Cold hiyamugi noodles are another perfect summer dish. Served in clam broth, the homemade noodles are topped with plenty of sea urchin and fresh watercress.
The charcoal-grilled bonito is a signature dish that Sakamoto proudly serves whenever he can secure the fish. The bonito is first smoked with straw and then charcoal-fired to deepen its flavor. The beautiful slice of seared fish is served with myoga and shiso leaves.
Omi wagyu beef is also cooked over aromatic charcoal. The marbled meat is grilled carefully to create a smoky, crusty exterior while keeping the inside moist and tender. The sliced steak is served with a flavorful sukiyaki-style sauce, fried onions and a drizzle of egg yolk.
A small hot pot of pike conger eel and matsutake mushrooms fills the room with the most wonderful aroma. Served in a beautiful copper pot with pieces of charcoal underneath it, the broth, made with eel bones, stays warm as you enjoy every spoonful.
INGREDIENTS
Hakuun’s omakase menu brings about rich flavors of the season by using fresh ingredients. In the spring, Sakamoto likes to use mountain vegetables, pike conger eel in the summer, matsutake mushrooms in the fall and pufferfish in the winter. The high-quality produce is brought in from trusted vendors across Japan.
Pike conger eel, flounder, stonefish and pufferfish come from ports of Shimonoseki from Tokushima Prefecture. Many of the vegetables are grown in Ishikawa while the matsutake mushrooms come from Iwate. The dashi broth is made using Rishiri kombu from Kuranoike on Rebun Island in Hokkaido, and Honkarebushi bonito flakes from Ibusuki in Kagoshima.
CHEF
Shing Sakamoto
In 2007, he began his apprenticeship under Seiji Yamamoto at RyuGin, the top-rated Japanese restaurant in Hibiya. He recalls how the experience taught him many things such as how to care for the ingredients and to pay attention to the subtle details like the temperature of the served food. After years of training, he was named head chef of the restaurant in 2016.
To further test his talent, Sakamoto decided to open Hakuun in 2021. He says he continues to dedicate himself to his job everyday with a wonderful team.
VISION
Sakamoto hopes to continue sharing authentic Japanese cuisine with guests from all over the world. He is also focused on passing down his vision as well as his mastery to the next generation of Japanese chefs.
EDO KIRIKO
Edo Kiriko is a traditional Japanese glass-cutting technique that results in intricate, geometric patterns. The work of Hideyoshi Tadano, a contemporary Edo Kiriko artist, is distinctive in itself. Sakamoto fell in love with Tadano's glassware when he came across them for the first time during his apprenticeship. At the time, he bought just one goldfish sake cup, and dreamed of having the complete set when he owned his own restaurant.
Since opening Hakuun, his dream has come true. He can now ask the guests to choose their favorite from a stunning set of Tadano’s sakeware that he’s collected. He stores them neatly in a square box, each piece shrinking like colorful gems. The artist’s beautiful work is also seen throughout the meal like the glass bowl used for the cold hiyamugi noodles.
Course
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
- The price includes our booking fee of ￥8,000
Tokyo
Hakuun
日本料理 伯雲
- GENRE
- Kaiseki, Aoyama
- ADDRESS
-
1F, Japan, 〒107-0062 Tokyo, Minato City, Minamiaoyama, 4 Chome−11−2
- OPEN
- 5:30PM-, 8:30PM-
- CLOSED
- Sunday
- URL
- NA
- PHONE
- NA
