【Restaurant Information】
When registering for the waiting list, please apply for your preferred time of arrival at 17:00 or 20:30.
An eight-minute walk from Omotesando Station transports guests to Hakuun, a Japanese restaurant set in a tranquil residential area in Minami Aoyama 4-chome, famously known as a gourmet destination packed with renowned restaurants. Hakuun is directed by Shingo Sakamoto, who worked as a head chef at a three-star Japanese restaurant.
A 1-star “Hakuun” is derived from the Zen phrase, “the green mountains do not move, and the white clouds come and go on their own.” While Japanese cuisine is likened to the immovable green mountains, the restaurant staff who work with a flexible attitude are likened to the white clouds that slowly come and go, changing shape by adding the “man” radical (ｲ) to one of the Chinese characters for the word “white clouds” (白雲) to transform it into “Hakuun” (伯雲).
Chef Sakamoto carefully selects ingredients to allow guests to enjoy the seasonal flavors of Japan through its cuisine. He makes every effort to “get the best out of each ingredient for guests” and offers seasonal menus that showcase shellfish and edible wild plants in spring, pike conger and eel in summer, matsutake mushrooms in autumn, and pufferfish and crab in winter. He attains a sublime texture for fish by using the specialized cutting techniques he learned while cutting raw fish for sashimi and preparing pike conger for cooking as an apprentice. Meanwhile, the basic stock that acts as a foundation for many dishes is made from freshly shaved bonito flakes, carefully made with fermented dried bonito from Ibusuki, Kagoshima, Rishiri kelp from Kafuka on Rebun Island, Hokkaido, and extremely soft hot spring water from Tarumizu, Kagoshima, known for its high extracting power. This dashi adds an umami flavor to several courses from appetizers to entrées.
The restaurant modern and stylish design is striking against the backdrop of Minami Aoyama’s streetscape, but a step inside will reveal a pure Japanese-style interior with wood accents and earthen walls; in fact, guests often comment they feel as if they were in Kyoto. The food is served on elegant tableware, mostly antique, collected by chef Sakamoto as an apprentice. The Japanese sake is served in Edo Kiriko glassware created by Edo Kiriko Artist Hidetoshi Tadano.
The restaurant is an outstanding place to visit with family, a partner, friends, and colleagues in all seasons. Guests are invited to enjoy delicious dishes crafted by a talented chef with proven skills and abundant creativity at this well-regarded restaurant.
※ Awarded 1 star on world-renowned gourmet guide Tokyo 2024
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* The availability of this webpage does not guarantee that the restaurant presented provides services in English, unless otherwise stated. Please be aware that English services may also depend on staff availability at the restaurant.
Access
A 7-minute walk from Omotesando Station of the Tokyo Metro
A 8-minute walk from Gaienmae Station
