Hajime is a three Michelin star restaurant in Osaka. I blindly booked this because it was the only Tabelog Silver, 3 Michelin star restaurant that was easy to book and fit into my schedule. Overall, I’m happy with this decision.
**Positive:**
* Absolutely stunning presentation. You really feel like you’re going on a journey. While you’re eating, you really gain a sense of appreciation of the nourishment that the earth provides to us.
* Every dish felt deliberate, as well as the progression.
* Almost everything was very tasty. Our favorites were the foie gras (destruction and assimilation) and kombu butter
* Generous portions
* Very easy to make a reservation for a 3 star restaurant. There was a table next to me who got the reservation the day before, and there was another empty table.
**Mixed:**
* Many courses prominently featured a molecular gastronomy technique, which some would consider dated today. For me, this is honestly a plus because I never got to experience this era of fine dining, but I can see why one could get tired of it quickly.
* I opted for the short wine pairing, which is the same as the first 6 wines of the half pairing. I know nothing about wine and sake, but I thought that they enhanced all the dishes. My wife got the temperance paring, but we didn’t think it was worth it.
* The dishes prioritized appearance over taste. This detracted from the beef course, as I think less is more when it comes to A5 wagyu.
* Coming from NYC, I thought that the meal was very good value. However, I think this a tad expensive for Japan.
**Negative:**
* Service was very slow. I think part of it is that the dishes are all very labor intensive, but the restaurant was small, so they’re very backed up if multiple tables finish at the same time.
cheguevara9 on
How did you make the reservation, if you don’t mind me asking?
I’ve always wanted to visit this place! Everything looks great!
InfiniteMaf on
I’m disappointed to see that the menu is largely the same, with almost identical plating for many courses, to what I has there in 2019.
Comfortable_Sea756 on
I really like the names of the dishes ngl.
tenkohime on
My front page is both finedining and danganronpa which makes for some interesting mental mix ups. Anyway, the food looks great! I’d like to eat here! Thanks for sharing.
Aggressive_Stand_805 on
Sorry but isn’t using terms like “Jap” speaker considered offensive?
6 Comments
Hajime is a three Michelin star restaurant in Osaka. I blindly booked this because it was the only Tabelog Silver, 3 Michelin star restaurant that was easy to book and fit into my schedule. Overall, I’m happy with this decision.
**Positive:**
* Absolutely stunning presentation. You really feel like you’re going on a journey. While you’re eating, you really gain a sense of appreciation of the nourishment that the earth provides to us.
* Every dish felt deliberate, as well as the progression.
* Almost everything was very tasty. Our favorites were the foie gras (destruction and assimilation) and kombu butter
* Generous portions
* Very easy to make a reservation for a 3 star restaurant. There was a table next to me who got the reservation the day before, and there was another empty table.
**Mixed:**
* Many courses prominently featured a molecular gastronomy technique, which some would consider dated today. For me, this is honestly a plus because I never got to experience this era of fine dining, but I can see why one could get tired of it quickly.
* I opted for the short wine pairing, which is the same as the first 6 wines of the half pairing. I know nothing about wine and sake, but I thought that they enhanced all the dishes. My wife got the temperance paring, but we didn’t think it was worth it.
* The dishes prioritized appearance over taste. This detracted from the beef course, as I think less is more when it comes to A5 wagyu.
* Coming from NYC, I thought that the meal was very good value. However, I think this a tad expensive for Japan.
**Negative:**
* Service was very slow. I think part of it is that the dishes are all very labor intensive, but the restaurant was small, so they’re very backed up if multiple tables finish at the same time.
How did you make the reservation, if you don’t mind me asking?
I’ve always wanted to visit this place! Everything looks great!
I’m disappointed to see that the menu is largely the same, with almost identical plating for many courses, to what I has there in 2019.
I really like the names of the dishes ngl.
My front page is both finedining and danganronpa which makes for some interesting mental mix ups. Anyway, the food looks great! I’d like to eat here! Thanks for sharing.
Sorry but isn’t using terms like “Jap” speaker considered offensive?