Hajime

Fun food journey and compelling artistry. The service is great and they are very helpful. There were able to accommodate a gluten free person in our party.

Some meals nourish the body. Some nourish the soul. Hajime does both. I had the privilege of dining at HAJIME in Osaka, where every course was part of a larger story, a Dialogue with the Earth. This wasn’t simply a tasting menu. It was a meditation on nature, the interconnectedness of all life, and our place within it. Each dish represented a different aspect of the Earth’s cycles: mountains, rivers, forests, the sea, harmony, hope, bamboo, rain, and finally…love 😍❤️. The creativity was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Every bite was astonishing, not only in flavor, but in imagination. The precision, beauty, and thoughtfulness behind each course left me in constant awe. It was, without question, the most extraordinary culinary experience of my life. But what moved me most wasn’t the food. It was the love. I could feel it. Not the kind of love that can be manufactured through exceptional service or beautiful presentation, but the unmistakable presence of someone who has poured his entire heart into his life’s work. Just before dessert, I was presented with a handwritten reflection on the final course, simply called “Love.” It spoke about the contradictions of being human…the sweetness and the sorrow, the warmth and the distance, the many forms that love can take. As I read it, tears filled my eyes. It wasn’t really about dessert. It was about life. This was more than dinner. It was art. It was philosophy. It was prayer. It was sacred 🙏. It is an evening I will carry with me for the rest of my life 💫🥰.

Three years ago, a friend of mine, the head chef of a sushi restaurant, told me a story about a single carrot and asked, "Do you know Hajime Yoneda?" That's how I learned about HAJIME. His restaurant achieved three Michelin stars faster than any other in the world, briefly dropping to two stars before regaining three. He's consistently ranked number one among the next generation of chefs as a role model, even surpassing Shohei Ohtani. Two years ago, I learned about his background as an engineer, having immersed himself in the mathematics depicted in the drama "Fermat's Cuisine," and even achieving first place in a Kyoto University entrance exam mock test. This time, I finally got to visit! Currently, the menu consists of only one course, priced at 89,000 yen (tax included). My friend also ordered the 275,000 yen pairing with DRC wines. The course apparently changes each time you visit, and since it was my first visit, I received the initial course menu. I heard that some people have visited 53 times... It must be enjoyable no matter how many times you visit! The course consisted of 14 dishes and took a total of four and a half hours. I don't drink alcohol, so I often find anything over three hours long, but this time it flew by, and I didn't even have time to fiddle with my phone. Even though it was a windowless restaurant, I felt a strong connection to nature. It was actually raining, and I felt it enter my body and become one with me. Moreover, it wasn't just about sharing a meal with the person I was with; we were able to look each other in the eyes and laugh together, and share moments of surprise and learning. I was reminded that such moments are becoming increasingly rare in modern times, and it made me want to cherish each and every meal. As everyone else has said, it's not just about enjoying a delicious dinner; it's about experiencing the art and philosophy created by the genius chef Hajime Yoneda, and feeling the cycle of nature, the earth, and life. 89,000 yen is certainly not cheap, but it's worth paying for this experience. I'm proud and happy to have been born in this era with Chef Hajime Yoneda, and that such a restaurant exists in Japan. I want to go out and experience nature, I want to go to a summer festival, I want to come back to Hajime again, and experience what Chef Yoneda makes. Thank you, it was a delicious meal!!

I have been to over 70 three Michelin star restaurants. Hajime makes my top 5. An extraordinary amount of technique goes into each plate and the presentation is stunning. In addition, the food is genuinely delicious, as well as being “clever”. Dinner lasted three and a half hours and we were completely full at the end of the meal. Our dedicated server Kokeru San was excellent as was the sommelier, Akira San, and his very thoughtfully curated wine list. We met with Hajime San in the kitchen afterwards - we could sense the quiet intensity in him that has lead to the creation of the dishes we had enjoyed. I would say it is a once in a lifetime experience but I plan on retuning next year!

The food is not only delicious but also artistic, making you think, "They really put so much effort into this!" It also has a strong visual appeal. However, the saltiness is a bit too much, and the price of several hundred thousand yen per person is unacceptable. Unfortunately, there was no personal greeting from the chef. If it were under 50,000 yen, it would have been the best meal of the year…

It was an amazing experience that far exceeded my expectations for a three-Michelin-starred restaurant! It might seem commonplace in high-end restaurants in Japan, but the innovation and concept of this restaurant are truly outstanding! The service was superb, the atmosphere was perfect, and the wine list was excellent! It's a restaurant that any food lover should definitely visit.

This restaurant belongs in a museum. The plating was simply astounding—I have never seen food arranged this beautifully at any other restaurant, including other three-stars. It felt like viewing an art gallery; I felt bad even touching the food with my utensils. The space is intimate, holding just 13 guests across 8 tables. The course menu, titled "Dialogue with the Earth," tells a comprehensive story of nature through its sequence: 1: Midori. Green asparagus poured over yuzu. Very good; the hot temperature was a surprising touch. 2: Rocky Coast. Oysters, firefly squid, sea urchin, blue mussels, and more. The aroma smells exactly like a salty seashore. The liquid nitrogen over the insanely soft oyster is super cool. All 6 mini seafood dishes were great, with the blue mussel and spot shrimp standing out. 3: Kawa. Cherry salmon. Visually perfect. This was the best salmon I’ve ever had; it was so soft it just disintegrated in the mouth without chewing. 4: Chiyku. The headline-stealer. Made with 110 different vegetable ingredients representing the earth. There are more textures and flavors on this single plate than some restaurants' entire menus. Every ingredient is at its peak. 5: Flow. Tile fish. Super clear dashi combined with unbelievably crispy fish skin. I only wish the portion was slightly bigger. 6: Relation. Norway lobster with ham, quail egg, and mantis shrimp. My favorite dish of the night. The lobster portion was large and cooked unbelievably well—the best lobster of my life, surpassing langoustines I've had at other three-stars. The oxtail ravioli side bite was unreal. 7: Hakai to Douka. A single-bite foie-gras dish that was a pure explosion of crunchiness, fattiness, and peak flavor. It puts a sensation over you on how amazing food can be. 8: Dew. A clean palate cleanser of pine. 9: Mother Earth. Beef Loin with matcha. Amazingly well-plated, and the matcha was great, but the beef fell slightly short as it was on the chewier end compared to the other proteins. 10: Sky. Duck with black garlic. Similar to the beef; the crispy skin was great, but the rest of it wasn’t overly special. 11: Bamboo. House-made cheese with olive oil powder frozen with liquid nitrogen. A wild experience where the temperature change causes the powder to go up in "smoke" in your mouth. The cheese itself was unbelievably good. 12: Kindness. Almond milk balls in almond oil soup that pop in your mouth at the slightest touch. Super cool. 13: Spread to the World. Main dessert featuring a strawberry shell, sable cookie, and ice cream with warm strawberry poured on top. Amazing flavor, though the main portion felt a bit small. 14: Second Dessert. Lemon sorbet, kumquat, ice cream soufflé, and melon cake. All excellent. 15: Small Dessert Bites. A bunch of tiny bites. The mascarpone cheese tart was my favorite; the cotton candy was an odd choice though. The meal concluded around 3.5 hours in, and I was able to meet and talk with the chef for a few minutes. Service was flawless; the server did a fantastic job explaining each dish and answering questions. Is it the best restaurant I've been to? It’s close, but outside of a few standout dishes, the flavors didn't completely take my breath away. It focuses more on technical and visual perfection than raw flavor "wow" moments, and the texture combinations don't quite match the visuals. These are minor nitpicks, but I have enjoyed the food more at other venues. Then there is the price. A meal for one cost 105,000 yen (roughly $665 USD). This is an insane price for a meal, especially when some three-star places cost half as much. Because you can get a similar tier of experience at a cheaper spot, I would classify it as overpriced. Overall, it is a breathtaking, technically perfect experience—albeit one you are heavily paying for. 9.9/10

I was deeply moved. The presentation was wonderful, but the taste was absolutely exquisite. It took about 5 hours, but it was a worthwhile evening. My partner was also very satisfied.

I've been curious about this restaurant for a while, as it's said to be the fastest restaurant in the world to receive a Michelin star. From the moment you enter, you're greeted by an otherworldly atmosphere, giving you the feeling of having wandered into outer space. We had the full course meal, and every detail—the dish names, plates, ingredients, and sauces—was meaningful, making it feel like we were dining in another dimension. Although we were the only other customers, the service was exceptional, truly befitting a three-Michelin-starred restaurant. I will definitely visit again for a special occasion.

What an experience; every dish was so beautifully curated, things were added in for a reason; every element added so much value to each dish. Service was top; from the somm, our waiter in charge and even meeting the chef after dinner. Pricey but it is one of our most memorable dinner, 4.5 hours but didn’t feel long.

The best meal of my life so far! The creativity, composition, and concept were unique and highly recommended!