Hello everyone, this is Chisato Tateno, 2025 Miss SAKE Japan.
On Tuesday, February 24, I had the pleasure of visiting Nén Tokyo (Shibuya, Tokyo), where I was given a tour of the restaurant and enjoyed a special pairing dinner that conveyed the stories behind each dish.
About Nén Tokyo
Nén Tokyo is the first overseas flagship restaurant of the modern Vietnamese restaurant “Nén,” originally founded in Da Nang, in central Vietnam. Located in Daikanyama, Tokyo, the restaurant aims to serve as a new hub for sharing Vietnamese cuisine and culture with the world from a place where tradition and innovation meet, guided by the philosophy of “Consciously Vietnamese.”
Executive Chef Summer Le is widely acclaimed both in Japan and internationally for her culinary approach, which is deeply rooted in Vietnamese cuisine and culture. Her dishes go beyond flavor, presenting a complete “experience” that incorporates storytelling and social context.
At Nén Tokyo, the core concept is to evoke the nature, climate, and cultural background of Vietnam through cuisine. Guests are invited to enjoy a sensory dining experience through a course in which culture, nature, and emotion are expressed in each dish. Every plate is built around a story, inspired by Vietnam’s landscapes and traditions, while also incorporating Japanese ingredients and the urban context of Tokyo to present a new expression of Vietnamese gastronomy.
Restaurant Name | Nén Tokyo
Address | 4F, 14-18 Daikanyamacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Website | http://nentokyo.jp/
Art Infused with Philosophy and Story
On this occasion, Executive Chef Summer Le first introduced the five core philosophies that shape the dining experience at Nén Tokyo: Origin, Emotion, Presence, Aesthetics, and Intention.
It was my first time experiencing a meal where the philosophy behind the cuisine was explained before the dishes themselves were served. Learning about these guiding principles heightened my anticipation for the course that was about to begin.
In the course that followed, each dish carried its own title, with the chef’s memories, reflections, and cultural inspirations expressed through individual narratives. Each course was paired primarily with Japanese sake, allowing us to experience a marriage of flavors that engaged not only taste but also aroma, temperature, and the atmosphere of the space itself.
Rather than simply tasting the dishes, we were invited to reflect on the ideas and stories behind them. It was truly a unique gastronomic experience that engaged both the senses and the imagination.
The pairing course we enjoyed was titled “Stories of Vietnam – Winter Edition,” and included the following dishes:
“Stories of Vietnam – Winter Edition”
- Sour Bamboo Shoots & Clams
- The First Spoon: Everything About Pho
- River, Mountain, Sea, and Sky: Scallop & Rice-Field Crab
- Memory of the Tree: K’nia Seed & Salted Chicken
- Paper: Malabar Spinach, Eel, Pâté, and Black Purple Rice
- Balance: Gac Fruit, Canistel, and Vietnamese Pesto
- Bánh Mì: Nén & Gooseberry
- Charcoal and Aroma: Bo Kho & Lotus Seed
- Sunset into the Sea: Roasted Rice & Tree Sap
- After the Rain: Longan Honey & Mulberries
On the day of our visit, we were also joined by CEO Peter Ta Phuong and Leon, who oversees the design of Nén’s unique dining experiences. While enjoying the course, we had the opportunity to hear about Vietnamese food culture and the journey that led to the creation of Nén Tokyo.
The evening felt like traveling through Vietnam itself—each moment unfolding like a beautiful scene from a film that captured the daily life and landscapes of the country. While savoring the ingredients, I found myself reflecting on the nature, culture, and people behind them. It was a deeply moving and entirely new culinary experience. At the same time, I was struck by the exciting possibilities created by pairing Vietnamese cuisine—healthy yet rich in umami—with Japanese sake. It was a powerful reminder of the new dimensions that can emerge when different food cultures meet.
New Encounters Through a Toast
In Vietnam, there is a culture of expressing gratitude for the chance encounters with people sharing the same space by raising a toast across tables. Meals are not simply about eating; they are cherished moments for building connections and deepening relationships. This warm value system is one of the defining characteristics of Vietnamese food culture.
During the dinner, we were also fortunate to meet H.E. Phạm Quang Hiệu, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to Japan, who happened to be dining with his family that evening. We were honored to have the opportunity to greet them.
Sharing a toast with Japanese sake while exchanging words between people from different cultural backgrounds—Japan and Vietnam—felt like a true moment of cross-border cultural exchange. As conversations naturally flowed over a toast of sake and new connections were formed, I was reminded of the beauty of Vietnam’s culture of valuing human connections. Witnessing how food and drink can bridge the distance between strangers and bring people closer together reaffirmed for me the potential of sake as a medium for international exchange.
Through this visit to Nén Tokyo, I was reminded that food is not merely something that satisfies our taste buds—it is a language that conveys culture, history, and the values of people. I was deeply impressed by how the philosophy and stories embedded in each dish, combined with the shared space and encounters among guests, transformed every plate into a platform for cultural exchange. It was also striking to see how Vietnamese cuisine and Japanese sake—two traditions from different cultural backgrounds—could harmonize so beautifully. Their delicate aromas and umami complemented one another, creating new layers of appeal. This experience reinforced my belief that sake has the potential to resonate with diverse food cultures around the world.
As Miss SAKE, I have come to recognize once again the importance of sharing not only sake itself, but also the surrounding food culture, the spirit of the people who produce it, and the value of the moments spent enjoying and conversing over it together. Carrying with me the inspiration and lessons from this experience, I hope to continue sharing the stories of Japanese sake both in Japan and abroad, so that it may connect with cuisines from around the world and inspire new cultural narratives.
Chisato Tateno
2025 Miss SAKE Japan
