So the topic today is just another of the many small things that make me like Japan. For this post, it is none other than that classic old brand of U.S. diner restaurants - the ubiquitous "Denny's". In the U.S., Denny's has become synonymous with open 24 hours cheap food. Mostly breakfasts. Through the years my personal opinion of the place (and that should certainly not necessarily mean it is shared by all of my fellow citizens) is that of gradual degradation. So much so that a few years ago the chain went through a major restructuring effort, complete with facility upgrades and new branding. Since I have not eaten at a U.S. Denny's in many, many years, I cannot comment at all on the results of these efforts.
So on my many visits to Japan, I noticed that Denny's had quite a prevalent presence in the country (after looking it up I found there are close to 600!). Quite a surprise to me, but it fit in along with the KFC's, McDonalds and Burger Kings that also seemed to be so common. Cheap fast food. One of America's most famous exports. :-(
On my last visit over, I decided to drop in on a Denny's for breakfast that was quite close to my hotel. Boy was I surprised (but then again, not really). The place was spotless. Extremely clean like most Japanese eateries. The food was prepared with obvious care and was very tasty (I chose a typical Japanese breakfast - small piece of salmon, miso soup, rice and natto). The service was perfect, and the cost was very reasonable. What a different type of feeling I had eating here from the last time I had one of their famous "Grand Slam Breakfasts" at a U.S. Denny's. It was night and day.
Just another example of how Japan can take something, throw in attention to detail, passion for excellence, and caring employees and make it far better than their U.S. counterpart. I recommend anyone to try a Denny's in Japan. It is certainly not a Michelin starred kind of place, but for what it is, it certainly hits a "Grand Slam"!
