10 Years of Memorable Restaurants in Tokyo

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Sazenka is one of the two best restaurants in Tokyo, in my opinion. Everything from the food to the service is nothing short of perfection, offering an experience that far exceeds imaginable bounds. A dish called 'Yopparai Ebi', which is botan shrimp marinated in Shaoxing wine, left me awestruck with its texture that seemed to tenderly envelop each tooth. The pairing course travelled through China, Italy, France, New Zealand, and Japan to discover the finest marriage of flavors, not just matching expensive wines for the sake of it but selecting beverages that harmonize with the food to create something extra. The cost of the meal, including pairings, was about 750,000 won (70,000 yen) per person, which felt like good value for an experience that vastly exceeded expectations.

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“Even if you go back a hundred times, you will feel the same as the first time”

A restaurant that pursues a sustainable gastronomic experience, Crony captivates the hearts of its guests with its adorable and cute visual dishes that look like a bouquet of flowers. I'm such a big fan of this restaurant that sometimes when I'm in Tokyo, I visit Krony twice or three times a month.

Not only are they pretty on the outside, but Kroni's cuisine is particularly outstanding in its most essential 'taste'. Chef Haruta-san, who has built a career in world-renowned restaurants such as 3-star Quintessence in Tokyo, 3-star Maaemo in Oslo, and 3-star Saison in San Francisco, and Sommelier Kozawa Ozawa, who was the general manager of quintessence, are the best food and the best food through excellent teamwork. We offer the best wines to match your food.

Crony is a restaurant that has a special strength in 'texture'. A few tarts served with Amuse Bush gave variety in texture by finely adjusting the thickness of the shell according to the main ingredient, and the whole dish that followed also made significant changes to the texture of petals/fried foods/chips/caviar. It is actively used to give.

The fish/meat main quichon is my personal opinion, but I think it's not an exaggeration to say that it's the best in Tokyo. Kroni's recipe, which creates a thin crust on the outside while preserving as much moisture as possible while maintaining the same heat through the core and the surface, shows the chef and kitchen team's commitment to never compromise when it comes to cooking. Far beyond what the so-called Maillard effect can achieve, the ultimate in what can be produced by heating, the Crony offers guests an affordable price.

Wine pairing is also an impression that is three to four steps ahead of the average restaurant in Tokyo. Head sommelier Ozawa-san has a great experience and is so passionate about wine that he personally travels to French wineries to find great wines and sign contracts. I think the pairing he suggests is enough to convince everyone that the combination of food and wine is real +@, not simple addition.

Recently, Crony was awarded a Green Star along with 2 stars from the Michelin Guide, and their cuisine can break the prejudice of sustainable dining and suggest future possibilities.


Crony
Phone reservations available
Dinner only/ 20,000¥~35,000¥ per person

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“The most difficult restaurant to go to in Tokyo”

Secretly run restaurants are dotted around Tokyo. It is said that there are places that only registered members or members introduce guests, so you can't make a reservation unless you're a member, and there are places that you don't even know they exist.

SUGALABO, introduced in this daylog, is also one of the restaurants that is strictly operated by member invitation only. It is difficult to make a reservation, but even if you have a reservation ticket, it is a very popular restaurant that takes more than a year to make a reservation.

What's the secret to popularity? Of course there is also marketing, but what caught my eye was Yosuke Suga's sincerity, passion, and love for cooking. I think I could understand what a genius means when he puts in a lot of effort and achieves terrible results by looking at him over the counter. He personally visits farmers and fishermen to obtain the best ingredients from the archipelago all year round, and sometimes even farms on his own. Also, unlike the usual famous owner-chefs, he always cooks himself while guarding his restaurant. How many restaurants are there where you can always taste the dishes that the chef cooks himself?

Taste it and you'll see that the popularity of this place is by no means overheated for no reason. The simple harmony of main ingredients, sub-ingredients, and sauces, which come together as if hundreds of puzzle pieces are put together when you chew and hold it in your mouth, shines when you taste it with your mouth rather than seeing it with your eyes. His cuisine is not the type of fancy on the outside like that of his teacher, Joel Robuchon, but on the inside it is the most glamorous. Perhaps, in the essential aspect of taste, he has already surpassed his master.

Because of the exclusive reservation policy, it is not easy for foreigners to taste his cuisine, but he has produced several restaurants in Tokyo. A typical example is the Ginza Louis Vuitton restaurant, so it would be good to stop by when you are nearby.


SUGALABO
Reservation through referral only
60,000¥-100,000¥ per person

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The French restaurant SÉZANNE, located in the Four Seasons Hotel Marunouchi, has been a significant issue before its opening, led by star chef Daniel Calvert, who has long experience in top restaurants in London, Paris, New York, and Hong Kong. It seems that the dishes have greatly deviated from the typical French cuisine frame, reflecting much of Chef Daniel's color. The capon from France and the vin jaune sauce based on Jura wine tasted like nothing I have experienced before. Besides, you could enjoy quite high-quality foods such as uniformly cooked venison main and semi-dry tomato tart. As the main restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel, it seems natural to receive excellent service, and the calm dining hall in white tone, with the Shinkansen station visible through the window, adds a dynamic feeling, offering a rare atmosphere to enjoy. Making a reservation is not difficult, and the concierge service of the Four Seasons Hotel is so excellent that it seems like a great choice during your trip to Tokyo.

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The sign-less, secretly operated French restaurant UNIS in Toranomon Hills, Tokyo, is a 'synesthetic restaurant' ambitiously prepared by Chef Yakushijin, who was a sous chef at one of Tokyo's finest restaurants, SUGALABO. Thanks to the kitchen/service team's determination to provide the best service that fulfills all senses of the guests, not just taste, it is also regarded as a leader in the Tokyo restaurant scene. The space of UNIS is more akin to a musical theater than a restaurant. The distance between the chef and guests is close to that of actors and audience, and the space divides into stage and auditorium. The U-shaped counter is designed around the kitchen, and the chefs, who are busy but rhythmically moving, offer a magnificent performance according to the lighting and sound that change with the sequence of dishes. High-end restaurants receive critical evaluations not only for their taste but also for their design and interior, expanding the boundaries of taste. If you visit UNIS, you will experience this philosophy firsthand. UNIS aims to satisfy all senses of its visitors with different lighting and sounds tailored to each dish, and even placing artworks that correspond to the concept of the cuisine, showing a strong obsession with the space. The restaurant comprises a dining space and a waiting lounge, both of high class and formality. Although the inconvenience of only being able to book cancellations through omakase.in exists, it is definitely worth the effort to visit.

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This is a 3-star French restaurant in Ginza run by the Shiseido Group. Rouge is a very large restaurant that occupies the entire building, and from the way the doorman is waiting in front of a magnificent building reminiscent of a French chateau, you can feel the power of a large corporation. Contrary to the recent trend, it is a restaurant that requires a fairly strict dress code for its customers, but it is also a place where you can enjoy formal and formal service.

Rosie's cuisine melts the essence of the season, which is the most important thing in Japanese cuisine, into French cuisine. For this reason, I got the impression that the sauce that Rouge uses to bring out the taste of the season is rather light and delicate. Although it has more Parisian hardware than Paris, it was interesting that the food had a light and refreshing nuance that did not match it. Perhaps you can call this style the identity of Rouge.

The cuisine's quichon and plating were close to perfection as it had a 3-star reputation, and the service was the best among the best. The wine list was also pricey, but it was rich in variety, and it was impressive that you can order by the glass all of Bollinger's Grand Anne, Konggarde, and David Dubang's Essejo.

Rosie
It is recommended to make a reservation with sufficient time
Phone reservations available
Lunch 18,000 yen per person~
Dinner 40,000 yen per person~