Sazenka

The World's 50 Best Restaurants | Previous Lists

"Sazenka is listed at the The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2025 as rank 93." - The World's 50 Best Restaurants

"Tomoya Kawada sees cooking as a reconciliation between nature and humanity. He names his approach Sazenka, which literally means ‘tea-Zen-Chinese’, out of a desire to create Chinese fare that mediates between the worlds of tea and Zen. His cuisine harmoniously combines the techniques he learned in China with the soul and spiritual features of Japan – ‘wakon-kansai’ is the theme. Japanese ingredients in season are used in spring-roll fillings and Sichuan stir-fries, lending a seasonal dimension to Chinese cuisine." - Michelin Inspector

Must-Try Dishes in Tokyo, According to MICHELIN Guide Inspectors

"Sichuan sliced spicy garlic pork: Thinly sliced pork and eggplant arranged on a large celadon plate, replacing cucumber with eggplant in a bold presentation, evoking a sense of romance and imagination." - The MICHELIN Guide

The World's 50 Best Restaurants 2023

"Sazenka is listed at the The World's 50 Best Restaurants in 2023 as rank 83." - The World's 50 Best Restaurants

"Rank: #12 "Chef Tomoya Kawada cooks Chinese cuisine infused with a Japanese sensibility, rooted in the two countries’ shared culture of tea drinking. His elegant restaurant, located inside a former diplomat’s residence in Tokyo’s upmarket Minami-Azabu district, has just 12 seats, plus two private rooms."