Sazenka

About Sazenka

Sazenka is one of a small handful of Chinese restaurants worldwide to hold Three MICHELIN Stars, a distinction it has carried since 2021 under chef Tomoya Kawada. The room seats a small number of diners around an open counter and a few private tables, where Kawada and his team run through a set course that moves from cold appetizers into fiery wok work and slow-braised classics without ever raising the volume of the room. What separates Sazenka from Tokyo's broader Chinese-restaurant field is control: stocks reduced in stages over days, knife work sized to the exact bite, heat applied and pulled back within seconds. Expect Sichuan pepper used as a structural note rather than a garnish, and a kitchen that treats mapo tofu and braised abalone with the same seriousness French counters reserve for consommé.

Menu highlights

• Braised whole abalone with aged Shaoxing and dried scallop ¥12,000 simmered over three days, sauce reduced to a lacquer
• Mapo tofu, Kawada style ¥4,800 hand-cut Sichuan doubanjiang, numbing pepper oil finished tableside
• Peking duck, two services ¥18,000 lacquered skin course followed by a bone broth with the remaining meat

Editorial rating breakdown

Distribution reflects FlightLogic editorial modelling for guide comparison. See published excerpts below.

Published reviews

Sorted by date (newest first). We do not reorder by rating or “helpfulness”. Review integrity policy

1. ★★★★★ 5.0

   Editorial sample

   The abalone course alone justifies the wait for a reservation — a sauce with more depth than most restaurants achieve across an entire tasting menu.

   Response from Sazenka

   Thank you, Fujikawa-san. That dish takes three days in the kitchen before it ever reaches the counter — glad it showed.

2. ★★★★★ 5.0

   Editorial sample

   Sichuan pepper handled with real restraint here; it builds instead of just burning. Best mapo tofu I've had outside Chengdu, arguably better.

Submit a verified dining review

Consumer reviews require on-site geolocation verification or transaction proof before publication. See our review integrity policy.

Your name Rating Select… 5 / 54 / 53 / 52 / 51 / 5

Venue context (e.g. Terminal 2 landside, Friday lunch) Your review

Incentivised review disclosure (DMCC Act 2024)

I received a free meal, discount, or other incentive for this review

We use your browser location (with permission) to verify you visited Sazenka. Coordinates are processed in memory only and never stored.

Submit for moderation