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Hiroo, Tokyo

Sazenka

A rare three-star Chinese counter in Hiroo where chef Tomoya Kawada rebuilds classic technique dish by dish.

4.8

FlightLogic expert score: 9.6/10 · Editorial composite rating 4.8/5 · ££££ · Chinese

Special occasionsFood enthusiastsBusiness dinner Three MICHELIN StarsFlightLogic Platinum 2026Three MICHELIN Stars since 2021
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Chinese dish in the style of Sazenka, Tokyo (AI-generated illustration) ★★★ Michelin Stars

Illustration: FlightLogic AI-generated cuisine impression — not a photograph of the restaurant.

Quick answer

Is Sazenka worth visiting? FlightLogic assigns an expert score of 9.6/10 based on editorial research. The 4.8/5 star figure is an editorial composite for guide comparison — not a verified consumer aggregate. It has 3 Michelin stars. Best for special occasions, food enthusiasts, business dinner.

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

Published reviews

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How far in advance should I book a table at Sazenka?

Reservations open two months ahead and the counter fills within days, especially for Friday and Saturday seatings. Book the moment the window opens, and expect to reconfirm by phone 48 hours before your visit.

Is the menu fixed, or can I order à la carte at Sazenka?

Dinner runs as a set course built around the kitchen's current braises and wok dishes; lunch offers a shorter fixed menu on Thursday through Saturday. There is no standalone à la carte ordering at either seating.

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