Sazenka

The story

Sazenka Tokyo: Three-Star Chinese Cuisine in Minato, Minamiazabu

Sazenka is a Chinese restaurant in Tokyo at 4-7-5 Minamiazabu, Minato-ku, where the kitchen holds three Michelin stars in the 2026 guide. Its Chinese cuisine uses Japanese seasonal ingredients, served in a detached house that was once an embassy residence.

Chef and cooking approach

Executive chef Tomoya Kawada works from the phrase 真味只是淡, roughly "true flavor lies in lightness." He trained in both Chinese and Japanese kitchens. The restaurant aims to bring out the bold savoriness of Chinese cooking alongside the deep, gentle flavor of Japanese cuisine. The Chinese kitchen was scored 18 in the 2026 Gault&Millau guide.

Menu and signature courses

The core offering is a seasonal tasting course of about fifteen dishes, starting at 52,800 yen including tax. A special course centered on 吉品干鮑, the house dried abalone, starts at 88,000 yen. From mid-October to mid-January, the courses include Shanghai hairy crab.

Rooms and drinks

The main hall seats twelve. A four-seat private room sits on the ground floor, and an eight-seat private room is upstairs. Drink pairings come in three forms: alcohol, tea, or a mix that alternates between the two, priced from 18,700 yen to 35,200 yen.