Sezanne
Since our last few trips to Japan were heavy on the Japanese/kaiseki restaurants, I decided to do two French places this time for a change of pace and a heads up comparison. While I would’ve loved to dine at L'effervescence, that reservation proved difficult to get (although its location relative to our hotel would also have made it cumbersome to get to). And so, we ended up with Sezanne and L’Osier as our two Michelin starred French dinners in Tokyo.
Just named the Best Restaurant in Asia by the World’s 50 Best list, Sezanne certainly does a great job of marketing and being ever-present in my social media feed. The restaurant is located in the Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi.
Here is our menu from dinner on March 22, 2024:
Hokkaido scallops with horseradish and wasabi leaf oil
Shima ebi marinated in vin juane
Jellyfish “nicoise” with olives and anchovies
Duck foie gras slow poached with chicken leg and soy sauce
Crispy skin maasai with shin tama negi and sake-kasu
Morel mushrooms with wild garlic and botan ebi
Akkeshi oysters with white asparagus and borage flowers
Duck with asparagus and lardo di colonnata
Duck broth with pasta and edamame
Sauternes ice cream with Saga saffron
Citrus fruits, koshihikari rice, yuzu kosho
The highlight dish for me was the duck foie gras. A delicious combinations of flavors without too much minerality from the liver. I thought it was one of the better foie gras dishes I’ve had in a while. The only course I felt missed the mark, with a muddling of flavors and no clear direction on my palate, was the morel mushroom and botan ebi.
Is Sezanne the best restaurant in Asia right now? Probably not. It’s not even the best restaurant we’ve been to in Japan. Is it still a delicious meal with excellent service that’s worth a visit? Yes, I’d say so. The meal is well orchestrated and the dishes very technically driven. I appreciate the focus on using local suppliers and ingredients despite the French slant in technique and style.
Sezanne
Four Seasons Hotel at Marunouchi
1 Chome-11-1 Marunouchi
Chiyoda City, Tokyo 100-6277, Japan
https://www.sezanne.tokyo
