Pulsating with energy and dripping with Michelin stars, Tokyo is the place to be for food lovers. From humble yakitori joints serving skewered grilled chicken, to multi-course traditional kaiseki feasts, dishes are prepared with care and a respect for seasonal ingredients. But this city’s culinary greatness isn’t limited to Japanese cuisine; there’s phenomenal Italian, refined Chinese, and genre-defying French that deserves a category of its own. “It’s getting hard to eat anywhere else, because Tokyo has it all and does everything better,” is how one world-weary Brazilian gastronaut recently put it—and we agree completely. Read on for our picks for some of the best restaurants in Tokyo, from hard-to-book (but worth the trouble) sushi counters and Chinese spots to stand-out pizza and burger concepts.
Read our complete Tokyo travel guide here.
Every restaurant on this list has been selected independently by Condé Nast Traveler editors and reviewed by a local contributor who has visited that restaurant. Our editors consider both high-end and affordable eateries, and weigh stand-out dishes, location, and service—as well as inclusivity and sustainability credentials. We update this list as new restaurants open and existing ones evolve.
Dining at Tokyo's Gucci Osteria
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Embark on an epicurean journey at Gucci Osteria in Tokyo, with an ambiance straight out of Alice in Wonderland. Once through the elevator doors, experience the welcoming embrace of a sunlit, lattice-covered terrace, your entryway to a sublime dining encounter. Luxurious seatings clad in vibrant peacock-hued velvet harmonizes with the delicately hand-crafted floor designs, as you sip from the floral-adorned Girnori teacups. In this grandiose ambiance, feast your eyes on marble tabletops, boiserie carved wood panels richly adorned with Lorenzo de Medici's poetic lines, reminiscent of a Florentine high-Renaissance fantasy. Chef Antonio Iacoviello, a studied pupil of Michelin-star laden chef Massimo Bottura, takes the culinary helm here, leading patrons on a gastronomic tour de force that centers around his Italian origins.Combining the rustic charm of Italy and the refined palate of Japan, Iacoviello dreams up a fusion feast that pushes the envelope of culinary exploration. Staples like a concoction of finely sliced bonito and cucumber "spaghetti", covered in a velvety olive, caper, and parsley sauce, hide beneath cloud-like dollops of bagna cauda foam. Furthermore, expect a sensational burst of flavor from tender abalone morsels paired with sudachi citrus jelly and arugula sauce. This is accompanied by a decadent layering of smoked cheese and caviar on crispy piadina flatbreads, a traditional Italian delicacy. Did you know, this dining setting, based on emulating a Florentine fantasy, took six months to complete? And that the hand-painted floor designs are inspired by Gucci's scarf collection? A passionate innovator, Chef Iacoviello believes every dish he creates initiates a conversation, inculcating his patron's curiosity for culture and history.
Sézanne: An Elegant Retreat
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Nestled on the seventh floor of the prestigious Four Seasons Tokyo Marunouchi, Sézanne is a tranquil haven that embodies contemporary grace. Adorned with soothing color palettes and Zen-like motifs, the restaurant is an eclectic blend of modern opulence and minimalist tranquility. It also takes pride in showcasing the mesmerising contemporary artworks by the renowned artist Annie Morris. What sets Sézanne apart is its remarkable Champagne trolley, brimming with treasured vintage offerings, including a rare 1964 Dom Perignon and a 1978 La Grande Dame. Beyond its stunning Champagne collection, Sézanne also offers an astutely curated wine list, touting unique finds such as the delectable red from Jura. It further complements its drink selection with refined digestifs like the ratafia de champagne. Remarkably, there is no hint of pretention here - it's an understated luxury establishment, attributed much to the friendly yet urbane service marshalled by maire d’hotel, Simone Macri.
Discover the Magic at Tinc GanaArrow
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Step into Tinc Gana and you're greeted by a captivating counter, charming in its two-toned glory - the inside appearing as a refreshing mint green and the outside, a serene pale grey. The stage for the culinary art is set here, under the watchful and dedicated eyes of Jerome Quilbeuf, the owner and chief chef. His jovial nature is a bonus as he engages with the guests, refilling their wine glasses, and keeping the atmosphere light-hearted. They offer a charming outdoor seating area with eye-catching blue and white wicker chairs, perfect for indulging in pre-dinner aperitifs. For those who prefer the coziness of an indoors post-dinner drink, the adjacent Quilbeuf’s Abajo bar provides the perfect setting with a fireplace and an intimate atmosphere. The restaurant's patrons often include insiders from the food and hospitality industry, even famous chefs who visit Tokyo, and local restaurant owners, creating a vibrant and elite ambience.
At Tinc Gana, the menu is ever-evolving to reflect the season's freshest offerings. But be prepared to start your culinary journey with pan con tomate, a traditional Spanish dish presented with an unexpected twist, featuring 36-month-aged Joselito jamon. With a rich legacy of head chef experience at Spain's triple Michelin-starred Sant Pau and its twin-star counterpart in Tokyo, chef Quilbeuf showcases his imaginative skills through innovative dishes. For instance, delight your palate with charcoal-grilled tuna dressed with a flavorful pine nut sauce, olives, and tomato confit, or experience the fusion of Spanish and Japanese cuisines in saffron-infused paella shaped into onigiri rice balls, accompanied with a tantalizing shrimp bisque sauce.
Il Ristorante - Luca FantinArrow
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Chef Luca Fantin’s artful interpretations of Italian classics are made exclusively with produce from Japan, but "the flavors are completely Italian," he says. "I don’t put shoyu (soy sauce) on my pasta or use yuzu (Japanese citrus) on anything. I’m not interested in making fusion." His cooking is focused and precise. A single raviolo filled with smoked burrata broth and topped with caviar from Miyazaki Prefecture is a silky, luxurious mouthful.
There is showmanship in the deconstructed minestrone soup, a clear broth adorned with gem-toned root vegetable marbles, while simplicity is the key to the fresh pasta and sea urchin, finished with lemon and colatura di alici.
No visit to Tokyo is complete without a dining experience at Il Ristorante - Luca Fantin. This high-end restaurant offers a remarkable culinary journey, and you'll find it within reach of many 5 star hotels in Tokyo. Savor the unique fusion of Italian and Japanese cuisine in a luxurious setting for an unforgettable dining experience.
KandaArrow
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Kanda has held on to its three Michelin stars since 2008, when the Red Guide first landed in Tokyo. Born into a family of traditional Japanese chefs, Hiroyuki Kanda complements his classical training with ideas he picked up while working in France in his 20s. Sweet peaches nestle against silky tofu under a spoonful of caviar; bursts of acidity offer a high-toned counterpoint to the umami depth in a dish of abalone over somen noodles in a chilled broth. We’d happily devour Kanda’s pressed sushi with horse mackerel or the clay-pot-cooked rice, served with miso soup and pickles, every day. All is served on lacquerware from the Edo era. Scoring a reservation here–one of Tokyo’s most difficult-to-book tables–is reason enough to celebrate. For many, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience, well worth the eye-watering price tag.
Tempura MotoyoshiArrow
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Chef Motoyoshi's deep-fried delicacies are fantastically light, sheathed in a crisp coating of golden batter that owes its crunch to a mixture of canola and sesame oil. He has a knack for vegetables, which he ferries from Tsukiji market on the back of his motorbike every day. Among his signatures are succulent Takagime peppers from Kyoto, pudding-like croquettes of sweet Japanese corn, and myoga wild Japanese ginger buds.
ShirosakaArrow
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Shirosaka has all the trappings of a classic kaiseki restaurant: an immaculate wooden interior, a window that looks out onto a placid miniature garden, and a serious-faced chef working quietly behind the counter. Despite appearances, there's no buttoned-up formality here—Chef Hideki Ii just wants you to have fun. Tokyo-born Ii, who trained in Sydney and spent three years in New York cooking for the Japanese ambassador, combines traditional and modern techniques into a highly personal style of kappo-ryori (kaiseki’s less formal cousin). The tasting menu sparkles with dishes that are almost too pretty to eat, and the short and sweet drink menu is all about approachable sake and wine.
Yakiniku Jumbo ShirokaneArrow
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A5 wagyu beef, that most decadent of meats, is king here. Orderdishes for sharinga la carte, or put your trust in the personable and helpfulservers; an omakase tasting menu is available for ¥20,000 per person. We love the beef tongue, heart, and other innards, but the seared wagyu sushi, layered on rice boiled in genmai-cha (roasted rice tea), and the thinly sliced sirloin dipped in raw egg are all-around crowd pleasers. You’ll need a beer to wash down the garlicky kimchee, but whisky highballs work just as well.
étéArrow
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With a single marble table and speakeasy-style unmarked entrance, Ete may be Tokyo’s most exclusive eatery. Named Asia’s Best Pastry Chef in 2020, Shoji rose to fame on the back of her stunning, couture-inspired cakes—edible artworks based on patterns by Chanel and Louis Vuitton, painstakingly rendered in fresh fruit. But her savory creations deserve equal praise: Signature dishes include delicate tilefish with crispy scales in clam broth and tender slices of abalone layered over deep-fried bamboo shoot.
KotaroArrow
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There’s no menu at this chilled-out izakaya, so state your preferences and let patron-chef Kotaro Hayashi choose something for you. The food respects tradition but is not bound by it, and Hayashi’s hipster-like affinity for the handcrafted comes through in every dish. The meal ends with hand-cut udon noodles made fresh every day—sometimes topped with daikon, crispy tempura crumbs, and a squeeze of lemon, or, alternately, served with raw egg, butter, and soy sauce.
IshikawaArrow
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Like all kaiseki restaurants, Ishikawa is all about details. It's held on to its three Michelin stars since the red book made its Tokyo debut in 2008, and the super-refined cuisine is all about top-quality Japanese ingredients. The 10-course tasting menu is a paean to the seasons: baby sweetfish the size of your pinky in summer, deep-fried croquettes made with sea turtle and lotus root in winter. Ishikawa has a winning way with grilled fish, which pairs with the impressive selection of sake and wine. On a recent visit, horsehead snapper was buttery with perfectly crisped skin. But the clay-pot rice dish with scallops, presented tableside by the chef, stole the show.
TonkiArrow
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Old-school and proud, Tonki still serves tonkatsu (breaded pork cutlets) the way it did when the restaurant first opened in 1939. The brightly lit space, with its blonde-wood interior and rows of half-dome pendulum lights, was refurbished in the 70s, but not much else has changed. The restaurant features a wide-open kitchen surrounded by wooden counters on three sides, where a brigade of assiduous chefs with white caps work in assembly-line fashion.
LocaleArrow
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This cubby-sized bistro emanates home-away-from-home hearth energy, with rustic wooden fixtures and shelves lined with woven baskets. Farm-fresh vegetables sit beside the flower arrangements on the counter, while chef Katy Cole mans the stove and greets each guest like an old friend. The short but well-curated selection of natural wines showcases regions such as Loire In France and Collio in Italy, presented alongside craft beers sourced mainly from small Japanese producers.
Tachigui Sushi AkiraArrow
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Follow the line (it’s a long one) down a rickety set of stairs to the weathered basement digs of Tachigui Sushi Akira, the casual little sister of renowned Sushi Shoryu. Beyond the blue noren curtain, a young sushi chef stands behind a wooden counter in a closet-sized space that can fit six to seven customers at a time. As the name—translated literally as, “eat while standing”—suggests, sitting is not an option. But this quintessentially Tokyo scene is the stuff that movies are made of.
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The restaurant uses the same pristine seafood as its progenitor, but a meal with drinks will cost less than half of what you’d pay at Shoryu. The daily menu lists around 20 kinds of fish, from golden eye snapper and top-grade bluefin tuna to nodoguro (blackthroat perch) and delicate shiro-ebi prawns from the deep waters off the coast of Toyama Prefecture.
HosokawaArrow
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Just past the massive Edo-Tokyo Museum in the eastern neighborhood of Ryogoku, home to the capital’s sumo stadium, Hosokawa is easily identifiable by the line of devoted soba fans standing outside at lunchtime. Here, Chef Tadashi Hosokawa uses 100-percent freshly milled buckwheat flour to make his legendary noodles. The texture is delightful, featuring a heft and pleasant chewiness that wheat-flour noodles lack. Dipped in a smoky soy-based sauce that complements the nutty flavor of the buckwheat, Hosokawa’s soba tastes best with a side of delicate anago eel tempura or juicy, flash-fried kamonasu eggplant. If you're here at the height of summer, go for the soba with pureed okra in a chilled dashi broth.
DenArrow
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While some miss the quiet intimacy of Den’s original location (a two-story house in the off-the-beaten-track neighborhood of Jimbocho), no one can resist the convivial charm of its new digs in central Tokyo. “I wanted to create a more family-like atmosphere, where everyone can be together,” says chef-patron Zaiyu Hasegawa of the new location. The open-plan kitchen remains the same, but instead of an eight-seat counter, there’s a long, wooden table that can seat 12—maybe more—as well as a couple of small tables.
Udon MarukaArrow
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Walk under a triptych of noren banners to arrive in Udon Maruka, a noodle heaven with a small kitchen bordered by a bar that seats about 12 diners. But the restaurant is a well-oiled machine, and deep umami aromas leave little doubt as to why fans are willing to wait in 45-minute queues just to get their hands on a bowl. If you're visiting Japan and only have one day for a casual lunch, come here—and come hungry. This is the platonic ideal of the thick noodle, with an awe-inspiring kakejiru, or dashi broth. Assemble with chopped scallions and the house speciality: chikuwa-ten, a lightly fried fish sausage.
Fu-unjiArrow
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With a wait between 30 minutes and two hours, you earn your noodles at Tokyo's foremost ramen shop, Fu-unji. Here, a creamy chicken soup is blended with fish powder to make a gravy-like dipping sauce for your noodles. It's a flavor that barely exists outside of Japan.
Kiki HarajukuArrow
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You won’t find white tablecloths or jacketed waitstaff at this intimate, casual fine-dining neobistro hidden on the backstreets of bustling Harajuku. The spare space is half windows, with the signatures of some of the world’s most talented chefs scrawled across the concrete walls. Kiki attracts a younger clientele, thanks in part to chef Yuki Noda’s imaginative and reasonably priced tasting menus (¥13,500 and ¥15,000 at lunch and dinner, respectively), with vegetarian options. Noda, an iconoclast with bleached hair and a skater look, studied at Taillevent in Paris and brings his classical training to bear in genre-bending creations starring seasonal fruits and vegetables: the spring menus feature temari sushi of straw-scented hiramasa (amberjack) wrapped around hibiscus roselle rice with strawberries and Shonan Gold citrus and melon cotton candy dusted with green tea leaves and chincho (Peruvian black mint).
Pizza Bar on 38thArrow
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Stealing the number 1 slot on the 50 Top Pizza list for the Asia-Pacific region in 2023, Pizza Bar tends to attract serious pizza fans in search of something different. Daniele Cason created the place, inside the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Nihonbashi, with the idea of serving his elevated pies in the intimate, personal style of sushi or kaiseki. The distinctive bases are made with a ratio of 80 percent water to 20 percent flour and fermented for two days, resulting in an exceedingly crisp and airy baked crust. The discs provide fittingly versatile canvases for seasonal produce. A summer specialty is layered with zucchini puree, housemade sausage, and zucchini blossoms; fragrant sliced porcini mushrooms adorn Cason’s autumn signature. At dinnertime, the restaurant offers omakase menus that come with 10 dishes including appetizers cooked in the pizza oven, desserts, and a variety of pizzas.
IppoArrow
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With a worn wooden counter and handful of small tables, this charming, old-school watering hole invites a crowd as eclectic as the music, which swings from '90s hip-hop to J-pop and, on occasion, heavy metal. Diners gravitate here for chef Masato Takano's satisfying seafood dishes and extensive, ever-changing list of sake. Come here to drink a little too much and laugh a little too loud.
ToritamaArrow
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The first thing you notice when you slide open the door to this yakitori specialist, plonked beneath a highway overpass in Shirokane, is the hiss and pop of succulent chicken pieces slow-roasting over binchotan charcoal embers. The open-kitchen interior is fairly basic, with two charcoal grills and several black stools around the counter. The menu, however, is not. On any given day, there are up to 40 chicken parts for diners to choose from.
L'EffervescenceArrow
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A connection to land is the cornerstone of Chef Shinobu Namae’s genre-blurring haute cuisine, which he describes as "post-colonial cooking." In simplest terms, he applies modern French techniques to Japanese ingredients, and his signature dish couldn't exemplify that more: a tender, whole Japanese turnip that, after a four-hour sous-vide preparation, is sauteed in butter and sprinkled with brioche crumbs.
IsanaArrow
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Chef Junichi Onuki is the opposite of the strict sushi-chef stereotype portrayed in movies like Jiro Dreams of Sushi. “I am not a scary sushi chef,” he says with a chuckle. He certainly won't shush or rush you: “I want people to feel relaxed when they come to my restaurant.” Cheerful, laid-back, and fluent in English, Onuki opened Isana Sushi Bar in 2012 after spending nearly a decade in London as the sushi chef at Zuma. On the ground floor of the Hotel S in Roppongi, the space is warm and glowing with seven counter seats and two tables.
Nihonryori RyuginArrow
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Ryugin’s name means “dragon’s voice,” and chef Seiji Yamamoto’s revolutionary approach to traditional kaiseki—he once used a CT scanner to examine the skeleton of a pike eel—has made him a living legend. In recent years, he's adopted a more subdued aesthetic, but his highly refined dishes prove that he’s still at the top of his game. Seafood is his wheelhouse, and his product-driven and cleverly technical dishes are meant for serious foodies.
Tempura FukamachiArrow
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The unassuming location of Fukamachi belies its illustrious reputation as one of Tokyo’s best tempura restaurants. The space is tight, with 12 seats at an L-shaped counter and a couple of narrow tables. You'll need a reservation and once seated, do as the locals do and order a bottle of Kirin and sip your beer as you watch the chefs masterfully prepare your meal.
Sushi-YaArrow
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Its name translates literally to “sushi shop,” but Sushi-ya is far from ordinary. Hidden down a narrow alley in the Ginza district (and next-door to a dubious-looking “fetish bar”), the eight-seat restaurant has become the darling of food bloggers and Instagramming gastronauts, thanks to chef Mamoru Hashimoto, who trained at Sushi Kanesaka. Like all serious sushi shops, the décor is both minimalist and elegant (all the better to focus your attention on the fish) with blonde wood and beige walls, plus a tasteful ikebana flower arrangement in the corner.
Hiroo OnogiArrow
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The first thing you see when you step through the entrance of Onogi, a contemporary small plates spot in Hiroo, is an uprooted tree suspended by fishing wire like a giant piece of ikebana. Those beguiling naked branches encapsulate chef Shigeki Onogi’s product-driven style of cooking, which strikes the perfect balance between creative and comforting. The intimate, open-kitchen space makes you feel right at home.
HeichanArrow
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Oden—a homey meal of seafood, meat and vegetables simmered in dashi-broth—is the ultimate Japanese comfort food. But chef Ippei Matsumoto has made it the star of a kaiseki-style menu at this casual fine-dining newcomer. Matsumoto’s parents ran an oden joint in his native Wakayama, and Heichan is a love letter to his heritage. Clever variations on the recipe come in many guises: as a colorful salad enlivened with a hit of hot mustard, or tucked into a spring roll stuffed with dangerously hot, tender chunks of daikon and pork belly. The main dish is a largely unadorned yet dignified trio of konjac jelly nestled against a chicken meatball and a fish dumpling. The key is the umami-tastic dashi, which is based on the chef’s family recipe.
Eureka!Arrow
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On the second floor of what looks like a repurposed residential building near Nishiazabu Crossing, sake guru Marie Chiba has opened one of the city’s trendiest sake bars. A pink-and-blue neon sign, bearing the enigmatic words “strawberry meeting” (a pun on a Japanese aphorism about once-in-a-lifetime encounters), casts a cotton-candy glow over the curved wooden counter. There are only 12 seats, but Chiba has set aside a standing-only space in front of the sake refrigerators for a few walk-ins (though it’s better to call ahead even for these coveted spots). Sake is the name of the game here, and Eureka! specializes in rare brews, many of which Chiba, a consultant as well as sommelier, has helped to blend. Food pairings are innovative, and Chiba offers suggestions for each dish. You can simply leave the menu in her hands, or choose your own dishes, listed on a chalkboard above the window. Signatures include the onyx-colored oeuf mayo, a soft-boiled egg enveloped in squid-ink mayonnaise, and the deep-fried ham katsu stuffed with blue cheese.
Sumibi Yakiniku NakaharaArrow
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When self-taught butcher Kentaro Nakahara became a chef more than 15 years ago, no one was using premium wagyu beef for yakiniku, the Japanese version of Korean barbecue that's closely associated with beer-soaked grill pubs and cheap cuts of meat. Today, he’s on a mission to elevate the genre to the level of fine dining. On any given day, you can find him at Tokyo’s Shibaura meat market investigating the provenance, age, and ancestry of the Tajima cows he buys whole; at night, he'll be behind the counter in his chef’s whites, hair tied up in a blue-and-white do-rag, gleaming knife in hand.
SugitaArrow
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Chef Takaaki Sugita started working in the sushi world when he was in high school, and after more than 20 years as a chef, he's one of the best in the business. His style is traditional but subtly innovative, as evidenced by his experimenations with fish maturation times to bring out the buttery richness of bonito and the silky texture of thinly sliced sardine. His signature is the luxuriously creamy ankimo (monkfish liver) pate, steeped in sweetened soy sauce and dabbed with wasabi—the perfect accompaniment to sake. A must-try piece, however, is the shime-saba and shiso nori roll.
TenoshimaArrow
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Ryohei Hayashi spent 13 years cooking at the highest level at three-starred kaiseki restaurant Kikunoi in Kyoto. At Tenoshima, his approach to Japanese cuisine balances elegance with accessibility and warm hospitality in a minimalist setting with earthen walls. The food is both creative and comforting, made with sustainable seafood and ingredients from the Seto Inland Sea. One of Hayashi’s specialties is seasonal pressed sushi, topped with marinated mackerel or anago sea eel brushed with sweetened soy.
NarisawaArrow
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Two-Michelin-starred Narisawa was the first entry from Japan to make it into the list of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants in 2009. Now, the restaurant—which underwent a major revamp in 2023—is as popular as ever, and chef Yoshihiro Narisawa is in fine form. A pioneer of the farm-to-table movement in Japan, chef Narisawa emphasizes sustainable ingredients in innovative dishes that draw inspiration from Japanese, Chinese, and French cuisine. The effortlessly bilingual staff—still a rarity in Tokyo—explains each course in detail but stops short of delivering a tableside lecture.
Burger PoliceArrow
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More than your average burger joint, this newcomer functions as a trattoria and a natural wine bar that also serves perfectly grilled wagyu beef burgers in a smart setting with seating at the shiny metal counter. Starters like the asparagus omelet smothered in bottarga cream and the herring carpaccio are made for sharing. But you’ll want the signature shio (salt) burger all for yourself. It’s a premium patty of bovine succulence, dressed simply with salt and butter. If you ask for mustard or mayo, you may get served shade: Burger Police doesn’t do condiments. The meat is perfect as is.
SowadoArrow
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Sowado, the younger sib of popular izakaya Sakai Shokai, hits the sweet spot between a casual pub and a sophisticated Japanese restaurant. To the left of the sliding-metal-door entrance, there’s tiny bar stocked with sake, wine and spirits where you can have a drink while you wait to get in (it’s always busy) or after dinner. Seasonal seafood and vegetables feature prominently in dishes such as grilled baby corn brushed with soy sauce and butter or baby sweetfish and burdock root tempura in the summer. The thick and succulent panko-crusted ham katsu (cutlet), served with tangy Worcestershire-based sauce, is a must-try, as is Sakai’s signature assortment of sashimi from Kyushu and trio of obanzai starters like fresh persimmon in creamy tofu sauce laced with miso.
Ginza HachigoArrow
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A latticed wooden sliding door behind a simple white noren curtain. From the outside, there's little to suggest that this humble ramen joint is a Michelin-starred restaurant–apart from the line, which often snakes around the corner. Inside, the clean-lined, understated space looks more like a sushi bar than a noodle shop, with six white chairs in front of the wooden counter. Ramen is chef Yasushi Matsumura's second career. After 36 years working in French cuisine, his fascination with the noodle dish took him all over the country to learn the secrets of each region's broth. At Hachigo, Matsumura combines the breadth of his ramen knowledge with techniques gleaned from the French kitchen. His broth is a luxurious consomme crafted from Nagoya chochin chicken, duck, shellfish, shiitake mushrooms, and kelp, with an extra hit of umami from cured ham.
TousenkakuArrow
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The moody interior of this contemporary Chinese restaurant from Ryoji Hayashi, owner of three-Michelin-starred Sazenka, has a maze-like feel, with several private dining rooms hidden behind dark wood panels and gray stone walls. The menu offers a dizzying array of Chinese classics prepared with Japanese precision and panache—the silkiest steamed chicken with scallion sauce, the most luxurious braised trotter, a perfect cube of daikon radish cake fried to a golden crisp. Can’t choose between the Peking duck—rolled into thin crepes with slivers of cucumber and hoisin sauce—and the slow burn of Mapo tofu, or steamed dim sum dumplings? Order the Peking duck chef's menu and get it all.
Maz TokyoArrow
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Maz, the younger sibling of Peruvian chef Virgilio Martinez’s flagship restaurant Central in Lima, only opened in July 2022 but has already become a destination for globe-trotting gastronomes and Japanese diners with adventurous palates. The seasonal menu explores Peru’s biodiversity through nine courses based on the country’s various altitudes. In late spring, the Peruvian coastline is represented by an elaborate dish of cuttlefish and baby eel, bathed in a sauce made from cuttlefish tentacles and covered with a crispy net made from seaweed and squid ink. The composition is crowned with grilled firefly squid and a cactus leaf. Coated with fine strands of turmeric-infused cacao butter, a frozen mousse stuffed with bittersweet hyuganatsu citrus and perfumed with lemongrass stands in for the high-altitude region between the Andes and the Amazonian jungle. Come here for a special night, or to impress a date with your knowledge of Peruvian food culture.