Sezanne
Sezanne, a French restaurant within the Four Seasons Hotel, is Asia's Best 50 #2 and holds two Michelin stars. After encountering many disappointments in Tokyo, I finally found a commendable French restaurant. Being the second best in Asia might be a bit of an overstatement, but it's safe to say it ranks in the top ten for upscale Western dining across Asia.
What I love most about Sezanne is its elegance without pretension.
Tokyo has the most Michelin stars of any city in the world but isn’t necessarily the best when it comes to high-end dining (excluding sushi restaurants, as they operate outside the Michelin rating system to a degree). Its international acclaim owes much to a dining system that’s friendly and shows respect to Western tastes, aesthetics, and expectations, reinforced by Japan’s cultural export of food through dramas and anime. Amidst a competitive landscape with numerous upscale dining options, it's easy for restaurants to start chasing trends, adding layers of concepts, blending elements, and integrating various experiences.
Sezanne's value lies in its refusal to partake in such antics. There's no complex narrative, no bewildering fusion expressions, just a solid succession of dishes served with a perfect rhythm. It's more apt to describe it as authentic French cuisine with a unique twist rather than a Japanized version of French cuisine. The ambiance is also clean and elegant, with a straightforward layout, comfortable seating, and appropriately cool air conditioning. The lighting is soft and focused, with stone lampshades on the walls casting a warm glow. The kitchen, separated by a glass partition, appears clean and orderly, making Sezanne one of the few restaurants where I felt comfortable upon sitting down.
Another advantage is the policy on mineral water. Instead of opening a new bottle for each table, which is neither eco-friendly nor cost-effective (since often one bottle is not enough and two is too much), they charge a flat rate of 800 yen for unlimited consumption, avoiding unnecessary waste.
The menu includes two amuse-bouches, two appetizers, bread, chicken, three seafood dishes, and pigeon as the main course, followed by a palate cleanser, two desserts, and then post-meal sweets and tea, priced at 38,000 yen with tax included.
The amuse-bouches are a Comté cheese tartlet and a milky radish garnished with caviar. Simple in flavor but aesthetically balanced with the texture of the plate.
The first dish is a shrimp tartare made with Fuji Mountain white shrimp and sweet shrimp, creamed to a rich smoothness on a crispy tart base. Quite satisfying.
The second dish, a clam and white asparagus soup, was forgettable – I've never been a fan of foam.
The third dish, chicken using Thai jungle fowl breast and leg meat, was tender with a subtle hint of Chinese wine – reminiscent of the white cut chicken found in the Greater Bay Area.
The fourth dish, fluorescent squid paired with basil sauce and crispy rice at the bottom, was a delightful mix of herbaceous scents and tender seafood.
The fifth dish, Kinmedai fish with scales cooked with saffron and butter sauce, was more elegant and tender than the usual snapper with scales. The sauce, likely made with saffron and fish bones blended with butter, was aromatic and a highlight.
The sixth dish, scallops with tender flesh and crispy buckwheat coating, was paired with a white beer garlic sauce.
The seventh dish, pigeon accompanied by morels, was unremarkable.
The desserts started with a palate cleanser inspired by HEYTEA's grape drink, with layers of milk jelly, gelée, crushed ice, and grape flesh – quite nice. The second dessert left no impression, but the third, a tiramisu served in an eggshell with a classic crackable chocolate topping, was delightful. The meal concluded with chocolate-flavored sweets and Earl Grey tea.
My satisfaction with Sezanne might stem from Chef Daniel's prior experience at Belon in Hong Kong. Despite being British, he seems to understand Chinese palates better.
After nearly a month in Japan, dining at twenty renowned high-end restaurants as an international visitor, I gained insight into how foreign critics view restaurants in China. Just as Sezanne, my favorite restaurant in Japan, is run by a chef with experience in China, I find it challenging to detach from my innate "China identity" to judge restaurants more "fairly," even though I consider myself a "global citizen."
As mentioned in my review of L’Effervescence, a major question for high-end restaurants is who their audience is: international critics or local diners? Can pleasing international critics fool local patrons? With the return of international visitors to China, expression and communication become critical for domestic upscale restaurants.
