Takazawa – Tokyo

Takazawa is definitely a place for crazy foodies. Named after its owner and executive chef Takazawa, the restaurant was ranked in the “Top 50 Restaurants in Asia” in 2014 and 2015. Many food critics and magazines get surprised for the fact that for such a high-class restaurant, it is yet to receive many Michelin Stars like other restaurants in Japan.

But it is after the restaurant decided to launch a small bar near the restaurant that it created a buzz in the Japanese dining scene as many locals and foreigners started pouring in to the bar for enjoying some quality drinks from one of the best sommelier in the world and also one of the best cocktail artist and also have some delicious food along the way at the very best kitchen handled by a celebrity chef.

During my visit to the restaurant, I was given a warm welcome and was given a tour of the restaurant along with the VIP room. The chef was kind enough to go over the food and drink menu available in the restaurant and also suggested some of the signature dishes that I could try for lunch. In most of the Japanese restaurants, the omakase style of ordering is preferred rather than the choosing the menu for oneself. Here you can provide your budget range and the Chef will take care about the best possible menu that will make for a fine dining experience.

Open in 2005, the Takazawa is a kind of family restaurant as Chef Takazawa handles the kitchen and his wife Akiko takes care of the guests. Located in Akasaka in a side street, you just need to take a flight of stairs to reach the restaurant. You can also see a poem written in the handrails of the stairs highlighted with beautiful lights. Even though there is no menu to choose from, the chef will make it a memorable evening with delicious food along with the finest drinks sourced around the world.