The flagship restaurant of the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi tops the ranking of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, for the first time. Fresh from the awards ceremony – held in Seoul, Korea – Sézanne’s British-born chef Daniel Calvert reflects on the restaurant’s monumental climb to the gastronomic summit
It’s been a short, sweet road to the top for Sézanne. The restaurant is helmed by chef Daniel Calvert, whose immersive neo-French style is intertwined with culinary references he’s sourced reverently from across Asia. The resulting dishes, delivered with impeccable hospitality in a stunning dining room designed by André Fu, have wowed and wooed guests since Sézanne opened just three years ago.
“It's amazing because I have been in Asia for about six or seven years now and when I moved to Asia I never thought I would even be in the list, let alone on top of it – it’s an incredible achievement for all of us at Sézanne,” says Calvert in an exclusive interview with 50 Best immediately after the awards ceremony.
Calvert opened Sézanne in 2021 after years working at some of the world’s finest restaurants
Sézanne burst onto Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2022 list at No.17, before soaring even higher the following year to secure the No.2 spot in 2023. This year marks its latest and greatest leap as it reaches the pinnacle of culinary achievement in Asia.
“Japan is the Champions League of cooking and to be nominated in the list with all those great chefs is remarkable, but for so many people to have voted for us this year to be number one is mind-blowing. To be honest, I am a little sheepish about it but it is very, very, very well accepted,” says Calvert.
One of the most treasured features of Sézanne is its meaningful blend of culinary cultures that flows through every aspect of the restaurant, from the design to the wine list. The restaurant was named after a medieval town in France in one of the only five regions that are officially allowed to produce champagne. This heritage is reflected in its wine list, which features an extensive selection of rare champagne bottlings, artisanal sparkling wines and vintage cuvées expertly curated by sommelier Nobuhide Otsuka.
“I firmly believe in the power of relationships and that comes down to the team that we work with – the suppliers and the producers and the purveyors we work with and are loyal to. The guests who have come in again and again. I think that is the hallmark of our success,” says Calvert.
Sézanne’s neo-French dishes often use Japanese produce, such as miyazaki mangoes
On the menu, Calvert creates cross-cultural masterpieces that weave contemporary French cooking with thoughtful influences gleaned from his experiences across the Asian continent – and he uses Japanese produce to make them. This is exemplified by a dish of Japanese duck from Aichi cooked two ways: one Peking-style with crisp, golden skin and the chef’s own take on a sauce meurette; the second serving sees the duck mixed into a creamy curried risotto. For dessert, Calvert takes strawberries from Fukoaka and serves them alongside a rich burrata cheese.
It’s this melding of different elements from across the world that Calvert credits as the secret to its success: “I think that gives us our character. Nowadays, when a chef cooks, they need to give their personality to their food. You need to be able to sit down and say, ‘yes, this is a dish by Sézanne’ and if you don’t have that character then there’s no impact.
“Sézanne is simple cooking, excellent product and beautiful service. I think those three things are the most important things in a restaurant and that is our focus,” Calvert explains.
The minimalist dining room of Sézanne is the handiwork of renowned designer André Fu
“The 50 best community has done incredible things for my career since I was in Hong Kong. The restaurant [Belon] was not particularly performing well until the 50 Best awards came along and then, all of a sudden, it was fully booked forever. It’s not a competition, it’s a real community.”
Calvert says in a message to tonight’s chefs: “Congratulations to all the chefs tonight. There are so many restaurants in Asia – there’s about a million in just the neighbourhood we are in in Tokyo – so the fact that they are one of 50 restaurants in the whole of Asia on the list and part of the community, they should be very, very proud.”
Sezanne does not represent Tokyo alone in the ranking this year, with fellow Tokyo restaurant Florilège, where chef extraordinaire Hiroyasu Kawate showcases his style of French-Japanese cuisine, taking the No.2 spot. Former winner Den is ranked No.8, with Narisawa at No.14 and Sazenka completing the Japanese capital’s representation at No.39.
Four further Japanese cities boast a restaurant each on the list: La Cime from Osaka ranks No.9, followed by Villa Aida from Wakayama at No.35. Fukuoka introduces a new entrant, Goh, at No.45, and Cenci from Kyoto is at No.47.
It was a night of celebration for Singapore too, however, as it leads the rankings with nine entries, welcoming newcomers Seroja to the list at No.31, earning it the Highest New Entry Award 2024, sponsored by Nongshim, and Lolla at No.43.
Asia's culinary community celebrated its achievements together in Seoul
The awards’ host city, Seoul, boats four spots on the list, led by the seasonality driven Korean restaurant Mingles at No.13. Re-entering the rankings at No.18 is 7th Door, followed by Onjium at No.21. Mosu wraps up Seoul's representation at No.41, while chef-owner Sung Anh receives the peer-voted Inedit Damm Chefs’ Choice Award.
Other special award winners were also announced at the live awards ceremony, including the Sustainable Restaurant Award, which goes to Haoma from Bangkok for its championing of farm-to-table and zero-waste cooking. From the same city, Nusara wins the Gin Mare Art of Hospitality Award.
The coveted title of Asia’s Best Pastry Chef, sponsored by Valrhona, is awarded to Mineko Kato from Tokyo’s Faro, whose culinary philosophy is rooted in creating a harmonious co-existence between humanity and nature through food.
Hong Kong’s Wing, the contemporary Chinese restaurant from chef Vicky Cheng, picks up the Highest Climber Award, sponsored by Korean Air, after rising a stunning 32 places in the ranking to No.5. Finally, Kevin Lu of Logy in Taipei bags the Beronia Asia’s Best Sommelier title.
Stay tuned to 50 Best’s social channels over the coming days as exclusive photography and videography from the events held across the continent will be revealed.
Now recap this year's list in video form:
The list of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants 2024, sponsored by S.Pellegrino & Acqua Panna, was announced at a live awards ceremony on Tuesday 26th March from Seoul. To stay up to date with the latest news, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, X and YouTube, and sign up to our newsletter
