Our final evening in Tokyo led us to Restaurant Ryuzu, a fitting culmination to an epic food tour before beginning the journey home. Holding two Michelin stars, Ryuzu delivered an experience that was both deeply satisfying and elegantly memorable. Chef Ryuta Iizuka, whose French training that shapes his culinary style, presents a menu where Japanese seasonality meets French technique.
The restaurant is sleek and formal— with hardwood floors, granite, glass and plush seating. Every place-setting in the main dining area has refined tableware on white linen tablecloths and a stunning center foliage arrangement.
True to its name “Ryuzu”—the crown and vital part of a watch—the restaurant runs with impeccable timing and the quiet hum of precision. Chefs, servers, and the sommelier all move in harmony like the workings of a timepiece.
From Niigata seafood to vegetables sourced from Ishikawa’s Noto Peninsula, each dish reflects the shifting rhythms of the season. We chose the ten-course tasting menu, seated at the counter to watch the artistry unfold before us and to engage with the staff about every plate.
Dinner at Restaurant Ryuzu in Tokyo
Our opening bite on the left is lightly cured Mackerel pressed into an oshizushi-style block with yuzu-kosho aioli. It’s topped with mitsuba leaf and pickled Japanese ginger on a skewer. On the right we enjoyed bread puff filled with tuna mousse, topped with shaved parmesan, pear coulis and shiso sprout.
The first course was quickly replaced by a house baguette and butter we nibbled on throughout the meal.
Next was chilled potato veloute with croutons and olive oil – Chef Ryuta’s homage to classic French Vichyssoise.
Sea Urchin and Caviar with Umami Jelly. A complex dish topped with finely chopped fennel and cucumber, finished with a light fennel espuma and lobster anglaise sauce.
Lobster, Mi-Cuit style. It’s partially cooked using a precise, low-temperature method to achieve a delicate, tender, and almost sashimi-like texture. This retains its natural sweetness and buttery flavor. On the right is claw meat dressed with mayonnaise, mustard and celery, served atop kombu-brined green asparagus.
Sauteed shiitake and pancetta tart is a Chef Ryuta signature dish. Mushroom duxelle and pancetta layered on filo pastry, topped with sautéed shitake, and finished with a delicate slice of lardo.
Crispy skinned Hokkaido cherry blossom trout, rare and served with a clam and green pepper sauce. plated with spring cabbage seasoned with salmon fish sauce, and topped with crispy sakura shrimp.
Roasted A5 Hakkaido wagyu tenderloin served with a rich beef jus and sautéed seasonal vegetables. White asparagus, pave potato, onion, green bean, Moeller mushroom and baby parsnip were perfectly cooked.
Coffee ice cream with a tonka bean-scented mousse and chocolate leaf.
Uwajima gold (Japanese citrus) Chiboust with verbena ice cream.
Post-Script
Dining at Ryuzu was a masterclass in harmony—Chef Ryuta Iizuka’s re-imagined French classics elevated by the purity and seasonality of Japanese ingredients. Each course revealed his ability to honor tradition while making it unmistakably his own, weaving together technique, flavor, and artistry into something both familiar and completely new. It was a dinner that showcased the refinement worthy accolades but also captured the essence of our Tokyo journey—precision, beauty, and a deep respect for the seasons. A fitting final meal, it left us both satisfied and with a lingering desire to return.