Makiyaki Ginza Onodera

This wood-fired French restaurant is run by the well-known sushi group Onodera, famous across Japan for consistently winning the New Year’s first tuna auction at record-breaking prices. At first, I was skeptical—a French restaurant run by a sushi company? But after visiting, I was completely blown away. Turns out, it’s earned a Michelin star five years in a row.

At the center of the open kitchen, where you can watch the entire cooking process from your counter seat, sits a wood-fired oven made with white clay from Larnage, France. The flickering flame set against the dim lighting casts an almost primal charm. There's a strange pull to it—maybe it taps into that deep human instinct of gathering around fire to share a meal. It’s kind of magical.

The chef, Keiichi Terada, trained in France and later worked at Quintessence, widely regarded as the best French restaurant in Japan. He took the reins here at Makiyaki Ginza Onodera in 2019.

Right from the amuse, the food is served piping hot—starting with a freshly baked waffle. It’s a small but satisfying detail, and something all those lazy restaurants that serve cold, premade gougères could learn from.

The main course is wagyu cooked over the wood fire. The meat itself is outstanding, but what really elevates the dish is the smoky aroma and the tender, juicy texture. It’s a show-stopping finale to the savory part of the meal. But wait—then comes a bowl of ramen made with a broth extracted from the ingredients used throughout the meal. The flavor runs incredibly deep, and despite being completely full, I couldn't stop eating. The course wraps with a roasted hojicha tea, also finished over the fire—an elegant end to a flawless dining experience.

Terada clearly knows how to harness the full potential of the wood-fired cooking style that’s been taking over Tokyo’s dining scene lately. The hospitality is warm and unrushed, a far cry from the fast-paced, trendy restaurants that shuffle guests out for a second seating.

If you’re hesitant about French dining in Tokyo, this is exactly the place you should try. With its subtle Japanese touches, Makiyaki Ginza Onodera might just change your mind.

Tokyo has never had a stronger French dining scene.