Teppanyaki never got very big in the Netherlands, but Sazanka has been showing what it can be for nearly fifty years. Not a gimmick, not a show for tourists: this is Japanese cooking at the cutting edge, performed live at a shared table with a red-hot iron grill in the middle. Once awarded a Michelin star, not bad for a restaurant in a hotel on the edge of De Pijp.
It is Chef de Cuisine Kazuki Onodera who sets the tone at the teppan. Together with Executive Chef Masanori Tomikawa, he determines what goes on the table. And that's quite a lot. The wagyu steak is the showpiece: grilled on the teppan, exactly as it should be. But the real showpiece is the combination of scallops with wagyu bresaola and shiso flowers, a dish that shows there is more going on here than just meat on a hot plate. Lobster with asparagus also comes to mind, as does a wide selection of fresh seafood, all prepared live in front of you.
The interior of Sazanka fits the approach: dark mottled walls, brown leather chairs, tables where the grill is simply built into the top. Quiet, but not cold. You sit at a shared round table and the chef stands in the middle of it, which has something theatrical without feeling like an act. Hotel Okura Amsterdam is a five-star hotel, and you can tell by the way everything is set up: there's an in-house sommelier who manages a wine list that includes selected Bordeaux vintages and rare artisanal sake. Sazanka is also listed in the Coravin Guide, which means you can order premium wines by the glass without having to open a bottle.
The chef is not in the kitchen but at your table, and you can tell.
Sazanka is open Tuesday through Saturday, evenings only. There is a dress code: neat casual clothes, no shorts or sportswear. That suits the atmosphere here. This is a place you go to on purpose, not just a quick in-between visit. The combination of live cooking, carefully selected wines and sake, and cuisine that has been on the level for nearly five decades makes Sazanka something you won't encounter a second time in the city.