When I returned to Tokyo as soon as Japan reopened after three years of Covid, I felt quite excited the moment my plane landed at Haneda Airport. To celebrate my other half's birthday, we decided to leave some time for catching up, but the stomach was reserved for the restaurant where we had wanted to go to for years.

After winning Asia's Best Pastry Chef in 2020 for her fashion-inspiredfruit cakes, Tokyo chef Natsuko Shoji took home the Best Female Chef of Asia’s 50 best this year. Her restaurant in Tokyo, Été, caters up to six people a day so getting the reservation is no easy feat. Expect thoughtful service, beautiful dishes, and an array of pleasant surprises brought by Été. It would be unforgettably romantic to make a marriage proposal here.