Japanese restaurants
Japanese restaurant in Bangkok: purity, precision and umami
Japanese cuisine is an art of restraint: few ingredients, but of absolute quality, and a gesture of great precision. Bangkok is one of the rare cities in the world where this level can be reached outside Japan — provided you know where to look.
The concept: top 3
Three addresses that place the produce and the technique at the centre of everything. Bangkok benefits from remarkable arrivals of fish and Japanese produce — several weekly flights from Tokyo and Osaka — and certain houses make the most of them with admirable rigour.
From the sushi counter where the chef offers his omakase (chef's tasting) to the discreet izakaya perched in a Thonglor building, we look for accuracy and authenticity rather than spectacle or fashion.
The Japanese community in Bangkok is the largest in Southeast Asia. It exerts a natural pressure on the city's Japanese restaurants — a demanding filter that benefits every visitor.
What we look for
The freshness and the origin of the fish — a fundamental variable that conditions everything else. A good sushiya has its fish delivered two to three times a week from Japan, and makes it known. Yesterday's fish, even well prepared, never gives the same result.
The mastery of the rice, the slicing, the serving temperature and the pressure of the shari (rice ball) — those technical details that mean everything in a sushi and that separate the professional from the amateur.
An atmosphere faithful to the Japanese spirit: sobriety, care in every detail, sincere and discreet hospitality. Noise, confusion and overwhelmed staff are incompatible with the level of attention this kind of cuisine requires.
The Japanese scene in Bangkok
Bangkok is, after Tokyo, one of the cities in the world with the greatest density of quality Japanese restaurants. This is no accident: the resident Japanese community, estimated at several tens of thousands of people, imposes high standards and patronises the establishments assiduously.
The Thonglor district — soi 55 of Sukhumvit — is the living heart of this Bangkok Japanese scene. There you find izakayas, artisanal ramen shops, sushi counters and fine grocers that import directly from Japan. A walk through this neighbourhood is enough to understand why Bangkok is taken seriously by gourmets.
Other remarkable addresses are scattered across Sathorn, around Silom or in the business towers of Sukhumvit. The scene is lively, constantly renewed and generally more affordable than in Tokyo.
The styles to know
Omakase — "I trust you" — is the most demanding format: the chef composes the meal according to the day's arrivals, in a succession of pieces served at the counter. A rare format but available in a few serious houses in Bangkok.
The izakaya, a bar of small plates to share, is the most accessible format and often the most revealing of a Japanese kitchen's expertise. Yakitori, edamame, karaage, sashimi of the day, house tofu — the quality of these simple dishes says everything about the general level.
Artisanal ramen, finally: a broth simmered for several hours, house-made noodles, considered toppings. Bangkok has a few serious shops that hold their own against the best ramen in Tokyo — a delight to discover, especially in the evening.
Frequently asked questions
Is Japanese produce in Bangkok really fresh? For the restaurants in our selection, yes. They source directly through specialised importers with flights two to three times a week. For less serious restaurants, the traceability is less clear.
Is omakase in Bangkok on a par with what you find in Japan? For the best counters in our selection, very largely yes — at a generally lower price. Bangkok is a city where omakase remains accessible to those who look well.
Can you find quality sake in Bangkok? Yes, in serious Japanese restaurants and in several specialised fine grocers. The offering is less deep than in Tokyo, but it covers the essentials of the great styles — junmai, ginjo, daiginjo.