Best Japanese Restaurant In Bangkok

[LadyHeather]

I find myself craving Japanese food since Greek seems to be unavailable.

What is the best Japanese restaurant in Bangkok? Both sushi and non-sushi.

Don't forget to list the location. And directions if its hard to find, I seem to find myself getting lost easily.

[mezzoninny]

Both Fuji Super(market) branches have a Japanese restaurant called Jinya. The one in Suk 33/1 should be across from the market, on your right hand side when you come into the soi. You'll want to be fairly well-versed in Japanese food, at least know the names of the dishes, to be on the safe side. Last time I went , the menu had Japanese dish names spelt out in roman alphabets only, no pictures.

Why the hassle? Basically it sells really authentic, informal Japanese food (as opposed to flashy dinner party/banquet type) for a pretty good price. It's a joint that caters to Japanese expats. I frequented the place for several years when I lived in Bangkok, and got an addiction for chirashi sushi there. Caveat: it's been a while since I've been to Jinya, so the info may be inaccurate.

If you want something a little easier to navigate, Ootoya should be very good. They're non-sushi and can be found in several department stores. I've only been to the branches outside of BKK (several times in Tokyo and Taipei), but their food is just wonderful. Very good deep fried stuff like pork cutlets - they just might make you look down on the miserable breadcrumbs of pork chops elsewhere, I know I do. Be warned that most meals are in the 1000-calorie range, even if they don't look that rich; I saw the info on their Japanese website.

Personally I would avoid the Thai-operated chains like Zen or Fuji. They tend to be not so authentic - while this is a difference even Japanese people can live with, I've had Japanese food in Japan and I need stuff to be as close to the real thing as possible. Happy Hunting!

Edited March 22, 2009 by mezzoninny

[Gaccha]

Both Fuji Super(market) branches have a Japanese restaurant called Jinya. The one in Suk 33/1 should be across from the market, on your right hand side when you come into the soi. You'll want to be fairly well-versed in Japanese food, at least know the names of the dishes, to be on the safe side. Last time I went , the menu had Japanese dish names spelt out in roman alphabets only, no pictures.

Why the hassle? Basically it sells really authentic, informal Japanese food (as opposed to flashy dinner party/banquet type) for a pretty good price. It's a joint that caters to Japanese expats. I frequented the place for several years when I lived in Bangkok, and got an addiction for chirashi sushi there. Caveat: it's been a while since I've been to Jinya, so the info may be inaccurate.

If you want something a little easier to navigate, Ootoya should be very good. They're non-sushi and can be found in several department stores. I've only been to the branches outside of BKK (several times in Tokyo and Taipei), but their food is just wonderful. Very good deep fried stuff like pork cutlets - they just might make you look down on the miserable breadcrumbs of pork chops elsewhere, I know I do. Be warned that most meals are in the 1000-calorie range, even if they don't look that rich; I saw the info on their Japanese website.

Personally I would avoid the Thai-operated chains like Zen or Fuji. They tend to be not so authentic - while this is a difference even Japanese people can live with, I've had Japanese food in Japan and I need stuff to be as close to the real thing as possible. Happy Hunting!

Yikes. Let's forget all the chain restaraunt froth. Ootoya is okay but that is it. Obviously 'Fuji' is a disgrace.

I know a fantastic izakaya style Japanese up around Soi 33 but can't recall its name. It was Japanese only (except me) and was uber -authentic and very delicious. Let me come back to you-- I will make a trip to find out within a couple of weeks. It was also hilariously cheap.

We need to break this subject down into the best...:

kaiten sushi

sushi

izakaya

yakitori

ramen

Western-influence

kaizen

other

...it is the world's tastiet food. Japan has more Michellin stars than France.

Edited March 24, 2009 by Gaccha

[Ulysses G.]

I always find it interesting that so many expats put down Fuji and Zen and other Japanese chains. I have loved Japanese food (San Francisco style) for many years, but when I visited Japan, I found most of the common items to be pretty much the same as in California and, in retrospect, what is served at Zen and Fuji.

Now, I did stick with cheap retaurants in Japan, but I have wealthy friends that live there and when they visit Thailand, they love Zen and Fuji too. There is a Japanese Restaurant near Nana Plaza in the basement in front of of the JW Marriot that many people say is the best Japanese Restaurant in Thailand - my friends - that live in Japan - agree. I intend to try it next time I visit Bangkok and am rolling in dough!

[jfchandler]

I find myself craving Japanese food since Greek seems to be unavailable.

What is the best Japanese restaurant in Bangkok? Both sushi and non-sushi.

Don't forget to list the location. And directions if its hard to find, I seem to find myself getting lost easily.

Don't say that so fast... Saw a review on the BK Magazine web site the other day for a Greek place called Souvlaki on Silom Soi 4 near the Saladaeng BTS station. Haven't tried it yet, but it got a decent review.

See the magazine review here...

[jfchandler]

About the Thai Japanese chains, I would agree with Ulysses...

I lived my whole life until now in California, mostly the Los Angeles area, before moving here. And was married to a Japanese and ate and loved all kinds of Japanese food for years (and still do, albeit in Thailand). Most expensive restaurant meal I ever ate was a Japanese place in Beverly Hills (now deceased) that jetted its sushi fish in fresh several times a week from Japan and had wonderful Kobe beef. The dinner was superb, but the bill for two for dinner came to close to $500 U.S., and that was about 10 years ago.

For simple, basic Japanese fare, I think Fuji is fine (never tried Zen yet). I've ordered a variety of dishes (mostly non-sushi) there in the past couple years, and never had a bad meal. I love sushi, but tend to stay away from it at most places here, since the freshness of the fish is make or break. But for cooked dishes, noodles, vegetables and even their Thai-ized sashimi salads, why not??? They're perfectly tasty and fine.

[think_too_mut]

We need to break this subject down into the best...:

kaiten sushi

sushi

izakaya

yakitori

ramen

Western-influence

kaizen

other

...it is the world's tastiet food. Japan has more Michellin stars than France.

From today's the Sydney Morning Herald:

Perhaps that’s why France gasped when the 2007 Michelin Guide to Tokyo gave 191 stars to Tokyo restaurants, and only 65 to Paris. "Tokyo is a shining star in the world of cuisine," said Michelin Guide’s director Jean-Luc Naret, declaring Tokyo "the world leader in gourmet dining." But Los Angeles, which once held sway as a great restaurant city, has been wheezing for years and, as the 2007 Michelin Guide to L.A. indicated, the city really doesn’t have any three-, or even any two-star restaurants anymore.

Full aricle

[KarenOh]

I find myself craving Japanese food since Greek seems to be unavailable.

What is the best Japanese restaurant in Bangkok? Both sushi and non-sushi.

Don't forget to list the location. And directions if its hard to find, I seem to find myself getting lost easily.

I'm not a fan of sushi particularly. If you have an amazing piece of fish, why spoil it with rice and roe and all these other flavorings? The best sashimi I've had is at Omaru. The absolute freshest fish I've had in Thailand. The owner is Japanese, and the all-Thai staff are extremely well-versed in Japanese cuisine and dining etiquette. It's not cheap, but you pay for the best quality ingredients imported from Japan. For non-sushi, many of the dishes are very good, but they are subtle. This isn't the place for you if you want street-style ramen. Also, it may be a bit of a shock to your taste buds if you usually eat a lot of MSG.

I can't find a website or contact information, but Omaru is about 400 meters from the Thong Lo BTS. It's near a bunch of other Japanese restaurants, nearish Soi 6 Thong Lo. They also have a great selection of sake, and REAL wasabi, not green-colored horseradish paste, the good shit.

[jfchandler]

Karen... what kind of prices/price range at Omaru??

and what kind of sakes are they stocking?? Otokoyama???

[supbangkok]

Tsu/Nami in the Marriot, right at Pleonchit BTS is super tasty and the chef a giant man is quite original in hiis creations. All kinds of exotic treasures are on offer. And the big man himself often appears in the dining room to reccomend dishes. They have super lunch specials if you want to try it out. It is all yummy and the place is pretty much faultless, save for the arctic chill pretty much standard issue in all 5 star hotels in BKK. They do have pashminas for the ladies if you enquire.

There are scores more smaller eateries encircling EMPORIUM, just walk about around dinner time and follow the local Japanese. I have done this and found myself being the only foreigner or Thai in the whole restaurant. With the small places to numerous to mention, ordering can be hit or miss- as often the English is lacking a bit on the menu. I have found classics always tasty but when I went of the beaten offerings track, very mixed tastes.

Another place that shocked me was the Japanese restaurant in The Plaza Athanee. Some very tasty things from a very quiet and thoughtful chef. Not much innovation, but clean, clear, and crisp standards. But the dining room is almost painfully banal, a stab at "zen" decor, but truly just dull and plain. Of course pretty good service as well.

As for ZEN they make one of the best curry dishes I have found in BKK. The sushi and sashimi is pretty fresh and well priced and of course convenient for most. In its class ZEN/FUJI deliver the goods. And besides who wants to trek all over town and spend gobs of cash each time you want some Japanese. For special times go for it! For Wednesday evening supper alone they will be fine.

As for Ootoya or whatever the spelling, that is the nastiest wretch imaginable.

[KarenOh]

Karen... what kind of prices/price range at Omaru??

and what kind of sakes are they stocking?? Otokoyama???

Appetizers from 50b to several hundred for the seafood ones.

"Entrees" are what I as a slovenly American would call medium-sized, and priced from 120ish to over a thousand for the chirashi-type all-fresh-seafood things.

The cuts of the fish are very generous, I would consider. The bargain by far is BEAUTIFUL salmon 5-6 nice slices for 250 baht. It is incredibly expensive on my budget but I save up for weeks eating 25-30b meals for a few samples of their awesome, incredibly fresh fish. The night I went, I believe it was Thursday, they were out of the "normal" tuna and pointed me to the mouthwatering thousandsome baht "fatty" tuna but that was very much out of my league.

The sushi chef who answered my questions all night (in Thai, he doesn't speak much English) told me they get regular deliveries of seafood every Friday. I believe he also said that besides the several shelves of different kinds of sake (I think Otokoyama was among them) they also made their own? His Thai was peppered with Japanese though, so don't quote me on the restaurant-made brew.

JF, I also went to Akiyoshi near the Phra Khanong BTS with some coworkers and noted the considerable sake selection. The food I got was decent and expensive for what it was, but if you're willing to drop some money it looked like there were much better choices on the menu. I also saw raw horse meat on either Omaru or Akiyoshi's menu (maybe even on both), if anyone is feeling adventurous.

[callum]

Our favourite is the Japanese buffet at the Chaophya Park Hotel on Ratchadaphisek. They have a fantastic selection of authentic Japanese food and a reasonable price. Eat as much as you like in comfort. The atmosphere is intimate and it is frequented by many Japanese expats.

[bkkjames]

In terms of food quality vs cost the best Japanese Restaurant is found in Sathorn Thani office complex (@chong nonsi bts) - back building, ground floor.

Part of a Japanese Business Club / Association?

Excellent, fresh sashimi, ramen,, and so on and good prices. Japanese Clientelle 60% / Thai office workers 30% / farangs who found out about it > 10%

[filingaccount]

For good daily ramen and curry try Grand Ramen on Thonglor. It is at the entrance road to Grand Hotel (I think it's called that). There are a couple more Japanese restaurants there, including a very nice teppanyaki place. You'll walk out happy and stuffed for a couple hundred baht.

Another very nice Ramen place is in the same area as Villa market near Sukhumvit soi 33. It is diagonally across from Subway ("diagonally through" the building if you understand). Small place, I have seen plenty of Japanese in there, less non-Japanese. Not pricey.

There is another nice place on Thonglor that serves good sushi. Again, I'm coming up short with the name. It is very near the entrance of "Brittish Town Tonglor" though. Still not pricey.

MOS burger

[onethailand]

Another very nice Ramen place is in the same area as Villa market near Sukhumvit soi 33. It is diagonally across from Subway ("diagonally through" the building if you understand). Small place, I have seen plenty of Japanese in there, less non-Japanese. Not pricey.

Ramen Tei. Across from the Bull's Head and the 60 baht shop.

Average price of a ramen dish is 160-180 baht. I would call that slightly pricey - but well worth the money. You can also find Ramen Tei on Soi Thaniya in the Silom area, and also in Sukhumvit 39 where the Fuji market is, right at the intersection.

As I mentioned before elsewhere, you can be sure that it's pretty authentic and high quality when the clientele is mostly Japanese.

There is another nice place on Thonglor that serves good sushi. Again, I'm coming up short with the name. It is very near the entrance of "Brittish Town Tonglor" though. Still not pricey.

I believe that's Nobu. Never been there myself though.

[jEFFREYk44]

There is a Zen in Central World just outside Zen Dept. Store on the third floor, across fom Starbucks, it is an upscale branch, I dream of an appetizer there, foei gras on top of sushi/avocado rice, it it obscenely good, they have outrageuosly priced dishes, Yagyu beef/Abalone etc., but it is totally worth it. Good stuff, well, excellant! It takes awhile to learn Central World but it is nice, Kinokinuya in Paragon is better tho

[polecat]

Tensui, Suk 16 (Google is your friend). Far and away the best Japanese restaurant I have experienced in BKK. Very pricey though, so wait till BKKJames invites you.

I've done nearly all the high end Japanese restaurants in town (yes, I'm a fat ba$tard), and this joint has it all.

I dare you to disagree!

[jfchandler]

From BK Magazine's web site...

Tensui

Address

* 33 Sukhumvit Soi 16

* 33 สุขุมวิท ซอย 16

Contact

* Phone: 02-663-2281

Opening hours

* Daily 11:30am-2:30pm, 6pm-11:30pm

Cards

* American Express, Visa, Mastercard

Description

Relax in a lush, peaceful garden and enjoy authentic Japanese specialties prepared from fresh seasonal ingredients. If you don’t like what you see on the menu, the chefs are willing to whip up new specialties to suit your cravings. Those with bucks to spend should not miss its lavish kaiseki set.

(HSBC Dining Guide, BK#178, Mar 23, 2007)

-------------------------

Tensui has it all: gorgeous appearance, friendly service and excellent food. But its steep prices place it beyond the expense accounts of most of us. Good news is that its lunch sets are a lot more affordable (B280-850) than the a la carte dinner menu.

BK MAGAZINE LUNCH GUIDE 2008

[bkkjames]

Tensui, Suk 16 (Google is your friend). Far and away the best Japanese restaurant I have experienced in BKK. Very pricey though, so wait till BKKJames invites you.

I've done nearly all the high end Japanese restaurants in town (yes, I'm a fat ba$tard), and this joint has it all.

I dare you to disagree!

That's thoughtful of you PC. Funny I used to live in the condo next to this restaurant - walked by it many a night - looked at the prices - kept on walking.

[LadyHeather]

Many good suggestions, thank you very much. Hopefully I will find the time to try some sooner rather than later. And thanks for the suggestion polecat but I doubt I will wait for an offer from bkkjames

Edited May 9, 2009 by LadyHeather

[Gaccha]

I always find it interesting that so many expats put down Fuji and Zen and other Japanese chains. ....

Now, I did stick with cheap retaurants in Japan, but I have wealthy friends that live there and when they visit Thailand, they love Zen and Fuji too.

Well... I lived in Japan for 7 years and I really know my stuff. I hunt down Japanese cuisine everywhere I go. I eat more Japanese here in Bangkok than Thai food.

The reason I am back on this thread is that finally Taketei has reopened its Khao San store at 146 Rambutee. (they also have a branch at 144/ 3-4, Silom Road)

Their website is here www.taketei.com

This is not your fine cuisine. They don't do egg in vinegerated sauce as an appetizer. This is not Kaizen. But they are the best Japanese food at a good price that I know outside soi 33 Japantown. That is, they most accurately replicate the exact taste you get in good, unsophisticated restaurants across Tokyo. The sushi is perfect, the teishoku sets are perfect, even the narrow dessert menu is a prayer to heaven (i recommend the Abekawa mochi).

The problem is many Westerners have been fed a diet of false Japanese food, so they find Fuji and Zen hits their expectations. I went to Zen at CentralWorld after a recommendation from a Thai friend. It was dreadful. Utterly revolting. Microwave meals. But Zen is creating the same style of food as Taketei, so if you know Zen, you will understand Taketei's ambitions.

Go without delay.

[spysee]

Im a Japanese food lover too, I have been to many in bangkok and have to say that nearly all of them have been solid.

I have yet to find a bad Japanese resturant so far here, but I will say I have not found a good Viet restaurant here. ANyone know of a solid place

[verve76]

Keep the good food rolling....

Will be in Bangkok next week and hoping to check out some japanese restaurants in Sukhumvit.

Any recommendations?

[polecat]

Keep the good food rolling....

Will be in Bangkok next week and hoping to check out some japanese restaurants in Sukhumvit.

Any recommendations?

Well, there are about 20 above your post.

[Nordlys]

Not sure if anyone mentioned Aoi (Silom soi 6, Emporium 4th floor and Paragon ground floor).

probably one of the best quality Japaense food all around you can get in Thailand.

for sashimi, try Uomasa at Japanese village in Thonglor (and Ekkamai).

[MrHammer]

There's a Japanese restaurant on Petchburi somewhere. I forgot excactly where. Was there only once but they had a good and relatively cheap Kobe steak. If only I could remember the name?

[timinchina]

Keep the good food rolling....

Will be in Bangkok next week and hoping to check out some japanese restaurants in Sukhumvit.

Any recommendations?

J Avenue,Sukhumvit 55,Thoglor is where all the movie stars go,so I've been told,there's lots of very good Japanese restaurants there.

I've been to Nanohana,sashimi and sake excellent but a little bit pricey,I paid around 4,000 baht for two people but that was ordering a huge amount of food!

I can't remember the dish but one of them came encased in ice with a little hammer to break it,my lady friend ordered it,very novel!

Here's there website:

http://nanohana.ycsjp.com/jp-top.html

[timinchina]

Keep the good food rolling....

Will be in Bangkok next week and hoping to check out some japanese restaurants in Sukhumvit.

Any recommendations?

J Avenue,Sukhumvit 55,Thoglor is where all the movie stars go,so I've been told,there's lots of very good Japanese restaurants there.

I've been to Nanohana,sashimi and sake excellent but a little bit pricey,I paid around 4,000 baht for two people but that was ordering a huge amount of food!

I can't remember the dish but one of them came encased in ice with a little hammer to break it,my lady friend ordered it,very novel!

Here's their website:

http://nanohana.ycsjp.com/jp-top.html

Typo!

[oldsparrow]

A very good one

Hakata, from Sukhumvit 39, 50 meters on the right. Easy walk from BTS Prompong Station (Emporium). It's the old place with parking lot for 20+.

[verve76]

Hi oldsparrow,

What's the price range for Hakata?

And has anyone been to this Jap restaurant, Thai Nabe Serina-Japanese Rest in Suriwong?

Thanks.