FOUNDED in 1985 in Japan’s ramen capital of Hakata, Fukuoka, ramen king Shigemi Kawahara’s popular restaurant chain, Ippudo, is feted for the quality of its pork-broth noodles. After earning praise outside of Japan in cities such as New York, Hong Kong and Singapore, the restaurant has now finally arrived in Bangkok, bringing fine ingredients, well-honed recipes, considerate cooking, and heaps of flavour – as well as some unique, signature dishes.

A BLAST of flames, a duck-like quack, and a rapid drumming of spatulas on the grill – meals at Hagi Japanese Restaurant’s Teppanyaki tables are anything but ordinary. 

Where else in Hua Hin can you watch a chef juggle eggs and then catch them in his pocket, or arrange fried rice into the shape of a heart and then make it beat, or spin utensils around on his fingers with the dexterity of a circus-clown?

THE latest stage in Zen World’s amazing collection of dining venues, which began earlier this year with the opening of Zense on its 17th floor and culminates next month with the opening of a rooftop bar called Heaven, is the launch of Shintori.

Noted for its hip décor and vibe just as much as for its food, Shintori is a gem of a restaurant from China, where its Shanghai flagship is set within an old Chinese theatre, complete with an open kitchen on what was once the main stage, and is regarded as one of the city’s most striking restaurants.

THERE can’t be many hotel-based Japanese restaurants in town as carefully considered as Hagi at the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao Bangkok. From its elegant traditional design to its extensive selection of sushi and sashimi made using fresh fish from Tokyo, the restaurant has been delicately crafted from the floorboards up to offer a thoroughly authentic Japanese dining experience. And, best of all, it just keeps getting better.

Central to the current wave of exciting new developments at the restaurant is its new Head Chef Norobu Ozeki, a Japanese-cuisine veteran with over 30 years’ international experience who joined Hagi in February from the renowned Wasabi’s Restaurant in Hawaii.With a keen eye for detail, Chef Norobu likes to create food that looks just as good as it tastes. “Part of the wow factor in any meal should always come from the presentation,” he says. “While I never play around too much with flavours (authenticity is key, and I want diners to experience the top quality ingredients we use) I like to be creative with presentation, making what is essentially Japanese cuisine but with a fine dining twist.”

WHILE most Japanese restaurants get their inspiration purely from the Land of the Rising Sun, VIE Hotel Bangkok’s new venue, Yellow Tail Sushi Bar (YTSB), takes its cue from the trendy sushi bars found in New York’s Manhattan Island. 

The idea, according to the restaurant’s slogan, is to offer ‘Freshness in Style,’ a concept which applies both to the food – as fresh as it gets and presented with artistic flair – and to the restaurant’s design, which takes contemporary cool and gives it a Japanese spin. 

THE last time we visited Benihana we saw a female guest toss an egg so high that it cracked on the ceiling. She’d not gone crazy – she’d been invited by one of the chefs to attempt one of his culinary tricks, which involved spinning an uncooked egg on the Teppanyaki grill, launching the egg in the air with a spatula, catching the egg with the spatula, then cracking it with a flourish. The lady had failed spectacularly. And it was hilarious.

Humour is one of the key ingredients of the Benihana dining experience. Sit at any of the restaurant’s Teppanyaki cooking stations and you’ll be treated to a fun-packed culinary show. The chefs will grill meats before your eyes, but they won’t just cook. They’ll also perform magic tricks, juggle salt shakers, and even throw ingredients into the air and catch them in their hats. It’s great fun for all ages. 

Popular with Japanese tourists, Kisso has survived several changes in the hotel’s management - a sure sign they’ve got things right. The setting is modern, but intimate. 
 Especially popular at lunch when there are numerous set lunches available. The sushi and sashimi get good reviews. On Sundays, local Japanese families arrive for the buffet brunch that features over 60 different selections and a variety of activities to occupy the kiddies while mum and dad eat.
Westin Grande Sukhumvit on Sukhumvit Rd at Soi 19 (BTS Asoke or
MRT Sukhumvit) Tel: 02 207 8000