At Yasashii, the sun rises in the west

Located right in the centre of Sukhumvit Soi 49’s “Japan town”, so called because of the area’s large Japanese community, Yasashii challenges the taste buds by offering fusion cuisine that kicks hard against the natural tastes normally preferred by natives of the Land of the Rising Sun. 

Yasashii – which means hospitality – is among a handful of well-kept eateries on the third floor of 49 Terrace, a small community mall. Due to its solitary location and discreet promotion, most customers are patrons rather than walk-ins.

“Mention the word ‘fusion’ and many diners are immediately scared off because they’ve experienced so-called fusion dishes that look beautiful but taste awful. I realise that promoting my eatery as offering fusion Japanese cuisine is a double-edged sword, but I want to prove that my fusion creations are edible, tasty and appealing to the eye,” says owner/chef Ek Srisueb.

The glass-wrapped eatery is decorated with dim lighting, black polished floor and comfy sofas in black and cream, and can accommodate about 50 people. The outdoor terrace for another 50 diners is a pleasant place to chill. More than half of Ek’s customers are Thai and the others are Western.

Ek is not a newcomer to the business having partnered with friends to open a European restaurant in the Sukhumvit area. He set up Yasashii three years ago in Bang Na’s Soi Lasalle but says customer traffic was very not satisfying so he decided to relocate to the city centre after a year to attract diners more eager to try new things. 

He hasn’t trained at any culinary institution but simply follows his passion and curiosity. 

“I learnt a lot about European dishes from a chef when I opened the European restaurant. When I wanted to try new things with fusion Japanese foods, I got together with a Thai chef who used to cook for a retired Japanese ambassador. We have been able to merge our cooking methods and materials to find the fusion creations to suit the Thai palate,” says Ek. 

Here you can feast on treats rarely, if ever, found in Japan. Among them are foie gras nigiri sushi, grilled eringii mushrooms with wasabi dressing, chicken teriyaki with avocado salsa, and salmon tartar with sushi rice, avocado and grapes.

Ek suggests starting with a light meal of tuna tartare with goat’s cheese for Bt420, which proves delightful thanks to the fresh tuna and smooth yet creamy cheese. Then comes thin sliced hamachi sashimi with grapefruit and ginger vinaigrette for Bt460 that is both zesty and refreshing. 

Another pleasing creation is tempura roll for Bt340 – cooked rice stuffed with shrimps, ebiko (capelin roe) and kamaboko (fish-based food product) wrapped in crunchy deep-fried tempura maki roll. Also worth trying is shrimp tempura udon with spicy tomato sauce for Bt360. Ek substitutes the pasta with Japanese udon – a thick wheat-flour noodle that is soft and sticky – and cooks it in olive oil with Italian arrabbiata sauce made from garlic, tomatoes and red chilli peppers to give it punch.

Anyone concerned about calories will probably hesitate before ordering the pork belly – thinking it’s too much fat to ingest. But the braised pork belly with potato puree for Bt460 is worth the indulgence. The pork belly is slowly cooked with shoyu sauce and fish stock for three days to let the magic alchemy work. The result is pull-apart tender, yet still sliceable and aromatic. 

The dessert menu has little in the way of choice but the green tea panna cotta with red bean paste for Bt220 is not too sweet and a pleasant way to finish the meal.

 

EAST MEETS WEST

Yasashii is on the third floor of 49 Terrace mall of Sukhumvit Soi 49. It’s open daily (except Monday) from 11.30am to 2.30pm, and 5.30 to 10pm. Call (02) 662 5541.