Sushi and spice and all things nice

DOWNTOWN BANGKOK recently welcomed another Japanese restaurant to the fold with the opening four months back of Jiro Sushi Raw Bar & Grill on Sukhumvit Soi 15.

Located on the second floor of the Manhattan Hotel, Jiro is the newest baby in the Supanichvoraparch family, owner of the famed Tao Hong Tai ceramics factory in Ratchaburi.

Sushi, sashimi and rolls are the stars here and are served in classic style as well as with an occasional touch of fusion.

The decor is playful with colourful bricks, the vivid ceramic animals for which the potters are known as well as a blackboard where customers can share their comments. Oak chairs surround bleached wood tables illuminated by dangling ceiling lamps and there’s also a sushi bar manned by chefs clad in Japanese gear.

“Thonglor and Ekamai are already lined with Japanese restaurants so we aimed for the Asoke area in a location that’s neither two crowded or not noisy. Our concept is ‘sushi in the garden’ and our interior design helps diners to relax,” says Artis, who owns and runs the restaurant with five of her cousins. “And as the secret to fine Japanese cuisine is the absolute freshness of the ingredients, we insist on only the very best quality from our suppliers. Raw fish is the highlight but we also have tempura and steak for those who prefer their food cooked.” 

Most of the raw fish is flown in from Japan and Jiro uses cuts of blue fin tuna that range from otoro (fatty tuna belly), chutoro (the less fatty flesh at the rear) and akami (the lean meat from the sides). Diners can also enjoy engawa (halibut fin), madai (seabream), hamachi (amberjack), hirame (flounder), anago (salt-water eel) and unagi (freshwater eel). 

To match the “sushi in the garden” theme, each perfectly balanced morsel is beautifully presented a hand-made earthenware dishes decorated with petals. The result is a culinary experience that pleasing to both the palate and the eyes.

Until August 15, Jiro is offering a special set of Aburi Sushi – where the fish is partially grilled on topside and partially raw – for Bt1,000, down from the usual price of Bt1,880. The set comprises otoro topped with uni (sea urchin) roe, shima aji (horse mackerel) topped with French foie gras, hamachi topped with green ebiko (capelin roe), akami topped with yellow ebiko, engawa topped with hotate (scallop) and truffle, unagi topped with tobiko (flying fish roe), and salmon topped with salmon roe. The preserved ginger with Chinese plum served on the side is also good.

The star is the Jiro Warm Breeze (B580), oversized sushi topped with chutoro (medium fatty tuna), uni (sea urchin roe), caviar and quail egg. Otoro sushi (Bt420) is truly fatty and fresh and also comes in oversized bites

If you’re in a crowd, order the Jiro Special Roll (Bt720), which offers a pair of rolls each made with a different kind of raw fish – akami, hamachi and salmon. The salmon rolls are topped with chopped salmon cooked with spicy sauce and salmon roe; the hamachi and akami are also topped with their own chopped meat and dressed with the same sauce. Also on the menu are Madai Sashimi (Bt700), which is thin sliced and served with lemon, sesame and ponzo sauces, and Aji Sashimi (Bt300) - thin slices of local saltwater mackerel topped with pounded ginger and green onion and served in a tall glass. 

If you still have room for dessert, Jiro offers a choice between green tea ice cream with red bean and hot red bean with mochi, each priced at Bt95.

 

PALATE PLEASING

>>Jiro Sushi Raw Bar & Grill is on the second floor of the Manhattan Hotel on Sukhumvit Soi 15. It’s open Monday to Thursday, from 11am to 3pm and Friday to Sunday, from 11 to 11. Call (081) 413 4411 or Facebook/Jirosushibar