Isao Sushi Bar, known for its fusion sushi creations, is probably one of the hottest Japanese restaurants in Bangkok. It is the kind of place where you will go crazy and want to order everything from the menu. It is the kind of place which you hope nobody will discover because it is really that good.
I like the idea of a small Japanese sushi bar ala hole-in-the-wall concept that caters to its regular patrons and the random walk-ins, and I often wonder why Singapore does not have more of such restaurants. When I dined at The Sushi Bar at Far East Plaza, it fitted the bill perfectly, and was exactly the kind of place I have in mind.
They serve the standard dishes like sushi, sahimi, Japanese-style pastas and donburis, but if you only have room for one dish, you must try the much-lauded Salmon Aburi Sushi (S$14.50). I am happy to report that it lives up to its hype, and it is very addictive satisfying. As it is, The Sushi Bar is already very popular, so try to go there during off peak hours, or be prepared to wait in line.
Just a little gripe – the service is lacklustre and it soils the entire experience. I do hope that the next time I return, I would see more smiles when the servers welcome and wait on all patrons.
The Sushi Bar
#04-28 Far East Plaza
14 Scotts Road
Mon to Fri: 12.30pm – 3pm, 5.30pm – 9pm
Sat: 12.30pm – 9pm
Nearest Station: Orchard
There are some restaurants that we frequent because of one particular dish. For instance, I can never imagine myself going to Yan Ting without ordering the heavenly char siew sou. Or La Cantina without getting the lovely crabmeat linguine. Or Antoinette Patisserie without tasting its signature Antoinette earl gray cake. You get the idea.
One of those must-have dishes that I am going to add to my list is the Chirashi – a bowl of sushi rice topped with sashimi – from Aoki Japanese Restaurant by the Les Amis Group.
If you’ve had Aoki’s Chirashi ($35) before, I am sure you will agree with me that it is happiness in a bowl. I’d come back again and again just for this.