In a city that is fortunate to have some of the best-value Japanese food South of Okinawa, we can’t say Hachi is worth driving across town for. But, it’s a surprisingly solid choice in a part of Bangkok that doesn’t have a lot of Japanese restaurants, with friendly service and management that seem tuned-in to the needs of its customers. Built to look like a traditional Japanese house, Hachi is two restaurants under one roof: upstairs, there’s the pocket-friendly all-you-can-eat shabu-sukiyaki that caters mostly to families, while downstairs a more upscale crowd dines on teppanyaki dishes, izakaya fare (snacks to go with your booze) and sushi rolls that are sometimes too creative to eat without them falling apart. The buffet is a bargain, certainly above average and better than what’s available at the chain restaurants, even when you figure in the extra for all-you-can-drink green tea or bottomless beer. (We recommend you splurge on one of four kinds of Ebisu, though—try the hoppy green can.) Downstairs, the prices are higher so you can rightly expect more bang for your baht. The seating is around one of four rectangular pairs of grills, so most people order one of the teppanyaki sets, which include salad, super-garlicky garlic fried rice, soup, boiled side dishes, grilled vegetables and (for an additional) B50 if you want fruit for dessert—well worth it in terms of quantity though nothing memorable in terms of quality. The main problem, however, is not Hachi but that we’re not huge fans of teppanyaki. We always feel like we’re paying extra for something we don’t want (the show) and have some obligation to act like we actually care that the guy can juggle a salt shaker with his spatula. Having said this, the combination set (salmon, snapper, pork and prawns) is more than enough food for two people, and though everything was cooked at least a half stage beyond what you would get in a more authentic Japanese restaurant, everything was fresh and seasoned just right. Other than the teppanyaki, which tops out for Kobe beef, prices are reasonable, with most items in the B100-300 range. No corkage charge.
