The buzz: Westin Grande’s Japanese restaurant Kisso is back after a complete makeover. On top of its elegant design, it boasts of hard-to-source fish from the suppliers that Chef Shinsuke Yonekawa was cozy with before coming to Bangkok. Expect a fairly classic menu, despite the requisite twists and signature dishes.
The décor: The new design has really freshened things up. The dimly-lit dining room now has a bit of a retro feel courtesty of sakura (cherry blossom) patterns, rows of sake barrels and Japanese partition screens. Forget your typical blond wood-based minimalism; here the dominant color is weathered copper and leather. The private rooms are more traditional, though.
The food: Apart from the focus on classic sushi, Kisso is the latest premium Japanese restaurant to make big claims about how often they get its fish flown in each week. More unique, though, is the fact that Japanese Chef Yonekawa has personally sourced the locally-grown Japanese rice. Indeed, it’s probably the sushi that’s currently drawing in the crowds, so opt for the yellow tail sushi (B150), uni (B390) or, better yet, the set of five (B480). Less typical dishes include the tender wagyu beef salad with sesame and ponzu sauce (B580) or the Japanese capaccio that comes with different fish like ebi and maguro (B450). The grill station serves up eel and foie gras (B980), wagyu beef steak (B1,500) and yellowtail with salt (B580), grilled with three different types of charcoal—eucalyptus, tamarind and mangrove—to add some serious aroma as well as heat. Another option is the Norwegian salmon box (B580) which offers nine different servings of salmon like sushi, grill and capaccio. Lunch sets start from B300, moving up to options like the shrimp tempura with conger eel, crab and scallop bento set (B500) or the full yaki set (B1,450).
The drinks: Pair your fish with sake, which starts from B690 for 330ml or ask for the special on your visit. There are also sake-based cocktails like the Rising Sun (lychee liquor, sake, mango juice, B350) and plum gin (umeshu, gin, lemon juice, B350). Beer-lovers can opt for Asahi draught (B195) while wines start from B1,600 per bottle.
The crowds: For now, mainly suited up Japanese expats and business groups in the tatami room.
