The departure of Scandinavian coffee shop Rocket from 72 Courtyard a few weeks ago may have caused heartbreak to many Thonglor café-goers. But Lucky Fish, the modern, izakaya-style eatery that took over the prime spot, aims to heal all the hurt with a fun and quirky café-meets-bar vibe.
Rocket’s former bright and wood-heavy space has been transformed into a room featuring minuscule turquoise mosaics and blue French doors. Giant paper lanterns and illuminated shelves filled with rare sake bottles evoke the atmosphere of a casual Japanese bar.
The food is all about simple tapas-inspired snacks and light bites such as sushi rolls and onigiri (Japanese rice balls). We tried the salmon carpaccio (B260) that sees half-cooked slices of salmon swimming in a sauce made of olive oil, sesame oil and yuzu soy sauce, then speckled with salmon roe. After 5 pm, the izakaya vibe kicks in and grilled selections go on the offer, including chicken wings (B100) and luscious wagyu nibbles (B450).
One of the people steering the bar is rising bar star Dedsakda Thianthong, who was recently named a finalist in the 2017 Bacardi Legacy Cocktail Competition. The mixologist gives classics a few Japanese twists and turns with concoctions like the Sakura Martini (sake, gin, Maraschino liqueur and pickled cherry blossom, B360) and a mojito mixed with matcha powder (B320). During the day, teetotalers will find much to love with a variety of espresso drinks (starting from B80) and a smoothie that combines banana, milk and matcha, and then topped with a sprinkling of shredded coconut and extra green tea powder (B180).