The latest to curb Bangkok’s well-off foodie’s omakase craving is Sushi Ichizu, a serious sushi contender that promises to give you a similar experience as dining in Tokyo’s Sushi Sugita, one of the best in the island country—and one of the hardest to get reservations a—as guaranteed by Tabelog, Japan’s most popular food review website.
Hidden in one Bangkok’s back streets, within proximity of Sukhumvit 39 on the Petchburi Road side, Sushi Ichizu features minimalist Zen touches within a Japanese-style house. Slide the door open and you’ll encounter a dramatic bonsai installation that conceals the entrance to a bright sushi bar decorated with traditional Japanese elements like bamboo and light wood.
Despite his young age, chef Riku Toda is no stranger to the art of sushi-making. Toda was trained by Hachiro Mizutani himself, a student of the legendary sushi master Ono Jiro and owner of the three-Michelin starred restaurant Sushi Mizutani. After the sushi master retired, forcing his namesake sushi den to close, Toda relocated to another establishment—Sushi Sugita—where he climbed up the ranks to become the sous chef, in the process of helping the restaurant receive one Michelin star.
At Sushi Ichizu, Toda churns out 18 bites (B8,000++) that make use of seasonal sea creatures flown directly from Tokyo’s Tsukiji Market. There’s the nodoguro (blackthroat seaperch), a naturally sweet and juicy fish that’s grilled to perfection; the melt-in-your-mouth sawara (Spanish mackerel), smoked with hay for earthy aroma; and the uni (murasaki sea urchin), which tempts with its bold creaminess. Kuro awabi (black abalone) is steamed with sake for complexity and served with soy sauce-marinated Japanese rice sitting atop a rich and delicious sauce made from abalone liver. Kegani (steamed meaty hairy crab) is paired with chewy rice that’s been mixed with the crustacean’s sumptuous fat and salmon roe.
There's also a more affordable set, Nigiri, which is priced at B4,000 per person and comes with 12 bites of high-quality fruits de mer.
A selection of Japanese beer, umeshu and sake are on offer to complete the omakase experience. The sushi den does two rounds of seating per night (17:30 and 20:30) and reservations are open one month in advance.