When we heard that the highly popular Wine Pub at Pullman Bangkok King Power was closing to make way for a Japanese restaurant, we couldn’t help but imagine a fine-dining denwrapped in clichéd Oriental elements (think traditional private rooms with sliding wooden panels, relaxing instrumental koto tunes and kimono-clad servers). To our surprise, Tenshino is not your usual hotel restaurant, but a fusion eatery that injects French influences into the best of Japanese cuisine.
Tenshino’s contemporary dishes are complemented by bright European vintage-style decor. One room features a striking blue wall festooned with countless framed pre-Modernist art, while printed wallpaper in other rooms contrast beautifully with patterned floor tiles and vividly colored furniture. The restaurant’s interiors are courtesy of Hans Bogetoft Christensen, the design genius behind the quirky setting of Issaya Siamese Club.
Tokyo-born head chef Yohei Okita provides a dining experience that will blow your mind and excite your palate. Rice roll lovers can opt for the sushi of the day, which makes use of fresh catch flown from Tsukiji market (the otoro is mind-blowing, B1,240), or more economical sushi options such as the saba maki served with preserved plum purée (B260). French influences shine in items like the scrumptious poached Périgord foie gras (B550) that’s balanced out by sweet pumpkin, red bean and ginger dashi. Our favorite, however, keeps to classic Japanese cooking—the simple sukiyaki (B1,870), which makes use of heavenly marbled wagyu from Kagoshima, is a winning dish that’s cooked in a sweet and salty sake-infused broth, and served with raw egg and vegetables.
Apart from a wide selection of sake, you can opt to pair your meal with Japanese-inspired cocktails like Sakir (B400), a sweet and sour sakebased drink with crème de cassis and lime juice.