Kozue Omakase Thonglor

As a Japanese lover, I always love a good Omakase especially when they are at pocket-friendly prices so when my friend suggested going for a popular omakase in Bangkok, I immediately agreed so we made a booking for dinner

With 3 outlets across Bangkok, we chose the one at Thonglor, The Commons, a popular hangout place for many young Thais and foreigners. The menu available at Thonglor is priced at THB 2,890 ( without tax) which is about SGD 110 which covers 17 courses in total. We were running slightly late so the rest of the customers started their course first

The restaurant is small and exclusive to their omakase customers only and each session holds 8 diners. There are also outdoor tables available for customers who are having some of their a la carte dishes and not the omakase session

The place setting is typically Japanese with premium wooden chopsticks and side dishes of pickled ginger and pickled radish. The interesting item is a folded wet tissue which is placed this way for diners to clean their fingers to hold the sushi as the most traditional way to enjoy handmade sushi. We started the course with the main appetiser which is the Japanese cherry tomato and snow crab in yuzu zest which were both refreshing and sweet

In the next 10 minutes, we were flooded with different varieties of sushi and some of the items I managed to note down included the Kinmedai (Japanese red snapper), Hirame ( Halibut Flatfish), Shima Aji (Horse Mackerel), Akami Zuke (Marinated Tuna), Aka Ebi in Nikirin and Caviar and Uni on charcoal toast. Even though the chef was trying to make our sushi fast to catch up with the main group, each sushi was still made with great detail and care to ensure the best flavours for us. The fishes were all perfectly fresh and the proportion to the rice was great as each sushi can be eaten in 1 bite. The uni was sweet and nice with the charcoal toast giving a nice crunch

The next batch of items included the chutoro with shaved truffle and truffle oil, Awabi Kamameshi ( abalone with kettle rice cooked with broth), Hotaru Ika ( boiled firefly squid in yuzu miso sauce with ice plant), Otoro wrapped in seaweed with sea grapes and snow crab in miso sauce and Ikura. For this next batch, I would describe them as more of a visual enjoyment as each dish is served up like a painting. It was really interesting to see the Chef assemble each dish flawlessly. The taste of each dish is wonderful as each dish teases your tastebuds with varied flavours and texture

Towards the end of the course, we were served Ponzu Dashi soup which is made using a siphon coffee maker, Kozue mixed tuna Bakudan seaweed wrap and chawanmushi with tempura prawn. By this moment, we were surprisingly full even though each course was small but eating at an omakase actually encourages you to slow down and bite your food and enjoy the flavours while watching the Chef beautifully plate the next dish. Till the last course, every dish’s flavours were on point and delicious and the presentation brings the enjoyment up a notch

Last but not least, we were served 2 desserts and while the castella cake and yoghurt sorbet looks very normal compared to the rest of the dishes, they were extremely delectable. The cake was soft, springy and fluffy with a great balance of sweetness and buttery flavours. The sorbet was a nice refreshing finish to the entire meal

Overall, I fully enjoyed the meal at Kozue Omakase and I find that the price is quite affordable for the quality of food and service provided. The beauty of the plating also added full marks to the meal. On a side note, the pickled radish was extremely delicious and I regret not getting more towards the beginning of the meal as I did not have time to finish the radish. I will definitely visit them again the next time I am in Bangkok for a great Omakase experience

Address: 335 Thong Lo 17 Alley, Khlong Tan Nuea, Watthana, Bangkok 10110, Thailand

Operating hours: 12 pm to 10 pm