Chisana Nami

It was by pure coincidence that I found Chisana Nami, a specialised Japanese teppanyaki restaurant. I was at the Erawan Mall, going to do my usual prayers at the Erawan Shrine, when I passed the restaurant and took a look at their menu, which seemed pretty affordable, so I made sure to visit them for a meal

The restaurant name, meaning “Small Wave” in Japanese, draws inspiration from the harmonious fusion of fire and waves, offering a distinctive teppanyaki experience. Offering fresh seafood, meats, and vegetables with authentic flair and a modern twist

The interior of the restaurant boasts a sleek, contemporary design with a sophisticated ambience. The warm tones of wood and leather chairs around the stylish marble counter facing each teppanyaki station elude class and comfort at the same time

Their menu was quite extensive, with good-quality cuts like wagyu beef and iberico pork, as well as fresh seafood like lobster, scallops, and prawns. There were also combo sets of meat and seafood. Each chef has their own style of cooking and interacting with the customers to make the meal more entertaining

They start off the meal by cooking the seafood and vegetables first; the photos are from 2 different visits featuring prawns, scallops, squid, vegetables and mushrooms. Although the sauce used is the same, the ingredients tasted different as their natural flavours set in. The charred flavour of the hotplate leaves a nice sear on the seafood, and the doneness is perfect with each seafood, neither too chewy nor too tough

For meats, we had the Iberico pork and lamb, which were both cooked perfectly tender and succulent. The lamb was cut into cubes with a pink and juicy center while the pork was cut into strips for easy consumption. The gamey flavour of the lamb was quite light, so even I was able to enjoy the meat. Last but not least, we ended the meal with seafood garlic fried rice, which had the perfect smoky flavours amidst well-separated individual grains of rice. Each grain was well coated with sauce and egg, and was addictive in each mouthful

Just before they served the fried rice, they also showcased their ability to toss the egg with the teppanyaki spatula. While it looks easy, it was really tough as they got us to go up to try it ourselves. Each try ended in failure, and we felt really bad for the eggs

When all the cooking was finished, the chef cleaned up the hotplate and wrote this nice message in salt for the customer. We got this message while other customers got hearts and other messages

Overall, I really enjoyed the meal at Chisana Nami as the service was immaculate, the food was delicious, and the Chef’s interactions at the table were fun and memorable. The price might not be the cheapest around, but the atmosphere and comfort of the restaurant make me a willing return customer

Address: 494 Phloen Chit Rd, Lumphini, Pathum Wan, Bangkok 10330, Thailand

Opening hours: 11.30 am to 10 pm