Sushi Masato — Restaurant in Khlong Toei Nuea Subdistrict

6-star food and service but with 4-star prices! No wonder they are always busy… The good: one of my best omakase meals at a very reasonable price of 4,000B/$112 per person (20 courses); the bad: always fully booked for a month and no walk-ins; the ugly: my girlfriend and I would declare war over a piece of sushi. Chef Masato is awesome, he is like an artist and a performer; he was trained in the traditional way of sushi making with a long 10-year apprenticeship; took the chef 5 years before he was allowed to handle a sushi knife in the sushi bar. This is what traditional sushi should be and it is the only kind of sushi I like to have. Don’t expect to get your California roll or spider maki fix here, only traditional sushi is served here. Everything served here are imported fresh from Japan 5 days a week. Anything that is not served raw are always prepared by the chef himself; the home made ankimo (monkfish liver), anago (sea eel), tamago and pickled radish were simply the best I have ever had! Chef Masato and his awesome and well-trained crew took their time to explain every single dish and their service deserved a Michelin star. I suggest you to eat sushi here the traditional way with one of your hands instead of your chopsticks; they provide a wet nap for you to clean your sushi picking hand, one of the many thoughtful details in this restaurant. Also, do not ask for soy sauce and wasabi in an omakase coz each piece of sushi is already seasoned or simply needs no seasoning. The meal took over 2 hours and many jokes about food, life in the USA and Thailand were exchanged between the chef, my friends and myself. Chef Masato speaks very good English since he had spent over 10 years working in New York before moving to Bangkok. FYI, after the meal you can go inside the sushi prep area and take pictures with Chef Masato. I can be very picky when it comes to food and this is one of the very few restaurants on the...

Sushi Masato in Bangkok claimed its prestigious spot as the 29th entry on the Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, a remarkable feat that stirs curiosity and admiration. Already adorned with a Michelin star, Masato's surpassing of its Japanese counterparts speaks volumes about its unique allure and excellence.

Originating from Japan and finding successive triumphs in New York, Masato-san, along with his wife, established their foothold in Bangkok, pioneering the Omakase experience in the city. The restaurant exudes a traditional ambiance, where conversations flow in a mix of English and Japanese. Masato-san's genuine exclamation of "おいしい～" (delicious) as he introduces the day's catch, confidently reflects the essence of his culinary art. Amidst the relentless heat of Bangkok's streets, each sushi piece offers a refreshing burst of cool, sour, and savory notes, providing an immediate sense of relief and pleasure.

True to the Omakase tradition, a standout creation features squid embedded with monkfish liver, a bold statement of confidence. The rich taste harmoniously blends with the subtle oceanic freshness of the cephalopod, creating a layered sensory experience that leaves a lasting impression. While imported ingredients from Japan might not fully replicate the homeland's advantage, their quality and the distinctive zest of Sushi Masato's offerings are indeed commendable in Bangkok.

📍Bangkok, Thailand Omakase / THB 4,000

The curated menu includes:

Ark shell and Striped Jack Squid with monkfish liver Tempura of bamboo shoot

Nigiri:

Gizzard shad Cherry salmon Sardine Redthroat Medium fatty tuna Lean tuna Firefly squid Prawn Sea urchin gunkan maki Eel

Accompanied by miso soup and tamagoyaki, each dish at Sushi Masato is a testament to the meticulous care and creativity that defines the...

My rather unconventional sushi lunch here was great. Masato san was very friendly and hospitable to all the guests. I also really liked that he was elaborative when it came to the food and its source, which showed that he cares about quality. His technique is good, and the dishes reflected that.

The sashimi starter of akami and akagai had a nice contrast of textures. Akagai was fresh and crunchy, while the akami (zuke) was nice and soft. The octopus (kanagawa) and ankimo-stuffed yari squid starters were spectacular. The octopus was incredibly tender and naturally really sweet, almost comparable to hotate (in the words of the chef, they do 30mins of thai massage for the octopus to make it really tender lol). The ankimo-stuffed yari ika was creamy on the inside while the squid was really tender without much chew. Amadai was crispy and relatively moist. Sumi ika, aji, and kinmedai were well prepared. Nodoguro was fatty and very sizeable. Toro was well marbled without any sinew. Uni was of decent quality without being overly briny. Anago was a large piece but wasn't as buttery as I had hoped. Tamagoyaki was on the spongier side. Temperature control for shari was good. The shari consists of 2 different types of komezu as well as akazu for a bolder vinegar aroma without the flavour being too overpowering. It was shaped loose but held its shape. Well done.

With that said, the reason the sushi course was rather unconventional was firstly because the starters stole the limelight, and secondly while the nigiris were pretty good, I felt like the course could do with a few more pieces, so in that regard, it was a little bit of a bummer.

All in all, it was a very good lunch, and they certainly deserve their star. But to rank it as a sushiya? I'm not too sure. But that's not too important to me as long as the...