Opened a few months ago, Hishou offers Bangkok something a little different in terms culinary pleasure.
The 80-seat Japanese restaurant's dining concept is unpretentious, seductive and original. Hotel Nikko Bangkok's new signature restaurant unifies contemporary glamour with classic Japanese refinement. It is the city's first haute-cuisine tempura bar.
To ensure the highest standards, the kitchen is helmed by Japanese executive chef Masayuki Watanabe. Chef Watanabe strictly conforms to authentic Japanese techniques and time-honoured recipes, while at the same time using ingredients that reflect the best seasonal produce, both local and imported.
Hishou's tempura delights can be enjoyed via the all-you-can-eat menu or the free-flow omakase (chef's selection). Prices are 1,100 baht and 1,900 baht per person, respectively, inclusive of unlimited side dishes from the osouzai buffet counter.
Of the 1,100-baht option, diners can partake in seafood tempura such as shrimp, squid, octopus, horse mackerel and white fish. Among the non-meat options are quail egg and a selection of vegetable tempura, including asparagus, baby corn, eggplant, lotus root, mushroom, pumpkin and sweet potato. The 1,900 baht option, meanwhile, includes such gourmet options as tiger prawn, conger eel, snow crab, scallop, salmon, avocado and Camembert cheese.
The dining counter allows people to interact with the chef.
Each piece of tempura is delicately prepared, lightly battered and deep-fried upon order. Every piece of piping hot delicacy served to me -- I went for the omakase dinner -- exhibited a fluffy golden crust that encompassed a delicate and naturally flavoursome centre. The tempura was so good, and so light, that I ended up going for seconds on my favourites: the shrimp, crab, octopus, eel, lotus and Camembert.
Complementing the moreish tempura, along with the classic tentsuyu dipping sauce generously thickened with finely-grated daikon, was an assortment of Japanese seasoned salts. On the day I went there was wasabi salt, matcha salt, curry salt and ume (pickled plum) salt.
Though the tempura was obviously the main event, our party of three couldn't help but indulge ourselves in the mouthwatering side dishes on offer at the osouzai buffet counter. Among the typical dinnertime offerings are oden -- the best I've had in years -- sukiyaki, sushi, soba, okonomiyaki (savoury pancake), salads and yakitori (grilled meat on skewers).
Oden, another side dish highlight.
The yakitori included glazed grilled eel liver. Other enticing options were eggplant with minced pork; edamame and nutsu; stir-fried gobo roots; braised crispy tofu; deep-fried battered mushroom in sweet and sour lemon sauce; and sweet potato fritters.
After all that, there was still room for dessert. Upon discovering that they were out of ice cream tempura, we instead wrapped up our meal with cold matcha soup. A very nice finish.
Diners can waive the tempura and stick to the all-you-can-eat osouzai for just 580 baht per person. If you're more of a drinker, and less interested in the deep-fried delicacies, the banshaku set menu, which allows you four side dishes and two glasses of sake, shochu or beer at 480 baht per person.
The restaurant also serves up a variety of a la cart dishes, from sushi, sashimi and steak to various deep-fried items. We sampled the melt-in-the-mouth Miyazaki wagyu beef steak (1,500 baht) and all agreed it was a dish to die for. A selection of lunch sets, each including a main course and unlimited side dishes, is also available, priced between 480 baht and 700 baht per set depending on your choice of main course.
Ever a good sign of authenticity, the majority of Hishou's clients are Japanese. The staff were knowledgeable and extremely cordial.
The private room.
The tempura is prepared with top-quality ingredients and deep-fried upon order.
The extensive line-up of all-you-can-eat osuzai.
The light and fluffy tempura is complemented by dipping sauce and various salts.
