Yuzu Suki makes bold statement

When another Japanese hotpot joint opens in a mall, it's not likely to catch the attention of a food journalist.

Especially when the specialised-cuisine eatery wasn't founded by a native son.

Yuzu Suki, this week's subject of review, is one of the five culinary ventures of the two-year-old Yuzu restaurant brand founded in Bangkok by a novice and young -- and definitely bold -- Thai entrepreneur.

The brand began with a sushi eatery before a ramen shop quickly followed. Then came an omakase restaurant and a shabu shabu chef's table.

The suki edition, which opened just three months ago, confirms not only the proprietor's fondness for Nippon cuisine but also his taste for the best.

Just like how those of other Yuzu restaurants are famous for, the ingredients here, unless meticulously produced in-house, are imported from Japan's best sources and of top-notch quality. What you can expect from the 50-seater are the likes of champion-grade wagyu beef, world-class pork, varieties of premium broth and a selection of dipping sauces brilliantly concocted to delight the Thai palate.

However, even though the restaurant clearly labels itself a hotpot eatery with the dining tables embedded with cooktops, menu offerings are not limited to the hotpot fare.

Other than a selection of salad and appetisers, there are also a wide variety of gourmet sushi rolls, prime selection of seasonal sashimi and sushi, more than a dozen options of donburi (rice-bowl dishes) and kani miso yaki, or grilled snow crab served over a charcoal fire.

The restaurant's collection of yuzu-centric refreshments is so presentable it could have an outlet of its own.

The Omi wagyu sukiyaki set with tonkotsu pork broth.

First timers wishing to have an ultimate hotpot experience are recommended to go for the Omi wagyu, should they eat beef, or the Iberico pork, should they be a fan of pork.

The Omi beef (2,650 baht for a 150g portion), from multi-award winning beef cattle in Japan's Shiga Prefecture, is served in expansive slices and boasting the highest A5 marbling score.

Each bite, after being flash-dipped into the boiling broth, promises melt-in-the-mouth tenderness as well as a delicate, second-to-none beefy taste.

Should you look for less pricey options, there's Kagoshima wagyu beef, also A5 (1,650 baht for 150g); and Australian wagyu (450 baht for 150g).

I tried both the top-rank Omi and the budget-friendly Australian and found they deliciously lived up to their pricing.

The hotpot Omi beef from Japan and Iberico pork from Spain.

While the Iberico pork (550 baht per 150g), imported from Spain, proved heavenly for pork eaters and beef buffs alike thanks to its intricate lines of fat and super-flavourful red meat. Cheaper alternatives including locally raised kurobuta pork (190 baht per 150g) and kurobuta belly (190 baht per 150g) are also available.

There are five kinds of broth to choose from: the sweet and savoury sukiyaki soup, the milky tonkotsu pork broth, the dashi dry-fish stock, the tofu milk soup and the peppery mala soup.

My recommendation of broth for those who go for the beef experience is the sukiyaki. The mild-tasting pork broth, which is rich in collagen, may allow the meat to speak even better for itself.

It is also a good idea to go for a set (each meat item can be ordered a la carte or in a set). A set, comprising two appetisers, a choice of soup, a meat or poultry, assorted vegetables, a bowl of Nigata rice and a dessert, proved a definite stomach filler for a hungry man, or a good sharing meal for two ladies.

Additional items available for your hotpot experience include a variety of house-made meat balls (89-239 baht) made fresh daily from the minced meat of pork, chicken, beef or lobster. The pork ball that I tried was marvellous.

The truffle and salmon sushi roll.

Whether you are a vegetarian or not, I highly recommend that you order crispy tofu (89 baht) for your table cooking. The delicacy looked like a puffy roll and was almost tasteless when uncooked. But after simmering in the broth it morphed into a super soft, spongy and tasty treat.

Of the gourmet sushi section, truffle salmon roll (690 baht) provided a true culinary luxury to the palate through generous helpings of salmon, avocado, truffle cream and freshly-shaved truffle. While the aburi sushi box set (420 baht) features five pieces of the flash-torched sushi with different toppings such as glazed eel, fluke fin, salmon and sweet prawn.

Yuzu's selection of sashimi was also noteworthy. Go for the five-fish assortment served on a bamboo bridge and you won't be disappointed.

When it's time for sweet indulgence, Yuzu proved to have done an excellent job especially through a delicately supple and sticky soy milk pudding with kuromitsu black syrup (59 baht).

And you should't leave the restaurant without trying its signature beverages. Choose from yuzu honey soda (135 baht); yuzu honey slushy with peach jelly (155 baht) and yuzu earl grey (140 baht).