Signature Japanese Dish
in Bangkok

Japanese chef Kenji Nakayama manages this restaurant that is so popular to the point that you’d be lucky if you can make a reservation. The reason that his dining bar attracts so much attention is his impressive cooking skills, which earned him a spot as a judge in a cooking show in Thailand, and the meticulous care that he takes with his ingredients and preparation methods.

Kenji Nakayama offers his customers more than 100 dishes to choose from. He isn't bound by established ideas such as "red wine is for the meat, as white wine is for the fish," rather, he freely combines ingredients to cater to his customers’ taste. In spite of the fact that his restaurant is a dining bar, his cooking equals many specialty restaurants offering a wider range of menu selections. Kenji’s Lab is definitely worth trying. As he put it during our interview, "I express my interest in the ingredients in a straightforward way."

Kenji Nakayama brings to his kitchen the belief that, "It is of great importance that I can provide the flavors that Japanese people are familiar with." Of the many selections on the menu, we hope you will try the Smoked Pacific Saury if you get a chance to visit. As you put it in your mouth, the smoky aroma seems to pass through the nose to remove any fishiness and leave an elegant, light taste that will entice you to eat it more and more. You can also enjoy this flavor twice by taking a portion of the dish and by using it to prepare Smoked Pacific Saury Pasta. Kenji Nakayama describes his menu as, "Carefully preparing ingredients that are familiar to Japanese in a way that makes it easy for people who are unaware of Japanese culture to enjoy. That's my policy." Pacific Saury isn't a high-class fish, but it's a seasonal ingredient that is very familiar in Japan. For this reason, he imports the Pacific Saury from Japan and carefully prepares it to bring out the taste. Then, to let non-Japanese people to enjoy the flavor, he created the Smoked Pacific Saury Pasta version and brought the Japanese flavor to his customers. You can see how his careful attention to detail "changes the way to serve but not the essence of the dish."

The world has truly become global, and the cultures and ideas of various countries can be easily connected and combined. However, our interview with Kenji Nakayama left us with the feeling that, in the process, we must not forget to "search for the heart of every matter."

Contact Information

TEL +66 80 449 3883
808/13 Soi Thararom 2, Sukhumvit 55,
Klongtan-Nua, Wattana
Bangkok, Thailand 10110