Kaijin

Tucked inside Vapor restaurant at Nichada Thani, Kaijin is the closest thing this scene has to a flagship. Its ‘freshly caught, delicately crafted’ philosophy celebrates the seasonal character of Thai fish. Chef Natakorn Changkreaw and his team head to sea most weeks to hook their own catch, shaping  each menu around whatever comes back. Natakorn created Kaijin to challenge the idea that Thai ingredients cannot compete with the world’s finest imports.

Past highlights include Santoryu, an opening course of giant grouper gill styled as a ‘pseudo shark fin’; fishbone marrow with black truffle; and fried Java barb served on an edible rod. A three-way sashimi plate compares tachiuo, rainbow runner and bigeye trevally, their sashimi-ready quality made possible by ikejime processing, while aburi goliath grouper nigiri is sprayed with single malt before dry-ageing.

39/1257 Samakkee Rd, Nichada Thani, Nonthaburi. Friday-Sunday, 6 pm-midnight.