Skillful chef carefully slicing a big piece of tuna — Skillful chef carefully slicing a big piece of akami tuna.

What is omakase?

A Japanese word literally meaning “I’ll leave it to you“, Omakase has seen a recent growth in popularity outside of Japan and especially here in Bangkok. Though it can be quite expensive, it is certainly an experience every foodie should have at least once in their lifetime.

A formal dining experience served as a multi-course meal, Omakase exhumes elegance and artistry. Ingredients are freshly prepared and are often seasonal. Unlike your traditional restaurants, Omakase establishments often have you sat at a counter right in front of the check as he prepares your next course.

This makes for a fun and interesting dynamic where the chef can interact directly with you; explaining the dish, entertaining the patrons, and so much more. Imagine a hibachi grill restaurant but more… formal (and less chaotic).

Omakase is not strictly limited to different types of raw fish however, items such as soups, desserts, and more. So if you’re looking to explore a variety to tastes and textures, look no further than an omakase experience.

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skillful chef molding a piece of nigiri sushi — Skillful chef shaping a piece of nigiri sushi.

Mizu by Sankyodai

Mizu (by Sankyodai) is a small little restaurant that specializes in Edomae (ingredients caught straight from Tokyo bay) style sushi omakase.

Their fish is freshly sourced by a trusted supplier and deliver straight from Japan’s Tsukiji fish market all the way to Thailand via air-freight. Not just the fish, mind you, but ingredients such as wasabi, rice, and shoyu are all sourced directly from Japan.

Situated at the first floor of an unassuming shopping office building. I went there with my partner and admittedly we had a difficult time trying to find the place because the entrance was so small and unassuming.

Inside, the environment was warm and cozy, and we were lucky enough to be one of two groups of diners present at the time. We basically had the whole place to ourselves!

How does ordering a omakase meal work?

Omakase is served as a multi-course experience and Mizu provides no different. Take your time to decide which course is best for your budget, don’t worry too much about what you’ll be served as you know… It’s an omakase. What you should consider is the amount of food you’d like and of course, with increase pricing comes better or more luxurious dishes.

Lunch Menu

Nami Special Course (2,500 THB or 70 USD)
- 8-9 Sushi, Maki, Soup, Dessert
Chu Course (3,000 THB or 85 USD)
- 1-2 Seasonal Dishes, 7-8 Sushi, Mini Bars Rice Bowl, Usuyaki Tamago, Soup, Dessert
Jou Course (4,000 THB or 113 USD)
- 1-2 Seasonal Dishes, 1-2 Types of Sashimi, 8-10 Sushi, Usuyaki Tamago, Soup, Dessert

Dinner Menu

Kaiyou Course (3,500 THB or 98 USD)
- 1-2 Seasonal Dishes, 8 Sushi, Soup, Usuyaki Tamago, Dessert
Kisetsu Course (5,500 THB or 155 USD)
- 2-3 Seasonal Dishes, 2 Types of Sashimi, 9-10 Sushi, Usuyaki Tamago, Soup, Dessert
Mizu Tokuzen Course (6,500-8,000 THB or 183-225 USD)
- 2-3 Special Seasonal Dishes, 2 Types of Sashimi, 9-12 Sushi, Usuyaki Tamago, Soup, Dessert

Once you have decided on your chosen course, you’ll need to make a reservation and all there is left to do is to show up.

We decided to go with the Nami Special Course for Lunch.

Nami Special Course

Although not the most expensive course on the menu, I will say that the it is important to review the cheapest course on the menu to gauge the value of the restaurant as a whole, as the main difference between the courses is that you get more food, all the ingredients and quality will be the same and most patrons would choose these more affordable courses.

Course 1: Refreshing Baby Squid with Sea Grapes and Sour Dressing

Fresh tiny little baby squids glazed with that tangy dressing

Starting off, our chef introduced us to a plate of baby squid. Honestly I’ve never had baby squid before and oh man was this a great introduction.

These baby squids happened to be in season (we happen to be in the middle of spring at the time) and chef expertly paired them with a tangy lime, shoyu dressing which perfectly captures the refreshing and vibrant flavors of spring. Although sour, the dressing wasn’t too overpowering, it was a perfect balance.

The squids themselves have been blanched and were soft and bouncy with a slight crunchy snap as you bite into them. My favorite part is the tentacles as they have a wonderful bouncy/crunchy texture.

Overall an energizing start to our meal.

Course 2: Tender Ika (Squid) Nigiri Sushi

Moving on to our second course we had this beautiful ika (or squid) nigiri sushi. Now i’ll have to admit, I am not really a huge fan of raw squid, I can eat them sure but I wouldn’t order them. This dish however blew my expectations.

Throw away any preconceptions that you had about squid because this was probably the most tender piece of squid I’ve had in my life. I’m not even joking when I say that this almost melted in my mouth. The first bite you’ll face a bit of firmness but as you chew it slowly disappears into your taste buds.

There’s a slight slimy texture to it but it’s not to the extent of something like Okra or Natto. The flavor itself was sweet and and mild.

Course 3: Fruity Hamachi (Yellowtail) Nigiri Sushi

We then come to the third course, Hamachi (Yellowtail) Nigiri Sushi. Good hamachi is one of my favorite fish to have as sashimi due it it’s juicy-ness and fruity-like flavors. Mizu’s version here, does it pretty well.

A common theme you’ll notice is that I will describe all of the these dishes as “soft” and “melt in your mouth”. Well… It’s true.

I would describe the flavor (or sensation) as being similar to biting on a strawberry, where your first bite will be met with a gush of juice. It tastes like sort of like a strawberry as well. It’s truly weird I know but if you had good hamachi you will know what I am talking about.

The interesting thing about Mizu’s version is that they serve it at room temperature, in fact they serve all their dishes at room temperature. This way you’ll get the pure natural flavors of the fish without the taste being affected by the cold as you would normally get with frozen or freezer-stored fish.

Course 4: The Divine Uni (Sea Urchin) Nigiri Sushi

For our forth course, we’ve arrived at the coveted Uni (sea urchin). Many people are put off by sea urchin and I don’t blame them, I was one of those people and even now I am still skeptical towards it.

Hard to find good quality Uni, even at more expensive establishments they are hard to get right. Usually the Uni you get often tastes harsh, briny and “ocean-y”. The texture being sort of firm and and not quite so melt in your mouth.

Mizu’s offering here, is what I would describe as my first “real” taste of good Uni. There is not a single note of ocean-y brine anywhere in this bite, and the texture is like whipped butter, milky and creamy. It doesn't just melt, it disintegrates.

Without a doubt my favorite course so far. At this point I am eagerly waiting to see what the next few courses have to offer.

Course 5: Flavourful Saba (Mackerel) Nigiri Sushi

We’ve arrived at the midway point, course number 5, Saba (mackerel) Nigiri Sushi!

Remember when I said that the previous course is my favorite? Well… Um… I know it’s almost sacrilegious to say this but… I like the Mackerel better than the Uni…

Woah woah woah ok hear me out, This course is everything I wanted from the ocean. Salty, oily, fishy, much like how Thai food encompasses all the 5 tastes, Mackerel encompasses all that is delicious about the sea.

The texture here is a bit more firm and flakey compared to the other dishes. A nice change of texture and the intense flavors is a nice change of pace and serves as a nice cleanser to the other, more rich dishes.

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Interlude - Sushi Rice

I want to take a moment to tell you about the Sushi rice. So far all that I focused on was the fish itself but the sushi rice is not to be forgotten.

I’ve mentioned before that all of these courses are served at room temperature and this greatly helps with the flavor and texture of the sushi rice. The rice tastes warm and comforting with a slight hint of umami. When taking a bite of sushi you can’t help but feel it’s inviting warmth.

Also, another thing to note is that the chef adds a dab of wasabi in between the rice and fish, and you can request the chef on your preferred amount of wasabi.

Course 6: Sweet and Decadent Raw Ebi (Shrimp) Nigiri Sushi

raw ebi nigiri sushi — Glistening with flavor, this Ebi is a sweet explosion in your mouth.

Course number 6 is Ebi (or shrimp). Usually I am not a fan of raw shrimp as I find them too slimy for my liking, Mizu’s is no different but what stands out here is the flavor.

A snappy bite releases a naturally sweet flavor to satisfy your taste buds. Even-though, I am not a huge raw shrimp lover I will give credit to the wonderful rich sweetness that this bite has to offer.

Course 7: Classic Akami Tuna Nigiri Sushi

akami bluefin tuna nigiri sushi — You can’t go wrong with Tuna, a staple for any sushi lover.

Ah the classic, any sushi outing is not complete without a piece of tuna and that’s where course number 7 brings us.

For this course we were served Akami Tuna, which is the leaner red part of the fish. This is not to say that akami isn’t as tasty as the other more fattier parts of tuna, it’s just a different flavor profile for those who prefer a leaner piece of fish.

This Akami Nigiri Sushi is firm and tender, unlike the supermarket tuna sushi where the texture can often feel a bit grainy, this dish has none of that and is a smooth journey throughout the whole bite.

Taste-wise it didn’t wow me as much as the other dishes, if you had tuna sushi before you already know what to expect in terms of taste.

This was more about the texture, and the fact that is served at room temperature (yes I know, I said it a hundred times before) helps to highlight that.

Course 8: The Mighty Chutoro Tuna Nigiri Sushi

chutoro bluefin nigiri sushi — Like the previous course, this Chutoro Sushi is classic except 10 times better.

If Akami was your first born child, Chutoro would be their younger sibling that you’ll spoil with things that the first child didn’t get (weird analogy I know.).

Chutoro is a fattier cut (although not the fattest, that would go to Otoro) compared to Akami. It strikes a balance between fat and lean and does not overwhelm your taste buds with too much richness.

This bite was soft and tender, the firmness from the Akami is gone. Instead of the fishy tuna flavor you get a more rich and elegant flavor from he natural oils of the fish.

At this point tin the meal, I do have one criticism, it’s that there is a lack of variety in the dishes you get, or rather there is not much that I haven’t already seen before. It’s basics done really well.

Course 9: Comforting Maki Rolls

burdock root maki rolls — These Maki Rolls are add a nice bit of variety to the meal.

We are nearing the end of the omakase experience and so the chef decides to spice things up! These Maki rolls are filled with… Honestly, I don’t remember… I definitely know that these are a pickled vegetable, Burdock Root I believe.

Anyway, Maki Rolls! A nice breakaway from the past Nigiri style sushi. Despite being picked these have an immense sweetness to them almost like candy, not so much that it feels like you’re taking in a spoonful of sugar mind you.

I don’t really have much to say about this one, they were pretty average to me actually.

Course 10: Dessert Pudding with White Strawberry and Syrup

bean pudding with kinako powder and strawberry drizzled with syrup — Creamy, peanut-y pudding paired with a sweet and juicy strawberry

I wasn’t sure what to expect for dessert and this surely was a great surprise!

For one, I have never seen a White Strawberry (ok this one was not completely white, but pretty white). The strawberry doesn’t taste like your regular one, it has a mild sweetness and is less citrusy compared to your regular strawberry.

The pudding tastes like it was made from soybeans and is sprinkled with kinako (fine soybean) powder and the whole dish is drizzle with a sweet syrup.

The theme of this dish is to appreciate the mild and complex flavors, being careful not to overflow your mouth with harsh intensity. This dessert nailed it!

If you like your sweets not sweet then this sweet is for you :)

Conclusion

I would like to note that there were 3 other dishes (soup, roll, ice-cream) that I have not covered but they were what I would consider as filler compared to the main dishes. In total there were 13 courses for the Nami Special Course.

Pros

Affordable pricing and many options compared to other omakase places
Cozy, warm, and inviting atmosphere. You’ll feel very close to the chef
Fresh and quality ingredients sourced straight form Japan, not a single dish tasted off, everything was well prepared
Basics done really really well. Although nothing too fancy they really nailed down what makes sushi so special.

Cons

Not much variety, if you are expecting to be wowed by every single dish then you need to book the more expensive courses

Overall I would recommend Mizu by Sankyodai for people who are looking to have try their first omakase experience, it is not too expensive and the quality of the food exceeds the expectations of what the price tells you. Good quality food for a price that wouldn't leave you eating instant noodles for the next 3 months, what’s not to like?

Mizu by Sankyodai | 8.5/10

Phone: +66 2 632 6660

Location: Ground Floor Charn Issara Tower 942, 43 Rama IV Rd, Bangkok

Pricing: 2,500-8,000 THB or 70-225 USD

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