Sutassanee and Chaiyapat Sosothikul

Devoted diners Sutassanee and Chaiyapat Sosothikul bring their gastronomic knowledge to bear on Zuma, the new Japanese restaurant at St Regis Bangkok. Duangporn Choktippattana shares the sushi

Newly married Chaiyapat and Sutassanee Sosothikul form an adventurous dining duo. Their favourite restaurants range from 4 Garcons and Xinn Tien Di to Jok Kitchen, the small Chinese eatery where reservations are made months in advance. But tonight’s feast at the chic Zuma tests their connoisseurship of contemporary Japanese cuisine.

Zuma is adorned with natural materials

The first Zuma opened in London, and five branches have since sprung up worldwide. The latest is in Bangkok, based in – but operating independently from – St Regis Hotel. According to executive chef Patrick Martens, Zuma’s contemporary Japanese concept applies to its décor, cuisine and beverages. “Even the way food is served here follows an informal Japanese style called isakaya, meaning each dish is delivered from the kitchen whenever it’s ready,” he says. “While we respect the way food is treated in Japan – that’s why we prepare everything from scratch here – we are also exploring how traditional cooking techniques could be developed in a modern context.”

Executive chef Patrick Martens

The Sosothikuls are given a tour of the restaurant. The alfresco area is popular as it is air-conditioned with an overhead electric shade, plus an electric glass panel that can be drawn to partition it from the rest of the establishment. The terrace’s small garden, or tsubo-niwa , has inspired the interior designer, Noriyoshi Muramatsu from Tokyo’s Studio Glitt, to deck Zuma with natural materials. Rugged stones handpicked from a quarry adorn one side of the spacious indoor dining section, while the opposite wall is fitted with large wood panels, parts of it revealing the silhouettes of bamboo trees. A neutral colour tone permeates the dining area, including an open plan kitchen, a sushi counter and robata grill. The private room gets its deep red hue from Thai silk upholstery, which is also used to decorate the lounge area in another corner. Thick planks of wood form a counter at the bar, although a bevy of wines and sakes are stored in a transparent glass cellar. “We offer a complete experience for diners, whether they come in for a full dinner, tea or drinks with friends,” says Martens.

A signature dessert is jasminepoached white peach, left and
juicy tomato salad with eggplant in ginger spring onion dressing, right

Both our guests are in their early 30s: Chaiyapat is the assistant managing director of his family’s shoe company Nanyang while his wife, the former Sutassanee Kunplin, oversees the marketing communications of Minor Group’s fashion retail arm. Sipping Zuma’s signature martini, rhubarb-infused Ozeki sake shaken with vodka and passion fruit, Sutassanee retraces how she graduated with a political science degree in the United States but ended up pursuing her passion in fashion. She dated Chaiyapat for four years before they tied the knot in July last year. As Chaiyapat discusses his current craze for vinyl records, a parade of delicacies arrives. Tomato salad with roasted eggplant in ginger spring onion dressing is followed by mixed leaves salad with asparagus in sweet barley miso maple dressing. An original Zuma recipe is sliced sea bass with salmon roe and yuzu, fragrant with truffle oil. However, Chaiyapat is drawn to the sashimi moriawase, which presents seven types of selections, including scallops. Crispy fried squid is aromatic with green chilli and lime, while zucchini grilled with tarragon-miso dip is also delicious.

Misomarinated black cod wrapped in hoba, left and
sliced seabass with yuzu and salmon roe in truffle oil, right

A California roll featuring Alaskan king crab follows, then Martens unveils his own invention, the dragon maki rolled with eel, prawn tempura and avocado. A tinge of sweetness is derived from minced shrimp, while flakes of spiced tempura batter add piquancy, with fried bonito flakes offering crunch. Hokkaido scallops, fresh and huge, benefit from the contrasting flavours of grated apple, sweet soy and wasabi. With eyes wide open in excitement, Sutassanee proclaims her favourite dish to be the tender, tasty three-day miso-marinated black cod wrapped in hoba (Japanese magnolia) leaf. Her husband has fallen for the whole Boston lobster tempura beautifully garnished with fried soba noodles. The tempura is crispy on the outside yet tender within, to be savoured with three sea-salt based sauces. The spicy beef tenderloin with red chilli, sweet soy and sesame is a perfect close to the entrée course.

Finally comes the magnificent Daikoku dessert platter, in which seven homemade desserts, ice-cream and finely sliced fruits and berries fill up a huge, elaborately sculpted piece of ice. Jasmine-poached white peach with wild berries and peach sorbet is delectable, as are the chocolate cake and green tea and banana cake. Everyone effortlessly finishes an assortment of black sesame, passion fruit, strawberry and vanilla ice cream. “I’ll go on a diet tomorrow,” says Chaiyapat, and Sutassanee concurs.