Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

Cuisine: Italian

Map: Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

Price: THB700 per person without alcohol for lunch (what I paid for)

Visited: 26 December 2010

Food: 6/10

Dessert: 6/10

Atmosphere: 8/10

Value for money: 6/10

Service: 7/10

Overall: 6/10

Kuppa is a rather large restaurant decorated in Loft style.  Kuppa is situated ~ 500 metres down in Soi Sukhumvit 16. Despite its parking limitation, valet service is also available for your convenience. Because its casual and friendly style and atmosphere, Kuppa is suitable for many occasions: family dining, casual business lunch, friends meeting, and weekend morning coffee. Apart from tasty food, dessert can also be highlight for a meal here.

The first dish to arrive was Pumpkin Soup. It was rather different from the others, this soup was light and not so creamy with hint of herbs. Personally, more thickness from cream would make it savourier (5/10).

Next dish was Salt&Pepper Squid, deep fried squid was crisp and had sharp flavour of pepper. The dip was creamy like, similar to tartar sauce (6/10).

Japanese Salad, which was recommended by a waiter, was a bowl of iceberg lettuce with tobiko, avocado, cucumber, and crab stick. The dressing was somewhat lightly creamy called Wasabi Dressing. Lime also brought up Asian feeling. Nevertheless, over dressing let down the taste (5/10).

This was followed by Baby Spinach Salad, all time favourite at Kuppa. The salad was coupled with avocado, mushroom, and crispy bacon.  While dressing was balsamic, which was sweet and sour, rich flavour from sauteed mushroom was also splendid (6/10).

Moo Yang (Thai grilled pork) and sticky rice was one of my favourite at Kuppa.  I must say it was far better and those in other Thai restaurants. Pork was tender and well marinated. Sweet hint in flavour. Jaew (Thai dried chili dipping sauce) was piquant but less spicy than others, foreigners can handle this comfortably. Sticky rice was also soft (8/10).

Last for the meal was Ox-tail Stew with Mashed Potatoes. Ox-tail was tender and delicate. Gravy was rich and thick with sweetness from plum. Sea asparagus was also well handled as it was crisp on the outside but soft inside. The only downside was mashed potatoes which was too mushy (6/10).

Even though, I didn't manage to have dessert this time, I had never had bad experience with dessert here from my past visits. Overall, scoring of 6/10 for Kuppa should be acceptable for this all purpose restaurant.

Kuppa @ Sukhumvit 16, Bangkok

39 Soi Sukhumvit 16

Khlong Toei

Bangkok 10110


Kuppa @ สุขุมวิท 16
39 ซอยสุขุมวิท 16
คลองเตย
กรุงเทพ 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2258 0194

Mugendai Sushi & Tempura Bars @ Grass Thonglor, Bangkok

Cuisine: Japanese
Map: Mugendai @ Grass Thonglor Bangkok
Price: THB1,750 (with 30% discount) per person without alcohol for dinner (what I paid for)
Visited: December 2010
Food: 6/10
Sushi: 8/10
Atmosphere: 7/10
Value for money: 5/10
Service: 7/10
Overall: 7/10

more photos of Mugendai on happ-it.com

Mugendai is located on 7th floor Grass Thonglor (between Soi Thonglor 10 and 12) in Bangkok.  The only way to get to the restaurant is by elevator.  Parking space can be tedious but there is parking valet service.  The head chef on the sushi counter was originally from Maru restaurant.

The place is rather large and cozy with sushi bar which can accommodate around 10 customers at the front.  There are also private rooms and tables in the garden available.  If you choose to seat at sushi bar, a request for head chef to serve you can also be made.

We began with Hamachi (Yellow Tail) sashimi.  My first impression was a hint of salty taste and the texture was rather too soft: personally I would rather have it a little more springy (7/10).

Shima-Aji (White Trevally) was simply fabulous, one of the best I have ever tried (8/10)

Shake (Salmon) was excellent and up to standard of the class, texture was firm with fat lining (8/10)

Botan-ebi (Large Shrimp) has always been one highlight in my sushi list but here the shrimp was crisp and sweet, even resemble freshness.  On top of that, fatty part from head of shrimp was lightly flamed giving some subtle smell and taste (9/10).

Next inline was Uni Aburi-engawa (lightly flammed grill fatty part of Halibut on top with Sea-urchin), gorgeous juicy halibut coupled with creamy and tasty sea-urchin but flavour of sea-urchin stood out too much (7/10).

Followed by Anago (Sea Eel), whole eel served warm with great flavour (7/10).

Aburi Engawa has always been one of favourite, the fish was grilled to the level that was just right.  The taste was special indeed (8/10)

O-Toro (Fatty Blue Fin Tuna Belly), nothing special but delightful flavour (8/10)

Complementary from head chef, Japanese Tofu with Ikura (Salmon Roe), the tofu was light and soft (7/10).

Aburi Otoro (flamed grill Otoro): tuna quality was one of the best in town but let down by over flamed (6/10).

Ikura (Salmon Roe): this was surely not up to standard.  Even though it was not too salty and showed the freshness of quality but flavourless (6/10).

Last dish for our dinner was shrimp and fish tempura.  Magnificent in style, fried batter was well handled and crisp.  Enjoyment describes all (8/10)

The bill for two of us was ~ THB3,500 but bear in mind that bill can be dearer without careful order.  Up to now, Mugendai could be ranked in the top three for sushi place in Bangkok, surely the best I had experienced was Sushi Mizutani at Ginza.  Of course, the flavour was up to standard in its class but let down by pricing.  7/10 was somewhat comfortable for my scoring.

Mugendai Sushi & Tempura Bars @ Grass Thonglor, Bangkok
264/1, 7th Floor The Grass Thonglor
Soi Thonglor 12, Sukhumvit Road
Vadhana, Bangkok, 10110

มูเกนได ซูชิ แอนด์ เทมปูระ บาร์ @ กลาส์ ทองหล่อ
264/1, ชั้น 7 อาคารกลาส์ ทองหล่อ
ซอยทองหล่อ 12, ถนนสุขุมวิท
เขตวัฒนา, กรุงเทพ, 10110

Tel: +66 (0) 2725 6526