Sushi bar at Mugendai — Photo courtesy of Dave StamboulisYes, you are going to spend a lot, but it’s hard to complain when you’ve got bluefin tuna or king crab flown in from the Tsukuji Fish Market in Tokyo sitting on your plate. Mugendai raises the bar for fine Japanese food in Bangkok, with some outstanding sashimi and sushi offerings in a fashionable rooftop setting tucked away along Thong Lor.

The top eats here include the signature Aburi 7, which features fatty bluefin tuna, giant scallops, snapper, halibut fin, salmon, Alaskan king crab, and Matsuzaka beef, all of which are succulent, each one topped with its own bit of spice such as Ponzu sauce or miso.Aburi 7 sashimi — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis

Even more alluring is the Unagi foie gras, in which wild freshwater eel is made in an inside out roll stuffed with foie gras.  Another outstanding dish is the Matsuzaka Gyu which has superb Matsuzaka beef made into sushi and topped with a quail egg yolk.

Unagi roll with foie gras — Photo courtesy of Dave Stamboulis

You can dine in a traditional tatami room or outside on the deck with its Zen rock garden, or sit at the sushi bar and watch the chefs create their masterpieces. Prices run from 300 baht up to 2400 for the Aburi 7, but your palate will never forgive you if you don't think it's worth the splurge.