Red Panda Yakiniku (Phaya Thai)
55, 26-27 Phaya Thai Rd, Thanon Phaya Thai, Ratchathewi, Bangkok 10400
Start one tier above the entry buffet on a first visit, because the wagyu marbling is the reason most groups are here and the gap between the budget set and the wagyu-led sets is wide enough to feel. Bring a four-person table to read enough of the menu in one sitting. Reserve for weekends.
You walk in, sit at a table with a recessed charcoal grill in the centre, and the staff bring the platters of raw beef out by tier. The format is yakiniku-buffet, the way Japanese-style grill houses in Bangkok have settled into the all-you-can-eat market over the last few years.
The menu is tier-priced rather than time-priced. Entry sets sit in the budget range, the Signature Wagyu Buffet steps up from there, and the Premium Wagyu Buffet sits at the top of the ladder for groups who want the heavily marbled cuts as the centre of the meal. The same buffet sets bring in additional items beyond beef, with river prawns, scallops and sashimi pieces appearing on the platters at the upper tiers, plus sides, desserts and Japanese-style accompaniments.
The restaurant sits on Phaya Thai Road at numbers 55, 26-27, in the Thanon Phaya Thai stretch of Ratchathewi.
The location works for the post-office crowd and for visitors using the Airport Rail Link, because Phaya Thai is the city-side terminus of that line and the BTS Phaya Thai interchange is right there. Walk-up access from the station is short and direct.
Book for weekend evenings, because the buffet draws groups and the room is sized for it. Bring at least three people so you can split the upper tiers across more grilling rotations, and tell the staff your tier preference up front so the kitchen paces the platters to the table. The reservation phone is +66 98 836 6221.