UNAKICHI うなきち
27 Soi Sukhumvit 55 Hotel Nikko Bangkok, Floor 3, Ginza Thonglor Unit 303 Klongton Nua, Watthana, Bangkok 10110
UNAKICHI earns its position by refusing to broaden the menu beyond what the sourcing supports. The Shimanto River backstory is not window dressing: Kochi's producers market this eel on water quality and artisan grilling technique as a combined proposition, and the kitchen delivers on that premise. For expats who know their unagi, the price-to-sourcing ratio holds up well against hotel-restaurant peers charging more for equivalent product. Monday closure is the one real planning friction.
Tucked inside Ginza Thonglor, the Japanese-themed dining hall on the third floor of Hotel Nikko Bangkok on Soi Sukhumvit 55, UNAKICHI occupies Unit 303 alongside several other specialist restaurants including JEJU Korean Fine Dining and Omakase and Sushi Kappou Ishimoto. The floor is accessible through the hotel lobby, which is a practical consideration on wet-season evenings when Thonglor traffic stalls.\n\nThe kitchen's identity is built entirely on a single protein. All unagi is sourced from the Shimanto River in Kochi Prefecture, which the Shimanto Unagi producers describe as Japan's last clear stream: a river with minimal industrial and agricultural interference, unusually low mineral content, and clean water that producers credit for the eel's texture and fat distribution. The restaurant presents two classic grilling approaches: Kanto style, which produces a soft and fluffy result, and Kansai style, which delivers a crispier exterior. Diners can order both styles to compare.\n\nPricing starts at 380 baht plus service for the Shimanto Unagi Black Curry, the most accessible entry point on the menu. Half shirayaki and half kabayaki portions are each priced at around 600 baht, allowing a side-by-side comparison without committing to a full set. Promotional wine by the glass has been offered at 90 baht. Full set menus push toward 2,000 baht at the upper end.\n\nService runs Tuesday through Sunday. Lunch sits run from 11AM to 3PM; dinner from 6PM to 10PM. Monday is closed. The venue lists a private dining room among its amenities, and free multi-storey parking is available within the Hotel Nikko structure.\n\nFor long-stay visitors and expats who cook Japanese food at home, the Kochi sourcing provides a reference point: this is farmed eel from a specific, named river system, not a generic import. That specificity, combined with the dual-style grilling option, is what distinguishes the offer from more generalist Japanese menus in the same price bracket.