Isao

Bangkok suffers no shortage of excellent sushi bars, but there’s not another place quite like Isao, where you can find sublime fusion sushi -- sashimi and rolls, that is -- with a Western flair.

Isao’s Thai owners named the restaurant after the chef at a popular sushi bar in Chicago, under whom they studied during university. Their place is bamboo-lined and projects a sparse, minimalist design. Most important: the ingredients are uncommonly fresh.

We love the "Volcano" (a large scallop on the half shell served with a rich, thick sauce), as well as Isao's always enjoyable Americanized sushi variations. The “Chicago Spicy Crazy,” for example, has salmon, tuna, white fish and various vegetables, and the Philly rolls, as tradition dictates, are comprised of salmon, cucumbers, and cream cheese.