Bia - Tokyo, Japan

Taking a right off the main road, I search for Bia, a restaurant marketed as a Thai-Japanese fusion. It recently won the prestigious Tabelog Silver and Best New Entry awards (Japan's equivalent of a Michelin star), yet surprisingly, bookings were wide open even a week in advance.

It’s 8:28, and I’m lost. Walking up and down the narrow streets of Roppongi, I see two gentlemen in suits. I approach them, and they guide me into the lift to go up one floor. They do not follow. By the time the lift reaches the second floor, they are there to open the door for me. I step into what appears to be a traditional Japanese sushi restaurant, with wooden walls and a stone path leading me to my seat.

I sit between a group of four Spanish tourists and a local Japanese man. Chef Peragate Charoenphanit, also known as Beer, stands behind the counter and welcomes me. The menu for the night is placed in front of me, along with my name written in English and Thai. I order my drinks, and the service begins.

We are first presented with the ingredients the chef will be using tonight.

First, we had hairy crab with monkfish liver and corn. This is one of those statement dishes, setting the tone for the meal. While being an incredibly Japanese dish, the balance and flavor were unmistakably Thai. The crab was highlighted beautifully, while the monkfish liver and corn brought out flavors reminiscent of how crab is prepared in Thailand.

Hairy crab with monkfish liver and corn

Up next was the “Thai soup with kinki fish, shrimp, and matsutake mushroom,” which the chef casually referred to as a Japanese Tom Yum Goong. It captured all the elements that create a perfect Tom Yum Goong, without the spice, yet still tasting beautifully balanced. The toppings, playing into the Japanese style of the menu, paired well with the soup.

Then came the “pike conger eggplant with Thai spices”, a Szechuan-style fried eel topped with eggplant puree that really packed a punch. Fried and cooked to perfection, the eel was delicate, and the spices clashed beautifully with the eggplant, creating an intense umami bomb. The eel had all the flavours of mala, without any of the spice, allowing the spice to enhance the flavours of the eel. The eggplant provided a perfect counter balance that drew more focus to the eel. I never imagined it was possible to create such umami without spice, but with a master at work, it is.

Pike conger eel with thai spices topped with eggplant

After that, we had the “Shark Fin with Chicken and soft-shell turtle sauce” made its entrance. I knew coming into this meal that this was Chef Beer’s signature dish. Coming from Hong Kong, and with a sister who is firmly against eating shark fin, I had hesitations. This dish in this form is a delicacy in its own, and there’s really no other way to describe it. The texture was so tender that it practically dissolved in my mouth with the the sauce providing the perfect platform to highlight the shark fin. Chef Beer suggested adding vinegar halfway through, which introduced another layer of acidity and umami to the dish adding even more layers to the dish. I wish he told me earlier, as the dish after the vinegar was really something special. I happily slurped up all the sauce, and exchanged a look of awe with the man sitting next to me.

Shark fin with chicken and soft-shelled turtle sauce

Soon after, we were served the **** “oswan with black abalone” hit the table—Chef Beer’s twist on an oyster omelette. What a luxury. While it did not resemble an oyster omelette, it tasted like a collision between egg and sea. Though this was my least favorite dish, it was executed perfectly.

Oswan with black abalone

The fish course followed with the “Seaperch Scallop Nam Prik” stealing the show. This tasted like Thai steamed fish, an unequivocally Thai dish executed at its highest level. The miso and lime tied the dish together, creating an amazing balance, neither too sour nor too salty. If I had a larger piece of fish with a bowl of rice, I would demolish it and that on its own would be an amazing meal. Remaining consistent to the whole meal, it was without spice, that stood very obviously in the taste but did not require it.

Seaperch Scallop Nam Prik

Then, we dove into the beef course. “Laab Hamburg with fresh Thai herbs.” It was a knockout. This is without a doubt laab, but made with wagyu, topped with caviar, and set on a base of Thai herbs. Each bite was a battle to create balance, between the caviar, beef and herbs and shallots below, each bite a piece of heaven. This was a standout beef course, unparalleled in flavor and execution.

Laab, hamburg with fresh thai herbs, topped with caviar

A quick break came in the form of the “Tuna Truffle (Japanese style)”, a light palette cleanser. This was one of the more forgettable dishes, but it did its job in refreshing my palate and pausing the pace of the meal.

Tuna truffle (Japanese style)

To wrap up the savoury section of the meal, we were served “Two kinds of curry (Massaman curry/Green curry).” It was the perfect ending to the main courses. The Massaman and green curry were unmatched, and set a new standard in terms of the amount of flavour a curry can pack. They tasted exactly as you’d expect, paired with high-quality meats like wagyu and perfectly cooked chicken. This was the cherry on top of an incredible Thai meal. We were offered seconds on both the rice and curry.

For dessert, we had Kanompyankpun, followed by coconut truffle ice cream. Both were divine and served as a beautiful way to end the meal.

Before I give my final thoughts on the food, I want to highlight some other aspects that really shone through this meal.

First, the attention to detail in the china and plating was exceptional. Each dish was served on beautiful, handcrafted china, turning the plates into works of art themselves. With the exception of the tea set, which was from Thailand, all the china came from Japan. It only added to the feeling of awe whenever a new dish came.

Second, the service. The service was extremely attentive, and the staff were friendly yet professional, handling everything with care and a touch of fun. Including the kitchen, there must have been almost 10 staff members, close to equal to the number of people in the restaurant.

Third, the wine pairing. The sommelier did an amazing job pairing French wines with each dish, almost perfectly. His talent is undeniable, and the wine pairings unquestionably elevated the entire meal. At an additional 14,000 yen, it was well worth the cost. He was serious but also generous and playful.

Now back to the food. I can confidently say this one of the best Thai meals I’ve experienced. The whole dining experience was transformative and so innovative, fusing both Thai and Japanese traditions together to create a beautiful meal. Chef Beer and his team mastered the pinnacle of Thai cuisine, and to conform it into the style of a kaiseki, shows and demonstrates their talent.

The intricacy and balance achieved by the team at Bia are remarkable. Serving a Thai kaiseki is pure insanity, but Chef Beer and his team have accomplished it. Hats off to them. The most impressive aspect is how they catered to the stereotypical Japanese palate while maintaining the essence of Thai cuisine. Thank you, Chef Beer, for an unforgettable meal and experience. I look forward to coming back.

This is a must-try. 940/1000.

I should note that my experience may have been heightened due to the chef and his team’s focus on serving their best to other VIP’s in attendance, but I have no doubt the quality of the meal would be just as impressive on any other night.

Total meal cost: 33,000 JPY + Wine pairing 14,000 JPY + tax = 49,000 JPY