Fuji Japanese Restaurant

[Evil Penevil]

A couple pf things stick out about the meals I've enjoyed at Fuiji: the ingredients have been very fresh and the presentation of the dishes was attractive.  And it's always pleasant to have a titillating companion with which to share the meal.

 

 

 

Fuji at Central Festival Mall (5th floor) is part of a Thai chain of Japanese restaurants.  There are 99 branches in Thailand and two each in Laos and Burma.  

 

 

 

 

It's pretty standard Japanese fare, but done well.

 

 

 

We started off with salmon sashima.  Very fresh indeed.

 

 

One of my companions wanted the Fuji steak set, which the three of us more or less split.

 

 

 

The steak set came with various sides, including shrimp.

 

 

We also ordered a sashimi salad Thai-style, i.e., with a spicy citrus dressing.

 

 

 

The fried mushrooms in the steak set were so good that we ordered a full portion.

 

 

 

 

Geso kara-age (fried squid tentacles)

 

 

Katsu don- very tasty, one of my favorites.

 

 

 

Strawberry yoghurt pudding 

 

 

Matcha aisu (green tea ice cream) 

 

 

My dessert:

 

 

Just joking!  I had fresh fruit:

 

 

Fuji wasn't crowded, but had a decent crowd for 4 pm. Total cost for three people including drinks and dessert, was 2,000 baht.

 

Evil

[Evil Penevil]

Here's some other dishes from other meals at Fuji.  All were good.

 

Bento set with its various components:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grilled shrimp:

 

 

 

Sashimi:

 

 

 

 

 

Gyu don (beef bowl over rice):

 

 

 

Fried mushrooms:

 

 

Evil

 

 

[mpm]

As ever great review and pictures, love Fuji, thanks Evil

[mr21]

Excellent review and pics Evil...thank you so much. I really need to try this place next month

[B-Man]

Never had a bad meal at Fuji. Your pics made me realize i'm overdue for a visit. Thanks for sharing

[nice to visit]

Great pics Evil. The sushimi looks very fresh.

 

Another sushi place in Pattaya popped up on my you tube last night.  I have never heard of it but looks kind of interesting.

 

[jerry]

Thanks , i'm hungry now ...

 

Great place to eat indeed . They also have a branch in Big C on Pattaya Klang , Pattaya Tai and Pattaya Nua .

[xdrt33]

Another fine restaurant review, Mr Evil.

Not sure about the fried squid testicles though.........

[Evil Penevil]

A few more pics from Fuji.

 

The restaurant offers a beef set meal that is excellent value for money at 230 baht.  The set includes sliced beef, flavorful, tender and cooked properly; rice; miso soup; kimchi and a bite-sized item I don't know the name for but it tasted good.

 

 

 

 

 

Salmon tikka don (sashimi over rice)

 

 

 

Gyoza

 

 

Sashimi salad:

 

 

Fresh fruit for dessert.  I wish I knew from where they get their watermelons.

 

 

Salmon sashimi closeup

 

 

Watermelon ditto

 

 

Evil

 

 

[gareth]

have been to the one on Samui , also good food , when i was in Pattaya in the central festival decided not to go to the Fuji for the sole reason that they have a mandatory service charge and many of the similar type restaurants there didnt ,

I am a waiter in a restaurant , i appreciate it when i get a tip but i still dont think it should be compulsory , thats why i dont like going to Fuji also it is a Jananese style restaurants , i have heard that tipping is not really done in Japan so where did the Fuji restaurants pick it up

[jerry]

have been to the one on Samui , also good food , when i was in Pattaya in the central festival decided not to go to the Fuji for the sole reason that they have a mandatory service charge and many of the similar type restaurants there didnt ,

I am a waiter in a restaurant , i appreciate it when i get a tip but i still dont think it should be compulsory , thats why i dont like going to Fuji also it is a Jananese style restaurants , i have heard that tipping is not really done in Japan so where did the Fuji restaurants pick it up

 

Get a free Fuji member card and you get 10% discount .... exactly the amount of the service charge .

 

You think a Japanese restaurant in the US don't want you to tip 15% ... ? Depends on the country

where they're operating .

[Evil Penevil]

I'm updating this thread because Fuji has a new dish on offer- lightly grilled tofu topped with enokitake (long, thin mushrooms).  I really thought it sounded and looked good on the menu and was eager to try it.  Anticipation is an important part of any meal.

 

 

Natural ingredients and proper presentation also play a role.

 

 

 

The presentation was excellent and what's underneath the enokitake covering was delicious.

 

 

"Mouth feel" is also a significant factor in tofu and sushi dishes.  They should glide on the tongue and almost melt in your mouth. The taste was subtle, with  a hint of charcoal in both the enokitake and tofu.

 

My companion doesn't like tofu and went with her favorite- the salmon sashimi bowl.  We both had salmon sashimi.

 

 

 

Fuji remains a good option for high-quality Japanese dishes.

 

Evil

[socrates]

Still prefer Zen - FUJI - overpriced tourist trap - and a place for Thai GoGo girls to show photos of them eating without needing a farang to pay - not for me

[Evil Penevil]

Still prefer Zen - FUJI - overpriced tourist trap - and a place for Thai GoGo girls to show photos of them eating without needing a farang to pay - not for me

 

Most of the customers at Fuji are Thai,  often Thai families from great grandma down to infants. Very few farang tourists, but occasionally you see Russians and a fair number of Asian tourists.

 

Evil

[lecarreblanc]

Dont't get mad evil but your TG's tits are more attractive than the food

[JABL]

the food certainly looks great...thanks for sharing,I remember taking my ex and her sister to oishi in bkk (ekamai) and that was nice also, although being a buffet ensured that we didn't pay more than 350baht per head....j

[MaGiK]

My favourite Jap place in town despite is NOT an original Japanese restaurant.

I studied Thai with many Japanese students (adults) in BKK and at lunch time i made the mistake to say "do you want to go to Fuji ?" they replied me immediately this is not Japanese food but Farang/Thai oriented, they listed me hundred  jap dishes who Fuji doesn't offer and many dish they don't cook like they do in Japan, don't need to add that the taste for them is not Japanese as well... you can't fuck the Japs on food !
 

They closest Jap food for them will be more Otoya Kitchen but there are not present in Pattaya.. so sometimes i go Soi Yamato in Patts, they have very tasty sushis but more on the expensive side and traditional restaurant.

I like Fuji and i had more points on my card than i can count, they upgrade me in Silver card as i was a very good costumer, i remember a trip i have been to Fuji almost every day with a girl, alone or with friends, my favourite are Katsudon/Katsutoji, Gyoza (not fried), salmon california rolls and so many other dishes it will be to long to list...

 

On the downside, they not renew the menu very often.

[DoctorB]

Fuji vs zen debate will live on. I prefer Fuji I think zen commands a premium price for no discernible reason

[brewster]

Fuji have added a whole range of new dishes, although many are farang food like hamburgers and fried chicken!

[MaGiK]

Fuji have added a whole range of new dishes, although many are farang food like hamburgers and fried chicken!

 

arghhh.... bad news in my eyes if they want attract a new scope of costumers with this kind of food :(

i will have a look soon.

[simguy_jp]

Living in Japan for over 20 years its safe to say I love Japanese food. I have eaten at Fuji many times ( and climbed the mountain several times. As we know it is a popular chain restaurant and like many chain restaurants and restaurants that are serving local food they do not compare to those of the country of Origin.

This being said Fuji does a good job and have many of the dishes I enjoy here at home and of course the girls all love going to eat Japanese food $$$$$$.

 

Is it the best for Japanese food in Thailand? of course not but it does a good job and I will continue to eat there along with the other ones, Oishi, Shabu Shabu Etc....

 

Thanks Evil as always hope to cross your path one day.

[Evil Penevil]

Time to update the Fuji thread.  I had dinner there with two companions on Feb. 7.  Since it was the Sunday before Chinese New Year, I had expected it to be jammed and perhaps even difficult to get a table, but it was only half full.

 

We began with sashimi and it was up to the usual extremely fresh standard I'd come to expect from Fuji.

 

 

We also had yaki gyoza, or panned fried dumplings.

 

 

 

 

We also had a second appetizer, stirred-fried kimchi and tofu.  It was light but delicious.

 

 

 

The ladies shared an order of  salmon tataki Thai, which basically meant a common Japanese appetizer had been spiced to the som tam level.

 

 

 

We shared an order of grilled squid, which I thought was excellent.  Very fresh squid, grilled on the outside so it had the proper charred taste but still tender.

 

 

 

 

We also grilled garlic shrimp, which I thought was a generic dish, more Thai than Japanese.

 

 

Then came of "main dishes," which were sets that included various small side dishes, such a few pieces of sushi, kimchi and the ever-present miso soup.

 

 

One of the girls had the teriyaki grilled mackerel set:

 

 

 

The other girl had the chirashi sushu set, which is a bowl of vinagered sushi rice topped with a variety of sushi items.

 

 

 

My choice was a Japanese home-cooking style dish- simmered beef and tofu.

 

 

 

 

That was a lot of food, but we managed to get it all down because none of us had eaten earlier in the day.  For three people and the number of dishes we had, the total price of 2,121 baht was reasonable.

 

 

Bottom line: Fuji remains a good choice for Japanese food in central Pattaya.  You can eat better Japanese food in more pleasant surroundings.  In some small restaurants, you can also find cheaper food of the same quality that Fuji serves, but they tend to be in obscure locations. Fuji gets a strong score from me for convenience at a fair price without skimping on the quality of the food.

 

And the girls love it!  Ask just about any Thai lady where she wants to eat Japanese food and nine times out of ten she'll say Fuji. A lot of that has to do with perceived status and posting selfies, but that's very important to a lot of the girls.

 

Evil

[just hanging]

great report as usual.  

 

I love Fuji, I am not into seafood but order many other things and they are always good and very good prices.    We used to go to Big C sukhumvet to eat there but they closed that, and this isn't one convenient to jomtien now.    :(

[expatdude]

Nice report as always, Evil. You really add value to this forum.

[MSR]

Nice report as always, Evil. You really add value to this forum.

Agreed........