Step into the era of laplets—a hybrid laptop-cum-tablet digital device—courtesy of Windows RT, a new, compact version of Windows 8 designed for tablets. The latest one is the IdeaPad Yoga 11, an 11-inch laplet from Chinese manufacturer Lenovo. Yoga 11 is a more affordable RT version of its big sister (with Windows 8), coming in a sleek body with a flip-able 11-inch touchscreen. It’s lightweight so you’ll have no difficulties carrying it around. It looks like a regular, thin laptop computer, with a touch screen, but when you flip and fold back the display, it works as a (thick) tablet. 

(+) Windows RT works really well with the touchscreen, which has us considering a return to Mr. Gate’s OS. The grid-based interface looks beautiful, flows flawlessly and makes it surprisingly easy to access programs and applications.
(+) Once you turn the display backwards to use Yoga 11 as a tablet, the keyboard and trackpad are automatically deactivated so you need not worry about mistyping.  
(+) It’s lightweight, meaning it’s a real portable work station when you use it as a laptop.
(-) We might be a bit old-school but we think a laptop with a touch screen is more annoying than useful. Nor was it accurate when we tried clicking small icons online.
(-) We experienced some lag, even when using Internet Explorer.
(-)  It’s a lightweight laptop but a heavyweight tablet.

Verdict: It’s not easy to work—we mean real work—on a tablet, just as you’ll never get those touch-screen games on a laptop, so this might be the answer if you crave both. And this is one of the lightest and smallest laplets in the market to date, so it’s a top choice for that segment. But if it’s not part of your purchasing plan, we think you can wait a little longer for newer models.
Specs: Windows RT / 2GB DDR3L memory / 64GB storage / CPU NVIDIA Tegra3 / NVIDIA ULP GeForce graphic card / 1MP web camera / 2 USB 2.0 ports / HDMI port / SD&MMC card reader / Bluetooth / 4-call battery (up to 13 hours) / dimension: 298 x 204 x 15.6mm / 1.27kg. B31,900. www.lenovo.com/th

HONMONO SUSHI BK PICK!
Honmono is an excellent sushi joint that’s worth the high prices and, thankfully, isn’t a bewildering experience for those of us who aren’t Japanese salarymen. After a year, almost every branch of Honmono still packs in hi-so Thais every night. The Take Sashimi platter (B1,500) is a favorite, and comes with seven kinds of assorted sashimi. The quality is great, and the pieces are enormous. You can also get a larger platter for B3,200. Their sushi and maki are also excellent, such as the dragon avocado and the grilled Matsusaka beef.
19 Thonglor Soi 23, Bangkok, 02-185-1447. Open Mon-Fri 5pm-midnight; Sat-Sun 11:30am-2pm
 

More Japanese restaurants in Bangkok

RUNNER-UPS (IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

ISAO
Narrow and cozy with only a handful of tables and a sushi bar, ISAO has the vibe of a well-kept secret, even though it’s often packed. Trained by a sushi master in Chicago, the owner offers rolls with an American, indulgent slant like Winter (soft white crab meat, ebi shrimp, avocado and carrot wrapped in sliced cucumber) and sushi sandwich. The place offers a relaxed homey feel with booths run along the bamboo-clad wall while the rest of the space is dominated by the sushi bar and counter.
5 Sukhumvit Soi 31, Bangkok, 02-258-0645. Open Mon-Fri 11am-2:30pm, 5:30-10pm; Sat-Sun 11am-10pm
 

SUSHI TSUKIJI
Named after the famed Tokyo fish market, the specialty here is sashimi and sushi. The clientele is mostly Japanese salarymen, and although this place bears some kind of affiliation with the Fuji chain, this is clearly their little pet project, and operates on a whole other level. The décor is suitably bland, the no-nonsense kimono-clad waitresses efficient and the chefs masterful. Dinners can break the bank, but those in the know enjoy the much more affordable sushi sets (B198) at lunch, which sometimes run out by 1pm.
62/19-20 Soi Thaniya, Silom Rd., Bangkok, 02-233-9698. BTS Sala Daeng. Open daily 11:30am-2pm; 5:30-11pm
 

MUGENDAI
Claiming that their produce is imported to them five days a week (most places only get two deliveries), Mugendai seems to be the closest competitor to Honmono. Owned by a group of friends who have eaten all around Japan, the location is really hip, high up on the rooftop of Grass. Recommendations include the Aburi Seven (B2,200), comprising seven sushi varieties like Matsusaka beef, otoro and engawa, unagi foie gras (grilled eel sushi stuffed with foie gras, B1,500) and kinki shioyaki (grilled rockfish with salt, B3,200).
7/F, Grass, Thonglor Soi 12, Bangkok, 02-726-9222, 087-996-8888. www.mugendaibkk.com. Open Mon-Fri 5:30pm-midnight; Sat-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm, 5:30pm-late
 

TORORO
Tororo takes up a cozy spot in Ekkamai, with its high ceilings and minimalist décor. With the menu put together by the former chef of Miyatake, the popular haven for sushi lovers at MBK, you can expect a wide range of sushi, from the cheapest tamago (Japanese omelet, B35) to the more expensive—and justifiably so—otoro (fatty tuna, B400). They also recommend the uni (sea urchin, B100-380), foie gras (B270-330) and Matsusaka beef (B320).
1/F, The Horizon Destination Mall, Sukhumvit Soi 63, Bangkok, 02-714-2228
 

More Japanese restaurants in Bangkok