The big malls may be packed full of sushi restaurants, but chances are that if you’re serious about your raw fish, you’ll end up wandering the sois of Sukhumvit. One restaurant that sits somewhere in-between is Maki Maki, squeezed into the third floor of the very small community mall No. 88, in Soi Pai Di Ma Di, behind Thonglor Soi 5.

Unlike its flashy neighbor Moulin, Maki Maki keeps things intimate with an industrial mix of wood, grey tones and hanging lamps. Overall, the place has a casual, loft-like atmosphere. You might also relish their small mezzanine area, where you can dine under a lovely pitched glass roof with a chandelier and some ferns for company.

As its name suggests, the menu is loaded with different sushi roll options, many of them accentuated by homemade sauces incoporating more than 10 different kinds of chili. Chef Yindee, who previously worked in Chicago, looks to strike a balance between Eastern and Western influences, following a similar approach to other sushi joints like Isao, In the Mood for Love and High Hat.

The artistic presentation is informed by the chef’s interior design degree, too. Take the elegant Beauty and the Leaf Maki (scallop, salmon, asparagus, red tabiko, avocado, spicy mayo and lime, B450), arranged like a leaf, which actually tastes as good as its looks. A signature dish like the Dragon Fly (fried shrimp maki, B330) contains well-rounded flavors—not too sweet and not too sour, and nice and crunchy. Equally enjoyable is a Thai fusion choice like the Crazy Salmon (B290), with its tangy Thai seafood sauce. The seared salmon (B190), too, is well executed: tender and jazzed up with a special shoyu sauce. 

Not everything is so successful, though. Another special recipe like the To Die For (O-toro, black and red tobiko, green onion, quill egg, avocado and ikura, B590) is bland in flavor apart from the overpowering seaweed.

For drinks, you can expect Asahi and sake with a brief selection of nama (unpasteurized sake), sparkling and plum (B270-B590) varieties. While the drinks list is pretty standard, Maki Maki outshines many other trendy sushi cafés with its balance of tasty food and tasteful atmosphere.