Tucked down a dead-end soi off Sala Daeng, this tiny sushi bar draws in an impressive after-work office crowd. It’s certainly not for the decor; the tight, 24-seat space has little to catch the eye. The menu, too, serves up typical selections of sashimi, nigiri sushi and don (rice with topping), plus a few more ostentatious offerings with ingredients like foie gras and wagyu beef. We respect the fact that Fatboy Sushi isn’t aiming higher than being just a solid neighbourhood haunt, but there’s still not a great deal to recommend.

The freshness isn’t in doubt (fish is imported three days a week), just don’t expect too many fireworks on the sushi front. Many dishes face much the same problems as the recommended ikura truffle oil (salmon caviar with truffle oil, B150), whose flavor is underwhelming and accompanied by rice that’s too dry. The anago ozuro (torched sea eel, B180) sadly comes torched rather than grilled—the usual cooking method for eel—meaning it lacks the comforting burnt notes you’d expect.

The Fatboy rolls (wagyu, foie gras, cheese, rocket and cucumber, B850) might well be the place’s low-point, with all the premium ingredients simply overpowered by the cheese. The more-straightforward wagyu blanket (torched wagyu beef, B280) makes a much better option, even if the portions are quite small. What we like most here has to be the refreshing mixed sashimi salad (B380) that comes with a Japanese dressing that’s a perfect mix of soy sauce and sesame oil. The staff is pretty pushy about the seasonal menu, too; on our last visit, we tried the iwashi sashimi (sardines, B400/B800), which was very fresh and tasty.

Dessert is little more than the usual green tea ice cream, while we were pretty shocked to find that their cold green tea is nothing more than generic supermarket bottles and hot is instant tea bags. For something stiffer, there’s a small selection of sake and plum wine. While hardly the worst option around for budget sushi, we feel little inclination to return to Fatboy Sushi, especially with Seiryu Sushi in the same neighborhood.