Japanese restaurants abound at Pathum Wan’s malls. In Groove alone, Wabi Sabi has become a fixture for its menu covering pretty much everything Japanese, from sushi and rolls to grilled fish and udon. Hiyaku follows a similar path, with less-than-impressive results.

From the decor alone, you can tell Hiyaku isn’t aiming as high as its neighbor. The wood-dominated space has little else to distinguish it other than the board out front listing all the many deals on offer. Take a closer look at the menu and you’ll see several attempts at some kind of fusion, like the tom yum kung sushi roll (imitation crab, shrimps, tom yum sauce, B250), alongside the staple offerings.

While the staff are service-minded and good at pointing out the massive savings to be had (like 20-percent off lunch sets and 50-percent off selected dishes), it’s not enough to make the food in any way pleasurable. The sushi set (B280) ticks the boxes of things to avoid—sad, weird-colored raw fish with not-so-healthy fatty marbling, and rice that’s all too dry. The “Hiyaku don” rice bowl (diced assorted fish on sushi rice, B220) combines decently-seasoned but mushy rice with a creamy mayo that all but smothers the real taste of the fish. The grilled snow fish (B380) comes as one flattened fillet sitting in a pool of excess oil, though it does taste slightly better than it looks. We tried to love their tofu salad (B250), which at least packs nice, crisp veggies and fresh tofu, but the bruised avocado put an end to that.

All in all, there are plenty of good explanations for the thin weekend crowds and over-reliance on massive promos here. It’s not like Bangkok shoppers are limited for choice when it comes to mall Japanese, and Hiyaku simply doesn’t measure up. Corkage B300

This review took place in August 2016 and is based on a visit to the restaurant without the restaurant's knowledge. For more on BK's review policy, click here.