The buzz: There’s only a handful of restaurants in Bangkok that take the ubiquitous Japanese dining experience and successfully turn it into something trendy. KOI, Isao and In the Mood for Love come to mind. But Iza manages to combine a contemporary atmosphere with elegant traditional elements, as well as the usual sushi bar with a yakitori dining option to match everyone’s price range. It’s therefore slightly surprising to learn that the place is actually a venture by Loxley, better known for their work in transport, telecommunications and energy. The decor: The space is divided into two floors, the bottom floor sporting a bar atmosphere and serving sake, shochu and sushi rolls with fusion twists. There’s a wooden plank-lined wall and shelves stacked with ceramic sake jars. Up an impressively large spiral staircase is the sit-down yakitori dining room with a choice between backless, lounge-like seating and more formal options. Overall, the atmosphere is a nice cross between casual and chic. The food: The sushi bar dishes out interesting rolls like the Twilight in Bangkok (B280), salmon hand rolls dressed with a yam-like dressing. You can order sushi up to the yakitori section, though the other way around is not recommended, presumably because the residual heat would overcook the delicate beef by the time it makes it downstairs. The yakitori menu offers several choices of beef platters, with increasing levels of marbling, categorized as Ninja, Samurai, Shogun and so on (B180-1,300). They also do salads like the wasabi maguro (mixed greens with tuna, B280) and other meat and seafood dishes like Mount Fuji (baked seafood, B280) and yukke (Japanese-style beef tartare, B180). Set lunch starts at B190. The drink: Asahi on tap (B150) and some bottles of Yebisu (B240). Of course there’s also sake and shochu (B110-240, by the glass), as well as wine bottles ranging from B950-B1,800. The crowd: Groups of Thai Thong Lorites.