The buzz: KiSara is the name of the newly rebranded Drinking Tea Eating Rice at the Conrad Hotel. To mark the makeover, Chef Kenji Shindo has created numerous new offerings promising authentic Japanese flavors while also integrating more hi-so ingredients like truffle, foie gras and lobster into sushi, rolls and sizzling teppanyaki dishes.

The décor: The interior is pretty similar to before. The earth-toned restaurant emphasizes natural elements, decorated with copper sculptures and marble accents. Take a seat at either the sushi or teppanyaki counters, one of the private rooms or the tables in the main dining area.

The food: On top of all the classic Japanese dishes, expect more modern fare like tender Matsusaka beef sirloin with soy cocktail sauce and mashed potatoes (B4,450 for 180g), pan-fried marinated foie gras with sweet miso (B870) and a generous portion of steamed snow fish with black truffle served with sasa leaves and sakura sauce (B980). The rolls also come in both traditional and modern styles; try the aburi uni Hokkai roll (roll topped with seared sea urchin and salmon roe with scallop, queen crab and cucumber, B1,780), chopped otoro (fatty part of tuna belly) and spring onion roll (B820) and the Luxury California Roll (B680). As before, you can catch all the action at the teppanyaki table where you can order an Angus beef sirloin (B1,350 for 180g) or chicken thigh (B580). For the nigiri sushi, there’s a long list of fish like halibut (B180) and tuna (B480), and do drop by on weekdays for the sushi buffet at B1,000, while the weekend lunch buffet (B1,480) adds more variety in the form of tempura and teppanyaki dishes like angus beef and scallops. Set lunches start from B520.

The drinks: The succulent Matsusaka beef goes down even better with sake (B500-B7,600). Try the recommended Suehiro Densho Yamahai Junmai (B820 for 16ml, B3,200 for a bottle) or opt for the more affordable shochu (B350 for a glass). There are five imported beers—Chimay (Blue, Red, White Cap, B400), Sapporo (B350) and Yebisu Premium (B400)—and a few local ones.

The crowds: Sat in a business hotel on Wireless Road, the clientele is mostly well-off and well-suited expat executives coming for a quick sushi buffet or a luxurious power dinner. Pieng-or Mongkolkumnuankhet