This is the story of Mizuki; Mizuki whose love for whiskey began when travelling the world with her uncle, a whiskey importer in Tokyo.
In Paris, Mizuki found her second home and embraced the French culture. Inspired to share her passion for the "liquid gold”, she opened Maison Mizuki, a bar for whiskey lovers. A bar which also kept true to her roots and offered Japanese fare.
Though, it is at Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit where Maison Mizuki truly found its home. The allure of Japanese whiskey, captivating cocktails and sushi, coupled with a swank bar almost hidden will not leave you wanting more. If more of anything, it would be the cocktails, the food and the more than 100 whiskey labels, sourced globally, guided by Mizuki's "Whiskey Bible”.
Maison Mizuki extends beyond whiskey and her six signature cocktails mirror her love, passion and audacious spirit. Each cocktail is a mix of Asian and European flavours. For coffee lovers, a good sundowner or nightcap would be the Espresso Sake-Tini (B550). A heady mix of Café’XO tequilla, sake, Kahlúa and a shot of espresso, the drink embraces the coffee culture of France and Japanese sake.
The Murazaki Bliss (B500) is a colour delight in bright purple. Floral, bitter and refreshing, the gin-infused butterfly pea drink has umeshu, honey, Fever-Tree Mediterranean tonic water and lemon bitters. The Sayuri (B480) is for the tropical vibes and is light, creamy and sweet with Sayuri Nigori sake, coconut syrup and fresh lemon juice. An ode to Mizuki’s time in Thailand, where she discovered the magic of fresh coconut water, Sayuri became a passport to cherished memories. It was a sip of home, a reminder of the places she held dear.
The Rouge Et Salé (B500) has Kinobi, Pinot Noir, raspberry puree, fresh lemon juice and a sliver of crispy bacon. A drink that honours her uncle and his love for crispy bacon, the red cocktail celebrates the combination of smokiness, bitterness and a hint of sweetness. The Mizuki Sour (B520) is a sweet and sour concoction that has Shinju Whiskey, fresh lemon juice, yuzu syrup, Angostura bitters and egg white. The cocktail is a symbol of Mizuki’s willingness to explore, experiment and find joy in unexpected flavours.
Nothing goes better with sushi or sashimi than the Miso Nori (B480). A blend of umeshu, miso syrup, lemon juice, soda water, red grenadine and shiso nori powder, the cocktail captures the delicate sweetness of umeshu, the depth of miso and the distinct flavour of shiso nori powder.
All this drinking will make you hungry for a few bites. Though are plenty of appetisers to choose from, dive straight into the Usuzukuri (B650), which is thinly-sliced hamachi (or any other whitefish that is fresh on the day). Usually it is red sea bream but I had the hamachi, which was fresh that day and it came with a ponzu sauce.
Premium Sashimi Moriawase (five or seven kinds of fish, B1,290/B2,450) is a platter of assorted premium sashimi of whatever is fresh from the market on the day. I also ordered the Maison Mizuki Set (B1,890), which is assorted premium sushi. The platter includes Salmon lava roll (four pieces), Unagi roll (six pieces), Avocado and cream cheese roll (six pieces), Engawa nigiri (two pieces), Chutoro nigiri (two pieces and three of sashimi. There are Japanese inspired ice creams and sorbets (B90), or sliced Japanese cantaloupe (B120) for dessert, though I would go with a good whiskey from the Whiskey Bible to round up the night.
Maison Mizuki doesn’t disappoint on the whiskey front and even offers the Indian liquid gold and award-winning Amrut Single Malt, which is produced from malted barley grown in the foothills of the Himalayas (glass B450, bottle B5,500). Amrut Peated Indian Single Malt is made from Indian barley that’s peated in Scotland at Baird in Inverness and is offered at B450 per glass and B6,000 per bottle.
Maison Mizuki’s cosy atmosphère makes it a delightful place for good night out, despite being in the hustle and bustle of busy Sukhumvit. Open from 5pm to 1am, call 02-126-9999, email H5213-FB11@sofitel.com or visit maisonmizukibangkok.com or fb.com/MaisonMizuki.
