Ubon has more Japanese restaurants every year, and the range in quality is wide. Here are five things regular diners judge by, without waiting for reviews.
1. Judge the sashimi on the plate, not in the photo
Good salmon shows crisp white fat lines, firm flesh and no liquid pooling. Tuna should be evenly coloured, not patchy. Fish sliced too far ahead dries at the edges and darkens.
2. The ramen broth tells you almost everything
Properly simmered tonkotsu is thick from bone collagen, not starch — round and rich rather than salty. If the first spoonful is aggressively salty, seasoning powder is doing the work the pot should have done.
3. Rice is half of sushi
Correct sushi rice is slightly above room temperature, holds together but falls apart in the mouth, with a light vinegar note. Cold, compacted rice means it was shaped a long time ago.
4. A short menu done well beats a long one done badly
A kitchen offering ramen, sushi, donburi and fried dishes needs real stations and staff. Order something made to order — ramen or tempura — and see whether it arrives hot and crisp.
5. The room is part of the taste
Japanese food is built on restraint; a loud, brightly lit room flattens it. Serious restaurants get lighting and table spacing right.
