In September 2024, the long-established Japanese restaurant group "Nippon Tei," which has preserved its traditional flavors for nearly 40 years in Bangkok, recently opened a new, small restaurant called "KAI", specializing in seafood bowls and Sushi as the main menu items. While serving the same high quality as Nippon Tei, KAI focuses on offering affordable prices, making premium seafood-based Japanese cuisine more accessible, particularly through its rice bowl dishes.
This article presents a case study of installing Hoshizaki kitchen equipment at the newly opened seafood Japanese restaurant "KAI" in Chidlom, Bangkok.
Considering Long-Term Benefits, the Restaurant selected the Trusted Brand "Hoshizaki"
At the seafood Japanese restaurant "KAI", the kitchen equipment, from the refrigerator and freezer, ice maker and water purifier—has been standardized with Hoshizaki products to ensure the consistent provision of fresh seafood ingredients.
HOSHIZAKI, Kitchen Equipment, for Seafood Japanese Cuisine "KAI"
・Refrigerator (Reach-in)
・Small ice-maker (Crescent ice-maker)
・Water Purifier
General Manager Suzuki, who has several years of experience in the food and beverage industry in both Japan and Thailand, expresses great trust in Hoshizaki products.
High reliability and stability
Wide range of options fit to kitchen space
Excellent product functionality
Accessible maintenance support
Long-term cost efficiency
“At restaurants that handle fresh ingredients like raw fish, maintaining the freshness of the ingredients is absolutely critical. That’s why I decided to use Hoshizaki products, which I’ve trusted and used since my time in Japan. With their wide range of alternatives, I could select to fit our limited kitchen space perfectly. Additionally, unifying under one brand is easily accessible for maintenance advice. In a long-term perspective, I believe this offers excellent cost-performance and significant benefits.” (Mr. Suzuki, General Manager of Restaurant KAI)
Customization to Fit the Kitchen Environment
At "KAI," the ice maker and dishwasher are among the installed equipment customized to suit the kitchen’s specific needs.
The ice maker was essential for maintaining seafood freshness and it was changed to longer legs for hygiene. A proper design allows leftover water from melted ice to drain out and makes cleaning easier.
Moreover, the dishwasher was customized as an under-counter, allowing items to be able to placed on top. This design effectively applies to the limited space.
▲Various Hoshizaki equipment arranged within the limited kitchen space
Regarding the Miso soup server introduced through the agency, Mr. Suzuki stated, "It is an important item because it ensures a consistent flavor without variations due to human error. Miso soup can deteriorate in taste when boiled, controlling the quality is challenging, but this server can completely solve the issue."
A Strong Partner in Maintaining High Culinary Quality and Hygiene Standards
Based on his maintenance experience at restaurants in Nippon Tei Group, Mr. Suzuki views Hoshizaki as a major partner in restaurant operations.
Bangkok is a globally recognized city known for its high level of restaurant quality. As I am also in the food and beverage field, I believe it is important to extend beyond the boundaries of my own restaurant and Japanese cuisine. To be culinary and food hygiene standards in Bangkok. In that regard, Hoshizaki is a reliable and powerful partner in both products and services," says General Manager Suzuki.
Interview cooperation: KAI Japanese Restaurant (Nippon Tei Group)
Opened in September 2024, "KAI" is a new style of Japanese restaurant created by the long-established Nippon Tei Group in Bangkok. The main menu features seafood bowls and Sushi, offering the same quality as Nippon Tei while emphasizing rice bowl dishes at reasonable prices. The restaurant's concept is to make premium seafood-based Japanese cuisine more accessible and enjoyable.
▲Mr. Suzuki of KAI (second from left), Mr. Yamakawa (third from left), Mr. Takahashi (far right) from Hoshizaki (Thailand), along with Thai staff.
KAI Japanese Restaurant
Koichiro Suzuki
General Manager
