Nagiya Gateway Ekamai: Review of this Japanese Restaurant in Bangkok (2025)

Nagiya Gateway Ekamai is a local, high-quality Japanese restaurant in the Ekkamai area in Bangkok; here is our full review.

If you are looking for the warm, lively atmosphere of a Tokyo izakaya without leaving Bangkok, Nagiya Gateway Ekamai delivers the full experience. This bustling Japanese restaurant inside Gateway Ekamai mall captures the energy, flavors, and friendliness of Japanese pub dining. With sizzling skewers, comforting bowls of rice, chilled beer, and a casual yet authentic setting, Nagiya has become a favorite among locals, Japanese expats, and anyone craving great food in a laid-back environment.

Tucked within Gateway Ekamai — the mall often described as Bangkok’s little Japan — this restaurant is more than a convenient dining stop. It’s a place that invites you to slow down, share plates with friends, and enjoy good conversation over great food.

Nagiya Gateway Ekamai

A Real Izakaya in the Heart of Bangkok

Step through the doors of Nagiya Gateway Ekamai, and you are greeted by an atmosphere that feels straight out of Tokyo. Wooden accents, hanging lanterns, handwritten menus, and the aroma of charcoal grilling fill the air. Staff members move quickly between tables, carrying plates of freshly grilled skewers and bowls of steaming rice. There’s laughter, chatter, and the sound of skewers sizzling over the grill — exactly the kind of sensory experience that makes izakayas so beloved in Japan.

Nagiya is part of a well-known chain of izakaya-style restaurants originating from Japan. Each branch is designed to recreate the feeling of a true Japanese tavern, where friends meet after work, enjoy small plates, and unwind with drinks. The Gateway Ekamai branch stays faithful to that spirit, combining Japanese precision with Bangkok’s relaxed hospitality.

The restaurant’s concept is built around sharing. The dishes are served in small or medium portions, meant for sampling and passing around the table. You don’t order one main course; you order a variety of skewers, side dishes, and rice bowls to enjoy together.

Getting To Gateway Ekamai

Nagiya is located inside Gateway Ekamai Mall, directly connected to the BTS Ekkamai Station on Sukhumvit Road. You can access the restaurant by walking straight from the skywalk into the mall and heading to the Japanese-themed floor, where you’ll see rows of restaurants, dessert cafes, and grocery stores specializing in Japanese products.

Address: Gateway Ekamai Mall, 982/22 Sukhumvit Road, Bangkok
Nearest BTS: Ekkamai (Exit 4)
Opening Hours: Usually from around 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM, though times can vary slightly depending on the day or season.
Parking: Available in the mall parking area.

Gateway Ekamai is easy to reach from most central Bangkok locations, making Nagiya a convenient dinner stop after exploring nearby Thonglor or Sukhumvit. The mall is one of the more local things to do in Bangkok to explore.

Menu Overview: What to Expect

Nagiya’s menu is large, with a focus on yakitori (grilled chicken skewers), yakiton (grilled pork skewers), small izakaya-style plates, sashimi, and rice dishes. Whether you are visiting for a casual dinner or planning to spend the night sampling different flavors, there’s something for every appetite.

Skewers and Grilled Favorites

The skewers are the heart of the menu. Each piece is grilled over charcoal, giving it that smoky aroma and juicy bite that makes yakitori irresistible. You can order individually or as part of a mixed platter to try different cuts and textures.

Some of the most popular options include:

• Chicken thigh – tender and flavorful, the classic starting point for any yakitori meal.
• Chicken skin – crispy and rich, a perfect match with a cold beer.
• Negima – chicken and scallion skewers that balance sweetness and savoriness.
• Pork belly – smoky and juicy, slightly caramelized at the edges.
• Chicken cartilage or heart – chewy, flavorful, and a favorite among regulars who enjoy texture and umami.

For something a little different, order the Hokke Yaki, a grilled Atka mackerel that is beautifully smoky, oily, and served with a wedge of lemon. It’s a standout dish that pairs wonderfully with rice or sake.

Sashimi and Rice Bowls

While Nagiya is known for its grilled dishes, the sashimi and rice bowls deserve attention too.

The salmon sashimi is a crowd-pleaser — fresh, cool, and generously sliced. For those who enjoy richer seafood, look for bowls topped with ikura (salmon roe) or uni (sea urchin). The combination of briny flavor and creamy texture is luxurious without being heavy.

The donburi (rice bowl) section of the menu includes comforting options like teriyaki chicken, grilled eel, or tuna with rice. These bowls are filling yet balanced, making them ideal for solo diners or anyone craving something hearty to end the meal.

Small Plates and Starters

Izakayas are all about variety, and Nagiya’s selection of small plates makes it easy to build a meal that suits your mood.

• Agedashi tofu – soft tofu lightly fried and served in a warm, savory dashi broth.
• Kaki fry – deep-fried oysters coated in golden panko breadcrumbs, crispy on the outside and creamy inside.
• Chicken karaage – juicy Japanese fried chicken, seasoned perfectly and served with a wedge of lemon.
• Spinach goma-ae – blanched spinach dressed in sesame sauce, a great side for balancing heavier flavors.
• Edamame – lightly salted soybeans, the classic starter at any izakaya.

These dishes arrive quickly, which makes them great for ordering while you wait for grilled skewers to arrive.

Dining as a Group

Nagiya shines when you go with a group. Izakayas are meant for social eating, and the menu here is designed for sharing. The best strategy is to order a variety of plates and skewers for the table and keep the drinks flowing.

Groups often start with edamame and fried dishes, then move on to several rounds of skewers. You can ask for large sharing platters of sashimi or grilled fish and finish with noodles or rice bowls. The staff are used to large groups, and dishes come out continuously rather than all at once, keeping the energy of the meal relaxed and spontaneous.

If you plan to visit on a weekend, it’s worth making a reservation or arriving early in the evening. The restaurant fills up quickly, especially with Japanese expats and locals who know this is one of the area’s most authentic spots.

Drinks and Pairings

Like any good izakaya, the drinks menu at Nagiya complements the food perfectly. The most popular choice is Asahi Super Dry, crisp and light enough to cut through rich grilled flavors. You’ll also find Sapporo and sometimes Kirin on the menu.

For something traditional, order a glass of sake or shochu. Chilled sake pairs beautifully with sashimi, while warm sake or shochu goes well with grilled or fried dishes.

If you’re not drinking alcohol, you can still enjoy traditional Japanese soft drinks, green tea, or cold oolong tea.

Atmosphere and Interior

The ambiance at Nagiya is one of its biggest draws. It’s casual but full of character, with warm wooden interiors, handwritten menus, and red paper lanterns that glow softly over the tables. The restaurant captures the liveliness of a Tokyo izakaya without feeling chaotic.

The staff are friendly, efficient, and often speak both Thai and English, making it easy for visitors to order or ask for recommendations. The music is low, the lighting is cozy, and the entire space encourages conversation.

Families, couples, and groups of friends all mix comfortably here. It’s a place where laughter is welcomed, and where sharing food feels natural.

Prices and Value

Nagiya offers excellent value for the quality of food and authenticity of the experience. Most skewers cost between ฿40–฿80, small plates and side dishes fall around ฿150–฿250, and sashimi or rice bowls are in the ฿250–฿450 range.

A typical dinner for two with drinks usually comes to ฿800–฿1,200, depending on how much you order. For groups sharing a large spread, the price per person often ends up around ฿600–฿900.

Considering the central location, high-quality ingredients, and atmosphere that transports you to Japan, it’s easy to see why Nagiya remains popular year after year.

Our Opinion

We love Japanese food, so much so that we have made it our mission to find the best Sushi in Bangkok! Nagiya Gateway Ekamai is more than a Sushi spot; yes you can get sushi and sashimi here but there is also a fantastic collection of Japanese dishes beyond Sushi. During our visit, we tried their karage chicken, which was delicious and succulent.

We enjoyed some of the grilled fish dishes and I even tried their corn dog; which was better than any corn dog we had whilst living in the US (we are Brits who lived in Chicago for 2 years).

The restaurant is more expensive than other Japanese spots in Gateway Ekkamai, but the quality is high and there is a huge variety. We ordered 8 dishes (more than enough for 2 people) and 2 soft drinks, and it came to 1025B.

We will be back to Nagiya Gateway Ekamai in the near future and would recommend it for those looking for a sit-down Japanese meal whilst in the popular Bangkok shopping mall.