Jua is a Japanese izakaya in Bang Rak, Bangkok, tucked into a three-story shophouse on Charoen Krung Road that once operated as a gambling den. The name itself nods to that past, referencing the Siamese card game pok daeng and translating loosely to "hit me" in Thai. Chef Chet Adkins, formerly of Ku De Ta (now Ce La Vi), built the menu around kushiyaki skewers grilled over binchotan charcoal, alongside sashimi cut from carefully sourced fish and a handful of dishes that borrow ideas from his time cooking across Asia and beyond.
The dining room seats around 40, with warm wood, low lighting, and a bar that faces the open grill so you can watch skewers turn over glowing coals. It sits in the Creative District near the Chao Phraya River, a stretch of Bangkok where old trading houses, galleries, and small bars share the same lane. Jua draws a crowd that leans toward food-curious locals, expats, and travelers looking for a quieter alternative to Sukhumvit's louder Japanese rooms.
The drinks list runs deep on sake, with more than ten labels that the team will pair with skewers, and a tighter selection of Japanese whisky for later in the evening. Dinner service runs 6pm to midnight, seven nights a week.
You enter off Charoen Krung into a narrow, warmly lit room where the charcoal smoke from the robata grill is the first thing you notice. Staff will walk you through the skewer list, which rotates based on what arrived that week, and steer you toward sake if you want guidance. Expect to order in rounds rather than as a fixed menu, starting with sashimi or a cold dish and building toward richer grilled items as the night goes on.
Pricing sits in the upper-mid range for Bangkok Japanese, and reservations are worth making on weekends since the room fills quickly. Dress is relaxed. If you want the full experience, ask to sit near the grill counter and let the kitchen send dishes in the order they think works best.
The wagyu skewer is the dish most regulars order first, a few bites of well-marbled beef brushed with tare and finished hard over charcoal so the fat renders cleanly. Grilled maitake mushroom is the quieter standout, cooked until the edges crisp and the center stays meaty, served with a light citrus finish that keeps it from feeling heavy. Salmon sashimi shows the kitchen's sourcing discipline, cut thick and served cold with minimal garnish so the fish does the work. Beyond the core skewers and raw items, the kitchen runs occasional specials that lean more creative, including pasta dishes topped with uni and prawns finished in durian butter, which regulars tend to either love or skip depending on the night.
Jua sits at 672/49 Charoen Krung Road in Bang Rak, a short walk from the Chao Phraya River and the galleries of the Creative District. The nearest rail access is Saphan Taksin BTS, with taxis and ride-hail the easiest way in after dark.
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