Last month, we announced that Spicy Tuna, the family-owned restaurant known for its artfully presented sushi, would close its doors at 4823 W. National Ave. We also noted that fans of the popular West Milwaukee eatery could look forward to an exciting announcement. Today is the day for that announcement.
Owners Matt Jitphungtham and Chutikul (Jay) Sricharoen, who also serve up bubble tea, poké and indulgently delicious croffles at Big Straw Cafe, 2088 Miller Park Way, have announced that they will be opening a new restaurant at the Mayfair Collection.
The new restaurant, named Bangkok Kaizen, is slated to open later this month at 11200 W. Burleigh St. in the former home of Adriatic Seafood & Steak and Cafe Grace.
Kaizen, which means “a change for the better” in Japanese, was chosen by Jitphungtham and Sricharoen to represent the restaurant’s concept, which builds upon the Spicy Tuna brand with a menu of not only sushi and Japanese dishes, but also traditional Thai fare.
“We will continue to serve the high-quality sushi that we served at Spicy Tuna,” says Sricharoen. “But we will expand on that concept and improve our offerings by adding both Japanese entrees and authentic Thai dishes.
“Our kitchen staff is filled with talented chefs who have worked in Japan and Thailand, so they bring an amazing amount of expertise to the restaurant. Mr. Worraratch Kulpattarakosol, one of our chefs, worked for years at a Thai restaurant in Japan that earned Michelin stars while he was there,” she notes.
An artful aesthetic
The restaurant itself is in the midst of a transformation. In an effort to reuse as many elements in the restaurant as possible, Bangkok Kaizen will showcase a palette of white, gold and blue that takes advantage of the decorative blue and white flooring and yellow and blue leatherette seating in the restaurant.
Coordinating murals created by Thai artist Kitikhun Sirichantr provide additional color throughout the restaurant, including blue fish along the northern walls.
Yellow and blue fish adorn the wall just south of the bar, as well as the back bar where guests can take a seat to enjoy food as well as a wide variety of beverages, including cocktails and a selection of Asian beers and Japanese sake.
Additional murals depict two women – one Japanese and one Thai – on the eastern wall of the restaurant. The images depict the blending of the two cultures through cuisine at Bangkok Kaizen.
Traditional Thai fare
As for the menu, it will include a full range of sushi options, including the artful boards of maki guests grew to love at Spicy Tuna, along with some additions including Japanese entrees like traditional Japanese curry.
Traditional Thai dishes will also be available, including a wide variety of regional dishes found throughout Thailand at both restaurants and from street carts. All items will be scratch-made including sauces, dumplings and curry pastes.
“We want people to feel like they are eating in Thailand,” says Sricharoen. “So we have made a special effort to include recipes for dishes that best represent the authentic fare that people will find when they travel to Thailand.”
That means bold, flavor-forward dishes that utilize ingredients like holy basil (which is distinctive from sweet basil and Thai basil), a variety of Thai chilies (from mild to very spicy), fresh lemongrass and makrut lime leaves.
Offerings like tom yum soup will be made with fresh ingredients, rather than the tom yum paste often used by eateries in America. Curries, including green, red, Panang and Massaman, will be made with house-made curry pastes made with fresh ingredients.
Diners will be treated to dishes like hoitod, a wildly popular Thai street food pancake made with matzo flour, egg and seafood and served with sweet chili sauce. Bangkok Kaizen will also serve Thai BBQ offerings like mooping, barbequed pork skewers featuring marinated pork served on skewers with a tamarind sauce.
Guests will also notice dishes served with traditional (and maybe unexpected accompaniments). For instance, chicken satay – a dish that made its way to Thailand from Indonesia – will be served on skewers along with traditional accompaniments like housemade satay sauce made with peanuts (rather than peanut butter) for dipping, cucumber salad and slices of toasted bread.
Once Bangkok Kaizen is open, guests will be able to enjoy lunch service Wednesday to Monday from 11 a.m.. to 3:30 p.m. and dinner service from 5 to 9 p.m. (closed on Tuesdays).
Sricharoen says they are likely to expand the hours to accommodate late-night dining beginning this summer. For more information and announcements, follow the restaurant at @Bangkok.Kaizen on Instagram.
As a passionate champion of the local dining scene, Lori has reimagined the restaurant critic's role into that of a trusted dining concierge, guiding food lovers to delightful culinary discoveries and memorable experiences.
Lori is an avid cook whose accrual of condiments and spices is rivaled only by her cookbook collection. Her passion for the culinary industry was birthed while balancing A&W root beer mugs as a teenage carhop, fed by insatiable curiosity and fueled by the people whose stories entwine with every dish. Lori is the author of two books: the "Wisconsin Field to Fork" cookbook and "Milwaukee Food". Her work has garnered journalism awards from entities including the Milwaukee Press Club. In 2024, Lori was honored with a "Top 20 Women in Hospitality to Watch" award by the Wisconsin Restaurant Association.
When she’s not eating, photographing food, writing or planning for TV and radio spots, you’ll find Lori seeking out adventures with her husband Paul, traveling, cooking, reading, learning, snuggling with her cats and looking for ways to make a difference.
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