Ginza Shabu-Shabu “Koubai” Opens at Dusit Central Park, Bangkok – 3 October 2025
Bangkok welcomes a new landmark of refined Japanese dining as Ginza Shabu-Shabu Koubai officially opens to the public on October 3, 2025, at Dusit Central Park. For more information, please visit the map link here.
Already celebrated in Tokyo with flagship locations at Ginza SIX and Tokyo Solamachi®, KOUBAI now makes its Thailand debut, introducing one of Japan’s rarest culinary treasures – Koseigyu Kumamoto Akaushi Beef, also known as the “phantom wagyu.”
At KOUBAI, the Akaushi is not just served — it is the very heart of the experience. The beef is sourced exclusively through a direct contract with Kosei Ranch in the pristine grasslands of Aso City, Kumamoto, ensuring full traceability from farm to table. Raised under the highest Japanese standards, the cattle graze freely on natural pastures, resulting in lean yet tender red meat with a mellow richness and profound umami unlike any other wagyu. So rare it represents just 0.6% of beef in Japan (and a mere 4% of pure wagyu), Akaushi proudly carries GI certification, alongside legends like Kobe and Matsusaka Beef.
Maintaining its Tokyo pedigree, KOUBAI upholds the strictest Japanese standards of quality and service, with a Japanese head chef overseeing the kitchen and a dedicated Japanese management team ensuring every element of hospitality meets authentic expectations. Guests can expect not only world-class ingredients but also the precision, care, and refinement that define the true Ginza dining experience.
Prepared in the traditional Japanese style of shabu-shabu, thinly sliced beef is delicately swished through hot kombu dashi just below boiling point, allowing the full aroma and clean flavour to emerge while retaining its tenderness. Guests can also enjoy other Japanese specialties, such as sukiyaki and beef sushi, all crafted to showcase the true taste of Kumamoto’s prized Akaushi beef.
Koubai also represents a commitment to sustainability. The Akaushi cattle of Aso City, Kumamoto, play an essential role in maintaining the region’s ancient grasslands, which act as vital water sources and ecosystems. By grazing daily across these fields, the cattle help protect biodiversity and prevent environmental degradation. In return, the pristine environment produces beef that is as healthy as it is delicious, rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals.
The opening of Ginza Shabu-Shabu “KOUBAI” in Bangkok allows diners to experience Japan’s most elusive wagyu in an elegant setting, with the Umenohana Group’s hallmark dedication to refined cuisine and warm hospitality.
About Koseigyu, Kumamoto Akaushi Beef, and Aso City, Kumamoto
Aka-Ushi, a special designation of Kumamoto Akaushi beef, is raised exclusively at Kosei Ranch in Kumamoto’s Aso caldera — one of the world’s largest volcanic calderas and a UNESCO-designated Global Geopark. The cattle graze freely across vast grasslands, consuming 40–50 kilograms of natural grass daily while walking several kilometres, resulting in lean, flavourful red meat. Their diet also includes rice cultivated in the region, enriched by pristine spring water from Mount Aso City, Kumamoto, giving the beef its distinctive character and nutritional profile.
Often referred to as the “phantom wagyu” due to its rarity, Aka-Ushi accounts for only 4% of Wagyu beef production in Japan. Praised for its delicate marbling, deep umami, and clean finish, it has earned GI certification from the Japanese government, standing alongside Kobe and Matsusaka as one of the country’s most prestigious regional products.
Beyond gastronomy, the cattle are essential to preserving Aso City, Kumamoto’s grasslands — maintaining biodiversity, preventing wildfires, and protecting a vital watershed that sustains local life. This makes Koseigyu not only a world-class culinary product but also a symbol of sustainable agriculture and cultural heritage.
Credit photo: https://www.asocity-kanko.jp/en/grasslands/
About the Umenohana Group
Founded in 1976 in Kurume City, Fukuoka Prefecture, the Umenohana Group has grown from a single restaurant to more than 280 locations across Japan. The company has built its reputation on the philosophy: “Let the moments of dining flourish” — the belief that meals are more than nourishment; they are shared experiences that create joy, connection, and lasting memories.
The group operates a wide range of restaurants, from kaiseki establishments specialising in tofu and yuba, to crab, sushi, seafood, and meat dining concepts. In 2013, Umenohana expanded internationally with the opening of Umenohana in Bangkok’s Thonglor district, bringing its dedication to authentic Japanese cuisine and hospitality to Thailand.
“Koubai,” one of the group’s most celebrated brands, has already established itself in Tokyo’s luxury dining scene with restaurants in Ginza SIX and Tokyo Solamachi®. Now, with the launch of Koubai at Dusit Central Park, Umenohana Group brings Japan’s elusive Aka-Ushi to Thailand — offering guests a rare and authentic Japanese dining experience, rooted in tradition, sustainability, and omotenashi (Japanese hospitality).
Opening Hours
Lunch: 11:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Dinner: 5:30 PM – 10:00 PM
Reservations & Contact:
- Call: +66 (0)92-636-9459
- Facebook: Koubai Bangkok
- Instagram: koubaibkk
- LINE @koubaibkk
