Shakariki 432 on 2nd Road

[Evil Penevil]

Shakariki 432 is a relatively new Japanese restaurant on 2nd Road, about 100 meters north of the intersection with Pattaya Tai.  It's an izakaya, which in Japan ia an informal "drinking restaurant"  where food accompanies the booze.  It's a bit like a  tapas bar, except the food is more substantial than snacks or finger-food.  The customers at Japanese izakaya generally start out with lighter dishes and progress to more substantial fare.

 

 

There  are different kinds of izakaya in Japan (the word translates as "sit-down sake shop") and Skakariki 432 is billed as Osaka style.  The cuisine of Osaka is noted for dishesmade from wheat flour (savory pancakes, grilled filled dumplings, thick noodles, etc.) ; skewers of grilled meat; and beef dishes.

 

 

Sharariki  432 is a chain restaurant with branches in  Japan, Bangkok and now Pattaya.  It's clear from the signage, mostly in Japanese and Thai, that it's making a play for Asian visitors and residents of Pattaya.  I doubt the izakaya concept will catch on with a significant number of  plain-vanilla farang.  The ones who do eat there will be looking for a casual Japanese meal and not the full izakaya experience  What will bring me back is the huge menu, which features some dishes not available at other Japanese restaurants in Pattaya. And you can't help but like a restaurant that thanks you for "your coming."

 

 

I started out with a mug of draft Asahi (95 baht) and seaweed salad (60 baht).  It wasn't an original choice, but chuka wakame has always been a favorite of mine.

 

 

 

I followed that up with sunomono moriawase (mixed seafood salad) at 150 baht.  Again, not an original choice, but I really enjoy the vinegary taste of the seafood. and it's a standard starter for me in Japanese restaurants.

 

 

I then had oumi gyu tataki, or seared Omi beef on a bed of raw onions, with sliced garlic, chopped scallions and fish roe as accents and a dish of ponzu (soy sauce ad citrus vinegar) for dipping..  

 

 

The very rare, almost raw, slices of sirloin were exremely tender and had a delicate but distinct beef flavor.

 

 

This in't the right post to get into all the intricacies, but Omi is third -ranking type of Japanese beef, trailing Kobe and Matsuzaka.. The beef I had wasn't top-grade (A5) by Japanese standards, but it was cetainly high-grade.  The best grade of wagyu (Japanese beef) would be wasted in a seared dish.

 

 

I then had a bowl of kasu udon to round off the meal.  It was a generous portion of soft, thick wheat noodles in a beef broth with vegetables and what the menu called beef innards- offal or organ meat, including small pieces of cow intestine.  It was delicious.  The cost was 200 baht..

 

 

 

Tax of  7% and a service charge of 5% was added to the bill. It wasn't a cheap meal, but a reasonable price in terms of the quality.  Bottom line:  I'll be back to try some of the Osaka-specific specialities.

 

Some interior shots:

 

 

 

 

Evil

[Beerburgerbonk]

Good spot & great review.

 

Thanks

[Aussie Rat]

Love it, gonna try this one. Beer and food, what else is there in Pattaya

[vimto66]

Love it, gonna try this one. Beer and food, what else is there in Pattaya

Err shops....

[Evil Penevil]

Err shops....

 

and temples!

 

Evil

[Evil Penevil]

Last night I ate again at Shakariki 432, this time with a farang friend. We were there at 8 p.m. and the restaurant was fairly busy, with 10 other customers besides the two of us. We were the only farang, the others were Japanese or Thai.

I had okonomiyaki, a savory, filled pancake that is a specialty of Osaka . Many times Westerners only think of Japanese cuisine in terms of sushi and maybe tempura, but of course there's vastly more that's worth trying.

 

The cross-hatch topping is Japanese mayonnaise, which has a softer, lighter taste than its U.S. equivalent but is largely appreciated by Japanese diners for its silky "mouth feel."

 

 

Despite its substantial appearance, the okonomiyaki wasn't heavy Identifying the individual items that had been folded into the batter was difficult, it seemed to be mostly vegetables.

 

 

I then had a bowl of finely chopped raw tuna and scallions over rice. Fresh and subtly seasoned, it was nevertheless a filling dish thanks to the rice.

 

 

 

My friend had the "tomato salad," was in fact three nicely sliced tomatoes. Presentation is important part of Japanese cuisine I tasted a slice of the tomato.

 


It was OK, but should have had more flavor to be able to stand alone in that fashion. It's odd that in a wet, tropical country with plenty of sun, tomatos grown in Thailand are so insipid.

 

He then had the shrimp tempura over rice, which he thought was excellent. Another good meal at Shakariki 432 and I'll be back for more.

 

Evil

[bobbyling]

i went there today and wow, great food, little bid expencive, but i will go again.

[San Thailand]

Always appreciated your excellent reviews of food and restaurants .......Thanks for taking time and posting .....The contributions such as your do help many a non regular visitor with good tips and places on food in Pattaya ...

 

Thanks and Keep up the good work .....