COCONUTS CRITIC’S TABLE – Located in a shophouse on Soi Ari 2, Ari’s newest Japanese restaurant is familiarly minimalist, with bare cement walls and straw-colored wooden tabletops.
This aesthetic certainly justifies the latter half of Sousaku’s Engrish motto: “THE COMBINATION AND SIMPLICITY,” which is, for a sushi restaurant, just fine with me.
When I went on Valentine’s Day, Sousaku was filled with Thai couples who had apparently missed the memo that romantic dinners should involve mood lighting, not blemish-revealing light bulbs.
But I was there for dinner, not to play footsies with my editor, who was accompanying me on my review. We took up position at the end of the bar, from which vantage we could observe as the sushi chefs sliced, rolled, patted and occasionally blowtorched orders behind the counter.
While contemplating what to eat over bottles of Singha and Asahi beer (both THB80), miso soup and a small platter of edamame were brought out to us on the house. (An aside: I’m a sucker for things given from the house to all customers, even snacks as inconsequential as the ones proffered at Sousaku).
Sousaku’s 20-page-plus menu will keep you reaching for your beer and edamame while you pick out your order. Roughly the dimensions of a postcard and formed of stapled computer paper, it was clearly a work-in-progress. While menu items were written in English and Romanized Japanese, descriptions, when there were any, were only in Thai. Some menu item prices were also crossed out and rewritten with a pen.
After rifling through the menu a few times, my dining companion suggested that we go ahead and pick a few items to begin with.
First up was the salmon skin roll with wasabi sauce (THB260). Each of the six inside-out rolls was flecked with orange smelt roe and topped with mashed up salmon skin and diced scallions. Hidden at the core was even more skin along with fresh salmon. After we’d dispatched with these rolls I immediately wanted to order another round.
The gunkan uni (THB370) made me similarly wistful. The vibrant orange sea urchin, served atop a dollop of rice and contained within a dry wrapper of seaweed, melted in my mouth. It certainly numbered among my top uni experiences. Keep in mind, however, that top grade seafood comes at a price: At THB370 per piece, it’s worth considering how much you want to spend on your uni and how full you want to be before ordering.
The toro salmon sashimi (THB220) came rolled into three separate pieces. At only THB50 more than the standard salmon, the buttery fish proved quite a deal.
To finish off our meal we ordered two sets: the Sashimi Set A (THB410) and the Sousaku meat lovers’ set (THB449). The former came cradled in an attractive boat and nestled amidst decorative flowers, but I was disappointed to see that amongst the salmon and tuna (three pieces each), were five neon-orange sticks of imitation crab. “So that’s what kani is,” I thought. Even if you don’t mind or (shudder) actually like imitation crab, know that it – like other tube meats you can buy at 7-11 – costs nothing to make. Hence, this set is not as much of a deal as Sousaku would like you to believe.
The meat lovers’ set was better and the preparation method was novel too. Four pieces of blowtorched Thai striploin sushi opened the set. The meat was drizzled with a sweet soy sauce and a small mound of mashed-up wasabi stem. A clear measure of restraint was used with these additions. Instead of overpowering the flavor of the gleaming meat, they added a sweet and spicy kick. The second half of the set, three long pieces of bacon wrapped with a thin belt of nori and rice, came soon after. These were delicious, to be sure, but if you buy this set, but sure to eat it quickly: by the time I put the bacon to my mouth it had cooled considerably.
Sousaku hasn’t revolutionized the Bangkok sushi scene, but it offers a wide selection of sushi at mostly reasonable prices, in an area without many competitors. Some dishes, like the salmon skin roll with wasabi sauce, are exceptional and worth ordering. Others, like the gunkan uni, are exceptional and will quickly burn a hole in your wallet. If you’re nearby and know exactly what you crave, then Sousaku is worth a visit. If you’re not in Ari and are an indecisive eater, there are places that offer a similar quality and breadth of fish at more reasonable prices.
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Coconut’s Critic’s Table reviews are written based on unannounced visits by our writers and paid for by Coconuts Bangkok.
James Yu is a freelance writer and editor. You can follow him on instagram @jamcyu and tumblr.
