COCONUTS HOTSPOT — Decades of occupation by the United States left Okinawans with an odd taste for Spam, the canned pork product. In fact, love of Spam is really what separates Okinawa from mainland Japan. So be warned: At Nirai Kanai, any time you see pork on the menu, you should be aware that it will probably be Spam. And that’s not a bad thing.
Ever heard of a sikuwasa?
Although one can always count on surprises within the pages of Japanese menus, Nirai Kanai’s menu isn’t only Japanese or quirky, it’s focused on cuisine from the Ryukyu Islands, the largest of which is the well-known Okinawa. It’s on these islands where the sikuwasa is found, a lemon-like fruit often utilized in the local cuisine. Order a Sikuwasa beer to try an interesting mixture of draft Asahi and tart sikuwasa (THB135) juice reminiscent of a shandy.
Few flavors are bold enough to match up to a mouth-puckering brew except that of extremely rare beef sushi (THB280) or fermented tofu (THB80), and if those aren’t strange enough, how about “pork” nigiri rolls(THB220)?
The novelty doesn’t end at esoteric flavors, however. Order up some fresh mackerel (THB280)and watch the waitress wield a blowtorch and sear the pieces of fish at the table. For an unctuous mess of pork fat, give the rafute(THB250) a try. It’s a gluttonous slab of pork belly done in a sweet sake and soy sauce.
Suki, popular in our kingdom, makes an appearance on the menu with a choice of tofu, seafood or meat assortments ready to be boiled at the table. Okinawan food has an element of showiness to it, and the waitresses clad in brightly colored kimonos amid the minimalist, wooden aesthetic all back up the attention grabbing menu.
Photos: Richard Marks
Nirai Kanai
138/1 Thong Lor Soi 11
