Y'all know that I'm quite adventurous when it comes to my foodies.

So when the Japanese manager of the "Japanese Kitchen Yoka Yoka" asked me if I cared to try shirako, I was game for it.

"What is shirako?" I asked my dining companion, who was also Japanese. He furrowed his eyebrows and claimed ignorance.

So I turned to the restaurant manager for some explanation.

The manager thought for a while and answered, "Erm... You know cod fish?"

"Yea, I've heard of it, but I've never tried it," I said.

"It's very special," he added. "Do you want to try?"

"Sure, why not," I agreed. "I am always looking for new culinary experiences heh heh~!!"


At first glance, it didn't look much (and I was actually kinda disappointed).



It came with sauce, salt and a slice of lemon; and I thought it resembled shrimp tempura.

I took my first bite, chewed and paused. So did my dining companion.



The first thing I noticed was that the texture was extremely soft and creamy, like yoghurt... way tooooo soft to be ANY kind of fish meat.

In addition, there was the taste... It wasn't like anything I'd ever tasted before... I swear it tasted a bit like CHEESE.

I decided to take a MUCH CLOSER look into this oh-so-mysterious shirako.



"Hmmmm, what KIND of fish meat is THIS~??" I asked my now also-confused dining companion.

He poked the creamy stuff inside, sniffed it and popped another small piece into his mouth.

"Hmmmm, I dunno..." he mumbled, not looking entirely happy. "It's not exactly my favorite taste, though..."

"Hey man, you're JAPANESE~!!!!" I exclaimed, exasperated. "How could you not know your own country's 'special food'~?!"

"Erm, well... I've never heard of this food before..." he replied, now looking a bit apprehensive.

Fortunately, the manager soon came to inquire our opinion about the mystifying dish.

"How is it? Do you like it?" he asked.

"It tastes like cheese~!!" I commented. "What kind of fish meat is this~??"

The manager opened his mouth. And closed it again. He looked like he was thinking very hard about what to say next.

"Erm, it's NOT fish meat..." he started.

"It's NOT fish meat~?!" my sensitive (and worried) dining companion croaked.

"What is it, then~??" I asked (in a voice that I hoped wouldn't make my companion even more hysterical).

The manager turned to my dining companion and they conversed in rapid Japanese for a while (which was completely gibberish to me).

My companion turned to me, his eyes as big and round as miso soup bowls.

"It's SPERM," he almost whispered. "Cod sperm."

"SPERM~??" I parroted... and added, "So THAT explains the taste... and the creamy texture~!! HA HA HA~~!!!!"

The two conversed in Japanese again for a while (and I could only guess and imagine what they were talking about... ooh-la-la), and then the manager left our table.

Unfortunately by this time my dining companion wasn't looking so hot.

"Oof... I'm not feeling so good," he said in a plaintive voice. "I don't think I can... or wanna eat anymore shirako..."

I was aghast.

"WHAT~?!?! But this is some expensive special stuff~!!" forcefully I protested.

"Can't you just finish it all by yourself~??" he pleaded.

"Oh, alright~!!!" I gave in, feeling quite sympathetic (I mean, it's not everyday you get to see a person who plays karate showing his vulnerable side hyuk hyuk~~!!!).

But still... I couldn't resist a last jab.

"It's your loss, dude..." I said. "I'm gonna finish all this shirako which is most probably VERRRRRY beneficial for your masculinity~~!!!"

He shot me a murderous look and ordered more beer.


For those of you who might feel discouraged about trying shirako yourselves after reading this, fear not... It was actually quite tasty (and yes, cheesy ha ha ha). A quick internet search also revealed that it's got a list of health benefits, and is even used in chocolate, cosmetics and lotions~!!! WOW~~ who woulda thunk~?!?!

By the way, after recovering from the initial shirako shock, my Japanese dining companion explained that the name shirako 白子 actually means "white children" (the first character comes from the word "shiroi" which means "white" and the second character "ko" means "child" in traditional kanji writing).

SPERM = white (potential) children, GET IT~~?!?! BWAHAHAHA... What an apt explanation~!!

P.S. So far, this is a list of some of the more (arguably) "exotic" food I've eaten - click on the links for more info:

- biawak (pictured right - NOT recommended. The one I tried was so tough and tasteless HO-HUM)
- pigeon
- kangaroo carpaccio (that's raw, by the way)
- snails (I prefer to call 'em with their French - and more sophisticated sounding - name, escargot)
- various innards, such as those found in the Thai dark soup kuatieow reeua
- 'yukhoe' (a Korean raw beef dish with raw egg on top plus herbs and various vegetables)
- bird's nest soup
- caviar
- chocolate-covered sunflower seeds
- foie gras (geese liver fattened by force-feeding) and liver spread
- 'dinuguan' (pork blood stew)
- 'natto' (fermented tofu - some K.J. people call it "stinky tofu", pictured right)
- frog legs (tastes like chicken~!!)
- shark's fin soup
- 'kung ten' (or 'dancing shrimps' - a Thai dish with live jumping shrimps)
- duck's tongue
- mentaiko (fish roe)
- chicken feet/neck, pig's ears
- jellyfish
- 'balut' - this is a fertilized duck egg, eaten whole (feathers, bones and beak, pictured right~!!) Click HERE to watch it on YouTube if you dare~!!
- manta ray (sooooo rubbery that I hurt my jaw trying to chew it SIGH~~)
- Thai worms and red ants salad (click HERE to check 'em out)

P.P.S. I'd previously reviewed this "Yoka Yoka" eatery during its opening night and gave it a measly 2-star rating (read the review HERE). But since then, "Yoka Yoka" HAS improved leaps and bounds and now I wouldn't hesitate to give it a 4-star review~!!

streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com

Thanks for firing up mah appetite~!!

sukhumvit bangkok thailand

Newly opened on July 4.

It didn't look much from the outside, but Yoka Yoka (which means "very good" in Kyushu dialect) is surprisingly spacious, chic and modern - a real departure from its homey-sounding name. Customers can choose where they want to sit: at the bar, Western style table and chairs or sunken Japanese style seating.

The menu is pretty extensive, uniquely written on the front and back covers of Japanese children story books. Unfortunately, everything is written in Japanese, so those who cannot read Japanese will just have to close their eyes and pick (or perhaps just do "eenie-meenie-mini-mo").

Offered are various kinds of bold Kyushu-style sashimi, fried dishes and desserts. If you're hungry, perhaps just go with the rice set (40 baht) which includes Japanese rice, some pickles and miso soup.

This being a Kyushu restaurant, the dishes have very strong taste, perfect for those who find typical Japanese food a bit on the bland side. Highly recommended are the tori karaage (deep fried chicken), amaebi (sweet shrimp) sashimi and for dessert - either mango pudding (soft, bouncy and fresh) or honey French toast and ice cream (rich but not too sweet).

Prices are a bit on the steep side (this ain't no ramen shop!), with medium-sized dishes (rice not included) starting from 150 baht and up.

Though Yoka Yoka doesn't disappoint in the taste department, it still has to do leaps and bounds in the service department. Perhaps tonight was the opening night... but the service was extremely slow, the staff unreactive and didn't know the menu well. PLUS the soy sauce container is defective - it will unavoidingly drip soy sauce all over the place everytime you try to pour some.

* NOTE to management: replace soy sauce container!

This being the first opening night for Yoka Yoka, unsurprisingly there are still a few kinks to be ironed out. I'm willing to give it another chance, but for now, it just has to settle with two stars because frankly, with these kinds of prices and posh surroundings, people are bound to expect MORE.

streetsmartsukhumvit@gmail.com

sukhumvit
bangkok
thailand