Surely the ultimate sign of being ‘part’ of Pattaya is
when they name the street after you. That is the case with the Yamato
Japanese restaurant, situated in Soi Yamato, where it has been for the last
30 years. That really is quite an achievement in Pattaya where many
restaurants close before they have the scheduled ‘grand opening’.
These days, Soi Yamato (off Second Road, opposite The
Avenue shopping center) is one of Pattaya’s more interesting streets, one
way towards Beach Road, with a mixture of restaurants, bars, beauty salons,
massage parlors, guest houses and speeding motorcycles with food transport
hot-boxes on behind. Be careful when walking!
Yamato restaurant is around 30 meters from the Beach Road
end of the soi, on the right hand side. Just look for the Japanese
characters on the blinds outside. You cannot miss it.
Inside, the restaurant would be best described as ‘cozy’,
with low ceilings (Japanese are not too tall), a bar along one wall, a
couple of private alcoves/booths, some Japanese memorabilia on the walls
with a sign for free Wi-Fi, and the ever-smiling Ratana, the owner who has
also been there for 30 years, though she probably does not wish to remember
that.
While perusing the very large menu, we ordered the
Japanese Asahi beer (now brewed in Thailand, I believe) very pleasant and at
five percent alcohol not over the top, especially compared to the sake we
had later in the evening! Beers are B. 120 for large bottles, while the
Shochu Japanese liquor is B. 150-185.
The first half of the menu has English, Japanese, Thai
and some Russian translations, and begins with some raw fish dishes, with
the Sashimi combo (B. 450) top of the list, but with most others only B.
150-250.
Nigiri Sushi items are next (mainly B.80-160), Sushi
rolls and various vinegar dishes (around B. 100) and then Salads (B. 95),
Grills (B. 120-150). Deep fried fish, chicken, shrimp or pork is available
at B. 120-185. In typical Japanese manner there are many ‘sets’ all around
B. 285, and then Noodles (150-195).
The second half of the menu is a photographic one, which
is an excellent idea, particularly if you are not sure of some of the items.
Yamato does cover itself with the notice, “Sometimes the food can look
different - depends on the chef, market or season.”
The placemat has diagrams on how to hold and use
chopsticks, and interestingly, Ratana told us that Japanese youth has
forgotten their traditional eating utensils!
We began with a wonderful ‘boat’ with a sashimi combo
with octopus, crab sticks, tuna, salmon, squid and fermented mackerel, with
another dish being potato salad with vegetables.
These were followed by many others including sliced beef
in vinegar, potato croquettes and Yakitori … and hot sake! Beware!
We had been invited to join a group of five, which meant
that we had an opportunity to sample many different dishes, and we were most
impressed. Vegetables were crispy fresh, the sauces were also fresh and the
different tastes were obvious. My favorite sauce was the vinegar with sesame
oil, sweet and yet sharp. The presentation of the food was superb and the
sashimi combo was very artistic, with a wasabi ‘tower’ at the bow of the
‘boat’ containing the raw fish.
We all had different tastes and this was reflected in the
choice of the dish of the evening. There was no consensus for one dish,
other than the fact they were all enjoyable! My pick was the Yakitori
Chicken Teriyaki closely followed by the sliced beef with vinegar (this is a
new item and not yet on the menu, so you may have to ask for it).
We remain very impressed with the Yamato Japanese
restaurant, and even if you are a little wary of Japanese cuisine, the
multi-page menu will definitely have something for everyone. It is not
overly expensive, and we considered it very good value. Very highly
recommended.
Yamato Japanese restaurant, 219/51 Soi Yamato (13/1),
close to Beach Road, telephone 038 429 685 or 038 421 618. Open 11 a.m. to 2
p.m. for lunch and 5 p.m. to 10.30 p.m. for dinner. On street parking.
