Checked out a bitchin Izakaya last night, Kinshiro Izakaya!!  It’s  awesome!!  The restaurant is wicked cool, set up with what look like maple trees on the inside and some badass graffiti style pictures of samurai dudes, devils, chics, and what not boozin it up on the walls.  The place is cool.  It’s got a great feel to it.  It’s too bad we are under the Alcohol ban right now cause I would have loved to have gotten drunk on Asahis and Sake here!!! You’ve got to see it for yourself, you’ll love it!!!  Atmosphere 10 for 10!!

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Kinshiro Izakaya used to be located in Rain Hill.  I had eaten there a few times a few years ago, but never knew what happened to it after it closed down.  I had guessed it fell victim to high rent in the cursed Rain Hill Complex, like so many do.  That place has seen more restaurants and shops come and go than I can count.  I remembered it cause: 1, the food was really good. In particular, the gyu tan (ox tongue).  2.  They had 69 baht beers!!! I like the pricing and it was cheap, especially for Phrom Phong.  It’s out Bang Na way now but it’s not too far if you take Onnut road or live out that way.  It only took me 12 minutes to make it back to Phrom Phom on my bike so it’s not that far (quarantine traffic).  They deliver on by Lineman and Get daily.  I just wanted to get that out of the way cause you’re gonna wanna order from this place.

Background

I met the owner of Kinshiro Izakaya nicknamed, Golf.  He’s a really nice guy who speaks fluent Thai, Japanese, and English.  His partner is from Nagasaki Japan from where many of their menu items come from and where much of their food is imported from.  The Chefs at Kinshiro Izakaya are Japanese and they cook to perfection!  This is the real deal.  I took my Japanese wife and she commented “This food, feels Japan, tastes like Japan” and she don’t say that often!! 

We eat at a lot of izakayas, my wife’s Japanese and most of them are nothing to write home about, but Kinshiro Izakaya is, definitely!!!  I know I say this a lot but this is one of the best I’ve been to in Bangkok.  It blows doors on Shakariki 432 and Nagiya.  This place is on a whole other level, easily ten times better than those places.  .  They aren’t even in the same category.  For all my drinkers out there, YES, they run several drink specials!!!!  Ask the waitress or go take a pee, they’re posted in the bathroom, lol.  It’s an Izakaya, so the menu covers a large spectrum of foods and we tried much of it, so let’s get into it!!!

soft shell crab salad

First off, had wicked soft shell crab salad.  This thing was off the chain.  The crab was huge!  Ladies, you know what I’m talking about.  It looked like Alaskan King Crab legs were in there or something. It was delicious.  Definitely a salad I would order again. 

Seared beef

I would highly recommend the seared beef as well.  This was a tasty little treat that makes you feel alive!!! It’s got a great marinade to it.  We had a grilled beef dish that was also amazing.  They use Australian wagyu, A5 and the meat melts in your mouth, superb!! 

Japanese Omelette

The tamago yaki was super light and fluffy.  This was so good we got a couple of them.  Their tsukemono was excellently prepared and super tasty. The list just goes on and on.  I’m telling ya, YOU GOTTA TRY Kinshiro Izakaya!!! 

They do a shrimp with mayonnaise thing that was really good, order that.  Let’s see, what else??  

Unagi

Oh yeah, the Unagi ( saltwater eel) was excellent, big thick eel, cooked perfect, soft and tender, excellent sauce, super SUPER GOOD.   SABA, do not miss this one!! 

Simesaba yaki

Their saba or mackerel is one of their big sellers and you gotta try it out.  IT’S BBC, Big Beautifully Cooked, super tender and moist.  You dip that in a little soy sauce with Wasabi,  OOOOH WEEEE!  Dude, it’s awesome!! One of my favorites at this place.  And I have to say, I’m not one that normally orders saba of Japanese fish cause the usually serve it with the head on and then you gotta pick around all the little bones and do all this work with master level chopstick skills to get this tiny bite of fish. It’s too much work!  I don’t want to get carpel tunnel syndrome for a smidgen of fish. Same reason I never order crab, too much God damn work!  Anyway, fear not friends, you ain’t gonna have that problem here!!  They roll this out five star style, on a wood round block, looking like sushi or something, but it’s cooked, no head, none of that mess.  TRY IT!!!  You can thank me later. 

Gyu Tan

Two more, the gyu tan (ox tongue) was easily the best I’ve had at any izakaya in town.  Now this is one of my personal favorites and I order it everywhere I go.  Always comparing gyu tan at Izakaya.  This is the best!! That’s why you gotta have Japanese chefs.  You know them boys are gonna do it up right, EVERYTIME!!  IT MUST BE PERFECT!!  And, it is.  This isn’t that over cooked thinly sliced gyu tan at all, AT ALL.  It’s, a thicker cut, tender and seasoned just the way it should be.  Falls apart in your mouth.  All I could say was, Oh Goddamn!!!  It’s that good.  I would make the drive for the gyu tan alone if that tells you anything. 

The Nagasaki Chompon

Finally, the best for last and this is what Kinshiro Izakaya are known for, The Nagasaki Chompon.  If you’ve never had it or don’t know what it is, you just gotta try it.  I said the partner is from Nagasaki, ya?  Well this is how you know.  I’m not that familiar with the dish, but my wife is and when she found out it was the same place from Rain Hill that the first thing she asked Golf, “Y’all do Nagasaki Chompon here, don’t you? “. Golf just smiled, “How did you know?” My wife said “Shiiiit, I remember it! “ And that was like two and a half, three years ago!!!  You know it’s good if you still chasing it after three years!!  It’s good.  They have two versions, soft noodles and crispy noodles, lots of veggies and a super tasty, rich broth that’s is just great!  You gotta eat it quick, right as it’s served.  It’s a Japanese thing, don’t question it, just do it!!!  You wanna eat it while the noodles are still crispy and the veggies got their crunch.  I would say order one or the other, but I won’t.  I’d say order them both, this is true Japan in a bowl. 

Conclusion

Kinshiro Izakaya is the shiznit!!!  The real deal and if you go there you will know what I’m talking about.  From the top to the bottom this is 10/10 in my book.  The atmosphere, style, cooking, food quality, presentation, chefs, the whole nine yards.   It gets my stamp of approval and passes with flying colors.  You can say a lot things about the Japanese but you can’t say they don’t pay attention to detail and when you go here, you understand exactly what I am talking about.  I just ate there and I already want to go back!

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