Izakaya BAKU is the only Japanese-style Yakiniku restaurant in Pattaya

Quality and Taste We Pursue

Since it is difficult to find Japanese ingredients in Thailand, looking for the best suppliers is one of our most important missions.

WHY JAPANESE FOOD?

The Reason of being Ranked No.1 for Average Life Expectancy

Japan has been ranked for the longest average life expectancy for a long time, of which the average of women and men at age 84. On the other hand, the average life expectancy of people in Thailand are at age 75, ranked at 68th. Where does this gap come from? Although there are remarkable differences in the climate and culture, both Thailand and Japan are known for rice-based diet. Compared to the diet of Western culture, Thai diet can get quite close to that of the Japanese. We can mimic some of what is said to be good about Japanese cuisine to live longer.

◆Japanese Food – the view from the World

Japanese food has acquired “healthy” image throughout the world, as well as being reviewed as one of the tasty food for everyone. Up to date, there are assumed to be more than 30,000 Japanese restaurants in the world, including the famous Sushi and Temprura, Chicken and Salmon Teriyaki, Teppanyaki, Yakitori, Udon, Soba, Shabu-shabu, Yakiniku (BBQ), Ramen, Curry (with Rice), in addition to the Fusion style with the Western cuisine (i.e. Japanese style pasta, pizza, Omelet with Rice etc.) These dishes are made with a variety of different ingredients and cooking methods. The wake of the global boom of Japanese cuisine is said to be caused by the health-conscious Americans, when a number of celebrities were seen at classy Japanese restaurants, it made people to think of Japanese food as stylish and healthy. Everyone thought of Japanese food as something rare and special, something difficult to eat before, but now, it has been popularized that they can easily have it in their everyday life.

The Japanese food began to be recognized as a healthy diet by the Guidance of the Diet Improvement released by the US government in 1977. They have initiated the citizens to reduce fat and cholesterol intake, as well as promoting them to take a good amount of protein and carbohydrates, in order to reduce the medical cost in their budget. Since this diet was already practiced by the Japanese-American families, Japanese cuisine has captured a close attention.

Japanese people originally made a living based on farming, so taking most of their nutrients from rice. In addition, the periphery of the country is surrounded by the sea, and the people were used to taking the protein right from the sea. Tofu, Natto, and Miso are all from soy beans, and they are made by fermentation is another reason the Japanese people has a longer life expectancy rate. Moreover, the basic menu of the Japanese food is called “Ichi-ju-san-sai”(meaning: one soup and three dishes), which consists of one soup mostly using Miso and three other dishes, normally grilled fish with 2 other dishes using vegetables, which was a very well balanced diet with the source of carbohydrates, protein, and dietary fiber, as well as filling the empty stomach. So it is quite obvious now that the dishes like pasta and steaks as the main course with the side of potatoes or beans do not have enough nutrients to cover all the requirements for healthy living. Japanese people do eat meat, however, a lot of times the dish is made with a variety of other ingredients such as the vegetables and mushroom, making the absorption of such “animal protein” slower than that of the steaks.

Japanese diet has changed dramatically after the World War II. With the Western culture of wheat and meat coming in, the diet of Japanese people have changed from eating fish, vegetables, and tofu with rice, to taking more and more bread, pasta, and beef. This change has increased the intake of animal protein and lipids, resulting in higher cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, arteriosclerosis, and therefore ends up having so called lifestyle diseases such as cancer, stroke, heart-related disease, and diabetes. Since these diseases were originally associated with the Westerners, the importance of Japanese diet was once again recognized by the world.

Japanese food is known to have a lot of dietary fiber. This is derived from the fact that the people lived on agriculture, basing their diet on vegetables and seaweeds. Dietary fibers do not have calories that will give energy, but are found to work in terms of de-tox in a way that the fibers stimulate the movement in the small and large intestine. In Western cuisine where it is said to be fiber-deficient, increased tendency of having higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, higher blood pressure, constipation, obesity, all of which are said to be the cause of heart disease, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, gallstones, and colon cancer etc. There are studies that prove the dietary fiber can give a substantial effect in the prevention and treatment of such diseases. The food that contains high amount of dietary fiber are brown rice, whole rice, wheat, beans, seaweed and some of the potatoes, all of which are what Japanese people used to eat from the ancient times.

◆Japanese Food – The Healthy Points

・ To eat rice as principle diet. If the rice is cooked with the brown rice and whole rice, it would be more nutrient as they contain high amount of dietary fiber and vitamin B. You don’t need to eat a lot of rice, the better way is to have more side dishes in order to supply the nutrients in need.

・ The dishes shall be made with food “in season” and made in the local area. The oil used to cook shall be minimized so that you can take the lipid amount you are required to, but the amount shall noTo base your menu based on vegetables, seaweed, and other ingredients from the plants. The proteins shall be taken from the soybean or fish (both of these are said to be very good protein source).

What is important here is that if you have rice as the main diet, you do not have to have luxurious ingredient to fulfill your nutritious needs. There is no need to use the ingredients made in Japan. The importance is that you use what is local, which should be reasonably available and fresh, making your meal nutritious as well as delicious.

Well, this is not easy to make Japanese food in Thailand if you are not accustomed to the culture. We will not introduce how to become and stay healthy with eating Thai food or Western food in our everyday lives.

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What to eat if you are at a Thai Restaurant

Thai Cuisine is known for the cooking style with a lot of spice and herbs, which is being highly valued in the world as delicious and healthy food. It is nice that the main course dishes with meat or fish use a lot of vegetables, making them healthier than the Western cuisine. However, the amount of oil and sugar used is often times a lot higher than the Japanese cuisine. Fat (Oil) and sugar are what make food delicious, and they are essential nutrients, but too much is never good. By changing the regular oil from Canola or Corn oil to Olive oil or Coconut oil that are high in oleic acid, the body can burn more energy to increase your metabolism.

◆Thai Healthy Menu

・Khao Yam
Developed in the homes of Southern Thailand, “Khao Yam” (Rice salad with herbs) is made with rice and fresh vegetables. It is colorful and beautiful dish with rice in the middle of the plate, surrounded by winged beans, sprouts, bai-makrut (leaves of kaffir limes), pomelo, dried shrimps, and green beans. You can enjoy different kinds of tastes; lemon grass and bai-makrut flavor and texture, dried shrimp will give great taste, sweet and slightly sour pomelo, and the sauce made with nahm boodoo (fermented fish sauce) from Southern Thailand.

・Som Tam

Worldly known Thai specialty salad mostly made with green papaya. Originally from Esan (Northeastern Thailand), Som Tam has expanded widely and its ingredients and cooking style now vary depending on the area. Som Tam Thai, sometimes called Bangkok-style Som Tam is relatively mild compared to the Esan Som Tam, and is easier for the beginners to try. The basic Som Tam Thai is made with stripped green papaya, dried shrimps, peanuts, tomatoes, carrots, green beans, mixed together with the dressing made of nam pla, coconut sugar, lime, and garlic. The spice will stand out in the sweetness and sourness, and Som Tam will go perfectly well with other Esan dishes such as Gai Yang (grilled chicken), Ko Mu Yang (Grilled pork), and sticky rice. Not to say the least, these are also great with Thai beers.

・Larb

This is another specialty from Esan, a salad with ground pork or chicken, mixed with dressing using a lot of herbs, nam pla, and lime. You can enjoy a very fresh taste as the mint and coriander will remove the smell of meat, and the hint of chilies will give the spice in your mouth to enjoy the salad. Pork includes high amount of vitamin B1 which is said to help digesting and utilizing the sugar in the body, so if you have a sugar tooth or love alcoholic drinks, you should be up for Larb salad to replenish your needs. The best thing is the vitamin B1 in the pork does not get broken apart easily by cooking or adding of heat like other vitamins.

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What to eat if you are at a Western restaurant

You can enjoy authentic and delicious Western food in certain areas of Thailand, i.e. Bangkok, Pattaya, and Chiang mai. However, what we worry about is the calories when we have the Western food as they are always served with a lot of oil and fat. Even if we do not have a lot of these dishes and do not really fulfill our stomach, the calories will add up so high that the excess calories will turn into fat and stored in our body. This stored fat is what is causing the obesity and other related diseases in the Western countries, so we should really watch out. What we should do in terms of selection is to try ordering a fillet instead of sirloin for the steaks, or choose tomato based sauce to go with your pasta instead of creamy and buttery sauce such as Carbonara. In addition, you might order a salad in the course or as a side, but you will need to watch out for the dressing as the Caesar and Southern island dressings are very high in calories and fat. You might want to stick with the ones using balsamic vinegar and olive oils as they are much better for your body.

◆Taking the veggies

If we keep on eating the Western cuisine, we often end up not having enough vegetables. What is now popular starting with the celebrities in New York and now all over the world is something called the “Cold Pressed Juice.” Instead of using the conventional juicers, this cold pressed juice is made with the slow juicer so that all the enzymes and nutrients are kept as fresh as they are in the juice.

Before the "Slow Juicers" came into market, juicers are defined as machines to rapidly chop and stir fruits and vegetables. These juicers of course run in a high speed, so to minimize the time it takes to make the juice, but due to their high speed, they tend to damage the vegetables and fruits as well as their good nutrient source and enzymes.

In addition, the fruits and vegetables juice made with these high speed juicers are easily oxidized and separated. Slow juicers work like a stone mill, as to minimize the unnecessary pressure on the ingredients. Therefore, the goodies in the fruits and vegetables that are not available in the juice made with high-speed juicers are all in the Cold-Pressed Juice! It's perfect for anyone who wish to stay or become more healthy and beautiful.

※You can enjoy cold pressed juice at the café in Pattaya called “Konekonooshiri”

So, if you are at a restaurant up for some Italian food or other Western food, what should you choose? Here is a list of good food with good protein but the calories stay low.

◆Western Healthy Menu

・Minestrone Soup
If you are up for some soup to start, do not pick Vichyssoise as it has potatoes and cream, which will boost up the calories intake right away. On the other hand, Minestrone with a lot of vegetables can give you vitamins and other nutrients all in the soup. The cooked vegetables are lower in volume so it is a very efficient way to take the nutrients you need. Of course, it will be filling and satisfactory as well since the leafy vegetables, carrots, bacons, and other ingredients with different texture and flavor are all there.

・Fish as the Main Course
By selecting fish, especially the ones with blue back such as mackerel or sardine as your main course instead of the meat, you will not only enjoy your meal but also can take the essential fatty acid such as Omega-3, which will maintain and improve the conditions of your skin and bones, lower the serum LDL Cholesterol level, and maintain the health of your brain (to prevent from risks of Alzheimer’s disease and depression etc.). The sauce shall be made with vegetables rather than the butterly creamy kind, to keep the calories and fat low. On the other hand, gnome fish, bonito, and red bream are high in calories and contain less of the good nutrients as mentioned above.

・Caprese
By now everyone thinks Cheese＝high calories, amongst all, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and parmesan cheese are indeed high in calories. On the other hand, there are some cheese known to be lower in calories such as cottage cheese and mozzarella. Caprese is a very good salad in that the tomatoes have a lot of lycopene which is an antioxidant, olive oil as a good fat source, and mozzarella as the protein source. Of course, basils will give the fresh and tasty flavor to forget the calories and enjoy your dish. Cottage cheese is also used in many of the Greek salads and they are also very good in taste and for your health.

So what did you think? This is just an idea and you know you can always take it easy. Just by changing one dish per day, or just a change of your mind can give a lot in your diet.

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Authentic Japanese Cuisine at “Izakaya BAKU” in Pattaya, Thailand

Izakaya BAKU provides dishes that have been served in Japan for a long time, by closely looking at each of them in details to do the best possible. Our Yakiniku (BBQ) is done by charcoal and lava plate, so we can get rid of the excess oil but keeping them juicy at the same time. As for our A La Carte menu, we study carefully from inspecting the material itself to thinking about how to keep the nutrients and texture of the material, which broth to use and how to take that broth, and to considering the time it takes to balance the flavor and texture, etc. Taking each step to its best, we always strive for the best dish for our customers.

But you might wonder, isn’t Yakiniku very high in calories? What if I cannot eat meat? What can I eat there? Do not worry. We have all kinds of different dishes you could try. Here we introduce some of the healthy ones.

◆Healthy Menu at Izakaya BAKU

・Simmered Beef Giblets
This is one of our signature dishes at BAKU. The innards we use are from the beef, which has higher amount of vitamins and iron. The giblets not only have the vitamins, but also minerals and essential amino acid, and collagen. The amino acids are very important for your skin and hair to keep the moisture in them. Yes, it is important that you take care of them with cream, serum, and all other good things, but it is also very important to take care of them from our inside. Moreover, one of the effects of amino acid is to improve the blood flow, which will increase the body temperature and the efficiency of the energy production in the body will improve. So in all, the body has a higher metabolism to burn the fat off. Not only that, the giblets is soft, but is chewy. This chewiness promotes more chewing of course, which will facilitate the neural activities in the blood. Another benefit of this stew is that giblets are lower in calories than other parts of the beef. Our stew contains the beef giblets, carrots, radish, tofu, green onions, so that you can take the nutrients from these vegetables as well. It is gently simmered for a long time, so everything is put together to get this great taste. It is really not as scary as you think; we hope you will give it a try!

・Liver Sashimi
Liver is full of goodies for the skin; it contains vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, Iron, folic acid, and niacin. The iron and folic acid help your body make the blood. The amount of vitamin A, B1, B2 required for an adult per day can be obtained by only 50g of liver meat, so it is more efficient than taking doses of multivitamins or dietary supplements. This is especially important when you are on a diet as you will be easily deficient of the nutrients, to prevent from getting dizzy and fainting. The vitamin B1 in the liver is said to contain ten times more than the carrot, which will help strengthening the skin and mucous membrane to protect from viral and bacterial infections, and will also work for eyestrains. Liver sashimi overall is said to heal the rough skin and pimples by promoting the turnover of the skin, so it is perfect for those of you aiming for the brighter and whiter skin.

・Tuna Sashimi with Yam
Tuna has protein, vitamin B1, B2, E, and iron. Above all, the protein in tuna has very well balanced combinations of the amino acid, and also contains taurine, which helps with digestion in the liver and facilitate the metabolism. So overall, it can help you recover when you are lacking energy, can give you stamina, and antioxidant effect. Vitamin E has another name as “Rejuvenation Vitamin”, which will help as the antioxidant. In addition, the sticky slimy ingredient in the Yam called mucin can help with the digestion and absorption of such good nutrients from tuna into the body. In a study conducted at Kanagawa University of Human Services in 2013 showed that the subjects having the tuna sashimi with yam over rice had their blood glucose level after meal significantly lower than those having regular rice. This tuna with yam dish has been in Japan for a long time, and now we come to realize that there is a science behind the reason why it has been around for such a long time.

・Sliced Onion Salad with Fresh Egg
In Japan, onions are known to act as “blood thinner” for its immediate effect in facilitating the blood flow. It is very popular to eat them fresh since you can take the whole the nutrients that way. The component called Quercetin is a strong antioxidant, which will lower the LDL cholesterol, promotes the circulation of blood as well as facilitating the fat burn. Another component called Allyl sulfide, which is causing you to cry when you chop the onions. This “unclogs” the blood to facilitate the circulation, and also promotes the absorption of Vitamin B1, which is known to help metabolizing the sugar in the body. If you are a health-conscious person who wants to prevent from getting metabolic syndrome, this is a must try. Our salad is made with our homemade dressing with a fresh egg and dried bonito flakes, which will stimulate your appetite. The bonito flakes are low in calories and have good protein to activate the function of collagen. Not only is it good in taste, but also works great for your body.

There are many more dishes that of course will go with your drinks, as well as meeting your healthy needs. Because we are busy, and because the food makes who we are, we should really look into what we eat every day to keep having a good time, a good life. We hope to serve you by providing great drinks and food so you can have the time of your life with the people you care about the most.