Chef Mell cut his teeth at Nobu Hong Kong so it's safe to say he knows a thing or two about Japanese food. Along with Korean chef Kong Soo Do, who most recently helmed Alvin Leung's Bib n Hops, the duo aims to offer diners a classic izakaya experience with a contemporary twist.
The restaurant's nightclub vibe is in full swing with live music starting at 8pm every night providing the venue with yet another nice intrigue.
Our dinner at Silencio started off with some complimentary snacks in the form of fresh edamame.
Pablo ($180) - First to arrive was hamachi sashimi with the promised contemporary twist.
The hamachi sashimi, cured with coffee powder and sancho, was beautifully plated with watercress purée, pickled shallots and edible flowers while the wasabi yogurt, chive oil and fresh pomelo pulled off a sublime finish. A very well-executed dish and easily the best one of the night.
French ($180) - Akamutsu (rosy seabass) sushi sprinkled with shaved foie gras torchon was next. With Akamutsu's rich fat content, I thought it would mesh well with the richness of the foie gras torchon but I was totally wrong. The fact is, it works much better with some subtle acidity with yuzu quickly coming to mind.
Onsen Egg Salad ($130) - A Caesar-style salad with house-smoked salmon roes, crisp baby gem lettuce, onsen egg and crispy nori tossed in a creamy yuzu dressing. Not bad.
Yakisoba ($180) - A couple of noodles for my little nugget. First to come was fried Japanese soba with smoked duck breast, crispy shallots and coriander. This had way too seasoning (mostly salt) in it. Not a good start for my boy.
Carbonara Udon ($190) - Many chefs have tackled this combination before. Frankly, I always enjoy a fusion twist on my carbonara and this time, it was a Japanese spin with ham made with wagyu, udon noodles and bonito flakes. Pretty yummy~
Here comes our sushi rolls.....
Fifty Shades of Tuna ($250) - The shades of tuna included otoro, chu toro and akami. I started with akami first.
Followed by the chutoro roll. So nice to enjoy the best of both worlds as chutoro is the perfect blend of otoro and akami. Very meaty, fatty and melt-in-the-mouth.
Saving the best for last. The otoro, fattiest part of the tuna was rich-flavored with a similar melt-in-the-mouth texture.
California Yoga ($100) - This looked like a California roll at first glance but the crab meat was replaced by cream cheese in the middle.
I was pleasantly surprised with the way the cream cheese, avocado and pickles all worked together. The spongy, marshmallow-like texture of the cream cheese proved to be a nice match with the sushi rice, creamy avocado and crunchy pickles while the extra cheesiness added another dimension to the sushi roll. Very interesting.
There were some nice surprises tonight (Pablo, California Yoga) but unfortunately, not enough of them to make this journey a memorable one. Pablo was a wonderful start to the meal but you could sense things were about to regress as soon as they ran out of surprises.
Food Rating: 5.5/10
Price: $$$
Address: 6/F, LKF Tower, 33 Wyndham Street, Lan Kwai Fong, Central, Hong Kong
Closest Metro Station: Central
Tel: +852 2480-6569
Website: www.silencio.hk
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