As with other modern-style Japanese restaurants that opened around the same time, the design here is a departure from the usual blond wood and intimate cubicles. Instead, the black steel frame bay windows of this renovated shophouse open onto Soi Saladaeng. While Seiryu Sushi is definitely drawing in customers with its raw cement and edgy furniture, it’s also betting on its fresh and affordable fish for staying power—and the paucity of sushi options on Silom’s Sathorn side, particularly places with a bit of style. The straightforward fusion maki and sushi menu lists basics that start from as cheap as B30 for pla too (local mackerel) and B35 for pla muek gluay (“splendid” squid). It also includes many sets, such as the premium sushi set B (B1,350): foie gras, Matsusaka beef, uni (eel), chu-toro (regular tuna) and o-toro (fatty tuna). We’d say the Matsusaka was overcooked on our last visit but, overall, this is excellent value for money
. Typical maki dishes are a good deal, too, like salmon roll (salmon, avocado and mayo, B250), dragon roll (Japanese cucumber, and eel, B300) and rainbow roll (salmon, tuna, and avocado, B250). We’re less impressed with their fusion options: the tempura roll (B200), for example, could be crunchier; it also smelled and tasted of cooking oil. Otherwise you’ve got your salads, which are a tad sweet (blame Bangkokian palates); a shame since the ingredients are beautifully fresh. But whether it’s the Seriyu salad (B320), with thick, melt-in-your-mouth pieces of Norway salmon or the unagi don (grilled eel with rice, B480), the produce is always top-notch. Finally, they claim their green tea ice-cream is homemade, and it is indeed lovely (B75 with sweet red bean paste). Wash it all down with green tea (B30), Sapporo beer (B170 for a bottle), sake (B350-B1,300), umeshu (B120) or the recommended jelly sake (B400 for 150ml). Seiryu Sushi isn’t one of the best sushi bars in town but it is solid, swanky and pretty affordable, meaning it can actually be a welcome option when you’ve had it with the old–school haunts of Soi Thaniya. No corkage charge.
