When it comes to sushi spots in Anchorage, option paralysis comes easily. Choosing where to go just got a little tougher.

Today was the grand opening of Asian fusion restaurant Silk (there was a soft opening a week ago to iron out some of the kinks ahead of time).

Located on Benson Boulevard in the old Peking Palace location, this is a new venture by the Kim family, long-time movers and shakers in the local dining scene. Song Kim had a sandwich shop called Sub Station on Minnesota Avenue in 1985 before the family eventually opened Sushi Garden and the Korean restaurant VIP, both of which have since been sold. They also own Dish, which son Clyde Kim manages, a role he also fills at Silk.

He was quick to stress each of his relatives’ roles when I talked to him, crediting his mom Song with the ideas and his father for the foundation. His sister Cha Kim, a graduate from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York, designed Silk’s sleek and modern interior.

Clyde said the sushi menu has been the most popular so far among diners, but the rest of the options cover a wide range of Asian culinary destinations, traveling from Thailand to China to Japan to Korea before landing back in America. Clyde also told me that there’s a different head chef for each type of cuisine.

I got there a little after 11 a.m. and ordered the salmon teriyaki bento box ($18), which included tempura, four California rolls, gyoza and rice – it was almost too much food for just me. By the time I left about an hour later, a steady stream of patrons started pouring into the restaurant.

Clyde told me that the next move for the Kim family is an Asian fusion buffet in East Anchorage. The new place will be called Kogi, which he said will open in April and will host occasional live poetry events.

Silk
Where: 500 E. Benson Blvd., Suite 114
Lunch: 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday-Friday
Dinner: 3-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 3-11 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Phone: 274-5236