SILK

55 Front Street

Restaurateur Claudio Vigilante should be commended for going Thai when he decided to add yet another restaurant to the empire he and his business partners have so successfully built.

It is after all a type of cuisine that everyone here was clamouring for. How many times have you heard someone say they wished there was a proper Thai restaurant in town rather than one or two (that Hack won't name) that seem to have thrown a couple of 'Thai-style' dishes at the foot of the menu almost as an afterthought?

About five months ago ? and after heavy renovations of a space the group formerly ran as a deli/express lunch spot ? Mr. Vigilante opened SILK.

It joins Chancery Lane's Fresco's and Aqua at the swish Ariel Sands cottage colony ? but we fear SILK won't be the jewel in the crown. Of course, it looks like a jewel. Credit where credit is due: SILK gets the highest marks for d?cor and ambience (5 out of 5).

As one article, written at the time of its opening, read: "The new space has been transformed into a hip, dark wood restaurant that has a decidedly urban flair with its brightly coloured walls (everywhere you look there is a different colour from robin egg's blue, to terra rosa to midnight blue) outdoor terrace and cozy upstairs dining room.

"Add to that the art deco wall sconces and trendy hanging-from-the-ceiling lights at each table. Even before your meal is served, you'll feel far removed?

"There are darkly-stained bamboo place mats and mustard napkins laid out on each table. Even the menu jacket itself is a piece de resistance in burnt orange Thai silk."

That is all true. But after eating there a couple of times in the months since it opened, we can safely say that the food ? which is after all the primary reason one eats out ? is a bit hit-and-miss.

Of course, we'll probably keep going back because the ambience (especially after dark when the place really glows) is so nice, but we might opt for a few nice cocktails and a starter or two at one of the heavy wooden tables near the ornately carved bar rather than a several course blitz of a meal.

We have had some good dishes there, but others we have tried were well, frankly, disappointing. Of course, it helps that the dishes are served up by accommodating, pleasant if slightly flustered (possibly still working out the routines of a fairly new restaurant) wait staff.

On the good side are two Thai staples ? Beef in Red Curry and Chicken with Cashew Nuts. Both were well seasoned (but fair warning to those with mild tastes; these are spicy), with tender meat and vegetables that retained some body while still soaking up the taste of the Thai sauces.

But stay away from the duck which was nothing like the menu promised ? and was left largely uneaten on the plate.

Starters can also be hit and miss. A shrimp and coconut concoction gets some credit for being an imaginative blend of ingredients but the desiccated coconut was rather too sweet ? and far too plentiful - for this palette.

A safer bet is the Thai spring rolls. If you are after salad, a good bet is the Glass noodles and Thai vegetable salad with lime chili dressing. While we are speaking of the food you'll get at SILK, we'd like to take this opportunity to petition Mr. Vigilante to change the way the restaurant serves up rice with dishes.

This is another beef we have. Rice is dished by the servers from a bowl on to your plate. Don't do it: Please serve the rice separately. Why? Well, one of the reasons cuisines that tend towards spiciness (like Thai) favour rice is for its cooling properties. But when the rice is swimming in the sauces on your plate ? it can't serve that purpose.

Overall, we'd say give SILK a try. You are sure to be enthralled with the experience on some level ? but we hope it is not only the ambience but also the food that gets you. Like we said, dining there is sometimes good, and sometimes not.

At the very least, you can have fun drinking chi-chi cocktails in a hip environment ? and maybe you'll get a kick from having a go at ordering the dishes in Thai. (The starters and mains on the menu are each accompanied by a Thai translation, thankfully, written out in our alphabet.)

Hack's ratings:

Food: 3 out of 5

Ambience: 5 out of 5

Value for money: 3 out of 5 (SILK is expensive ? before dessert, wine or grats, nearing $70 for two ? but you don't mind paying a little more when dining in such nice surroundings)

Service: 3.5 out of 5 (a bit hit and miss like the food, but wait staff are pleasant)

Kid friendly: Not particularly.

Wheelchair accessible:Yes, if you go through the walkway from Reid Street.