Silk Road Asian Restaurant is the very latest restaurant to open in Waynesboro (in a convenient location nearby exit 94 for I-64). Like many people who live in Waynesboro, I'd watched the refurbishing of the former Shoney's building over the past few months with great curiosity. There wasn't much of a hint as to what sort of restaurant this would be, besides its serving some type of Asian cuisine. As of last week, the entire building was lit up inside and out and it was obvious that the mystery would soon be resolved. So, on Valentine's Day weekend, my wife & son were clamoring to go have dinner at the newest addition to the local dining scene. I agreed eagerly, because I was just as anxious as they were to try it out.
From the outside, Silk Road looks a bit different, especially with its lighted trees with unusual pastel-colored lighting. There's some electric-blue lighting from the inside of the restaurant adding to the illumination, and the entire business truly stands out from the street. Once you walk inside, the entry foyer and the front counter are very nice, a bit elegant even. As you head further back into the main dining area, your initial positive impressions are reinforced by a large bar with plenty of glass (the source of the electric-blue lighting) and the general tastefulness of the dining tables and the rest of the furnishings.
Once my family and I were seated, we looked over the menu and the mystery of the restaurant was solved: it's an Asian fusion/pan-Asian sort of cusine. In other words, you can have:
1) Chinese,
2) Japanese,
3) Thai and
4) Asian fusion dishes here.
Also, there's a fairly full sushi menu (although we didn't try that), Japanese hibachi dishes, and various Thai curries and pad Thai.
My wife and I decided to go with the Asian fusion menu & ordered the red snapper (her) and the mango shrimp (me). The dishes came back in about 25 minutes, and they were good. I can tell you about the mango shrimp in detail--it was a tasty blend of large juicy shrimp, generous slices of fresh mango, red and green peppers, onions and a very well balanced sauce that really complemented the other parts of the dish. That was some fine shrimp. My son ordered hibachi fish (salmon, I think), and he also enjoyed his meal. With dessert and drinks, the total cost was around $60 for the three of us, before we added the tip. So, by Waynesboro standards, it's about like a trip to the Outback Steakhouse, but, frankly, I prefer the food at Silk Road.
My biggest relief upon eating here was that it was a la carte and not a buffet. The quality of the food is good, the portions large, and the place is more peaceful to eat in than the average local buffet. By "peaceful," I just mean more settled; Silk Road had a moderately high number of diners the evening we visited, but they were just a well mannered bunch. So, I give high marks to the atmosphere of the place.
We do plan on going back to Silk Road soon. It's a welcome addition to the Waynesboro restaurant scene and I think you get good value as a patron there considering the large portions and the quality of the food. The management seems to have control over things and the place is well run.