Sushi, sashimi and hand rolls with a punk rock edge for under US$18 at TMK in Sheung Wan

People come to TMK in Sheung Wan for Japanese hand rolls, sushi, sashimi – and punk rock.

A huge motorcycle is displayed in a glass cabinet in the bar. The walls are covered with cartoon stickers, old Japanese newspapers and graffiti. The drinks menu is on a pink plastic disc, reflecting the rock vibe. In addition to Japanese food, the bar also offers sake and spirits.

A waiter explained the menus. He recommended the denim set menu, which costs HK$288 (US$37) and has a wide variety of signature dishes. It is meant for one person, but was enough for two of us.

The first dish to arrive was steamed edamame – fresh soybeans sprinkled with sea salt. It’s a nice hands-on snack that’s healthy and delicious. The edamame would be HK$38 if ordered separately.

TMK Salad (HK$78 if ordered à la carte) has mizuna, grilled pumpkin, chilli crackers and beetroot strips. It was a crunchy, fresh tasting combination of ingredients.

Karaage – chunks of deep-fried boneless chicken thighs – came with a dipping sauce of creamy sesame yogurt. The coating was crisp and the meat smooth and tender, but the flavour was oddly sour.

Sashimi – two pieces each of hamachi and yellowfin tuna – were buttery and soft.

The hand roll consisted of nori with sushi rice, stir-fried beef and spring onions. Because the nori was wrapped around the fillings just before eating, it stayed crisp, but the beef tasted rather plain because the hand roll was served after saltier dishes.

Salmon taco had an crunchy corn shell filled with raw salmon, avocado tempura, chopped tomatoes, onions and coriander. It could have used a little more of the yuzu mayonnaise.

Kakigori – vanilla and chocolate ice cream balls served on a banana leaf – was soft and creamy and the flavours blended well when they melted.

TMK Hollywood Centre, 77-91 Queens’s Road West, Sheung Wan, tel: 2662 2269.

Open: noon to 2.30pm, 6pm to 11pm (Friday and Saturday until 11.30pm).