SEA

Delicious. Perfect mix of innovation and comfort. After one meal here, I've been itching to plan my next visit asap. The bubbles are the perfect pairing for the menu, but the cocktails look equally as fun. The food: must gets are the chef's crudo (the most incredible juicy, tangy vinaigrette paired with it), the prawn roll, sriracha ribs, black cod (in a deliciously spicy red curry), and the crab fried rice. Okay, I said "must gets", but this was actually everything I ate. It was all so good. I appreciated the ability to add in your own spice level to the crab fried rice, and LOVED the omelette on top. Finally, a creative take on crab fried rice. The black cod was incredible -- but worth noting that it was the spiciest thing we had. Totally doable though if you like spice. The service was top notch. Attentive and just enough check ins without being overbearing. It's a, we'll-fold-your-napkin when you go to the bathroom kind of place, and honestly I should've expected this from Chef Jungsik. The vibes and music/playlist were perfect as well. All around a wonderful spot that is sure to be one of the next hard-to-snag-tables place.

There's 2 Yelp pages for the same business so I'm gonna post twice since I'm not sure which one is the main.This is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC! I love the concept of a Southeast Asia restaurant since personally that's my favorite cuisine! A lot of the dishes I got drew influence from Vietnam, so I may be bias.Beef tartare: wowee this one was TANGY, I loved it! It reminds me of a Vietnamese rare beef in lime juice salad (bò tái chanh). If you're not a sour fan, this dish might not be for you.Prawn rolls: It came with a marinated fish sauce dip, which I think paired really nicely with the rolls. If you're not a fan of fish sauce, I think the rolls taste fine on their own without the sauce. Crispy pork: The crispy skin is so delicious. The sauce that it came with (on the side) was the spiciest thing we got all night, but nothing crazy. The spice will linger in your mouth for a bit. Pork noodle soup; This was a porkier phở, which is an interesting concept! I liked it, came with ample pork. All of the pork cuts were not gamy. The service was very friendly and attentive. I can't wait to come back and try the rest of their menu :)

I had high expectations and while every dish was good, most seemed to be missing something to make it great.Our starters were the prawn rolls and Sriracha ribs. Ribs were tender with a hint of spiciness but not overwhelming. Prawn rolls were also good and wrapped with the basil and dipped in the sauce, had some nice flavor and texture.For the mains, we had the short ribs, black cod and crab fried rice.The short ribs were very tender but a little bland. While there's a spicy sauce, it's still missing something but the ribs were still cooked really well and enjoyable.The best dish was the black cod. While the cod was, as expected, flaky and juicy, what stood out was the incredible, spicy sauce which just exploded with flavors. While we also had the crab fried rice, the sauce was best left to be paired with the plain jasmine rice that comes with the dish. Amazing and a must order!Finally, the crab fried rice is their signature pictured dish but alas, was good but not great. Not enough flavors and while good, I could have skipped it.Overall very nice meal although portions are a little small and expensive. It was a good visit but probably not something you'll repeat frequently.

Loved my experience at SEA - Southeast Asian inspired bites in a beautiful environment with excellent service! Definitely on the more expensive side but worth it for the experience or a special occasion.Everything was so good but I loved the dry tom yum noodles, prawn roll, prime short rib, and crispy pork in particular. I loved all the fresh herbs they gave with a lot of the dishes. Would love to try the chef's crudo and black cod but they ran out the day I went.Don't sleep on the desserts either! The pineapple sorbet and coconut sundae were very different but both so delicious. I would probably skip the drinks if I came here next time though - they were good, but the food was a lot more unique.Definitely was recommend coming here if you like SE Asian food! :)

This place caught me by surprise at how AMAZING it was! The staff is very friendly, it is a lot more spacious than I thought it would be (beautiful ambiance with nice spacious seats in the back), and all the dishes were SO good.Highly recommend getting the Crispy Pork!! The crisp of that pork is so solid and everything goes well together (you put all the ingredients together like ssam). We didn't really taste the sriracha on the Sriracha Ribs but they were still yummy. The Crab Fried Rice took a lot longer than expected to come out b/c we had already finished all the other dishes by the time it finally came out, and this one was actually our least favorite because it was actually pretty salty ): The Black Cod was very creamy but definitely had a spicy kick to it; thankfully it came with a bowl of rice. But we saved some of the broth to eat with our Crab Fried Rice! The Prawn Rolls were filled with prawns and a perfect appetizer. Last but not least, the Dry Tom Yum Noodles actually kind of tasted like Bolognese pasta??? It was unique and had a lot of meat in it! The cocktails here were all SO yummy but the banana cream martini was the BEST.Definitely coming back here and recommending here to all my friends~

I really liked Jungsik, so I was excited to try out SEA ever since I saw that it opened. The interior is modern, dark, and spacious, and the staff members were friendly and attentive. They also give you jasmine-scented towelettes to clean your hands at the beginning of the meal, which we were obsessed with!We ordered the sriracha ribs, the prawn rolls, dry tom yum noodles, fried chicken, crab fried rice, and the coconut ice cream sundae. We were a huge fan of the sriracha ribs - I could taste the sirarcha but it wasn't overpowering, super flavorful. The prawn rolls were also great - the wrapping was cripsy and the prawn pieces were fresh and firm. The dry tom yum noodles were good, but I didn't really get the tom yum influence. I thought it tasted like a spicy version of pasta bolognese which puzzled me a bit. The fried chicken (came with a thai salad on the side which I enjoyed) was fried perfectly and was overall delicious, but there were pieces that were sprinkled with a lot of some sort of spice powder, which was really sweet and could be overwhelming if you got a piece with too much of it. The crab fried rice was yummy and I appreciated the large chunks of crab on top, but I didn't think it was particularly special. Lastly, the coconut sundae was good but I would probably skip this (it's coconut soft serve with, if I remember correctly, hazelnut and cacao nibs). Overall the food was delicious and I enjoyed my experience - definitely come check it out!

SEA: A Culinary Journey Through Southeast AsiaSEA is a gastronomic gem that effortlessly blends the vibrant flavors of Southeast Asia with the refined elegance of fine dining. From the moment you step into this exquisite establishment, you're enveloped in an atmosphere of sophistication and culinary artistry.The menu is a captivating exploration of regional specialties, each dish a masterpiece of flavor and presentation. The ribs are a standout, tender and succulent, glazed with a tantalizingly sweet and spicy sauce that perfectly balances the richness of the meat. The cod and red curry is another highlight, cooked to perfection Sitting in a creamy curry packed with a vibrant blend of spices, it's a symphony of heat and flavor that will leave your taste buds tingling. The yellowtail is a testament to the restaurant's commitment to fresh, high-quality ingredients. Sashimi-grade, it's incredibly delicate and has a subtle sweetness that's simply divine.The crab fried rice is a comforting yet elevated take on a classic dish. The rice is perfectly cooked, and the crab meat is abundant and flavorful. It's a satisfying way to end a truly memorable meal.The service at SEA is impeccable. The staff is attentive, knowledgeable, and passionate about the cuisine. They guide you through the menu with expert recommendations and ensure that every detail of your dining experience is flawless.If you're seeking a truly exceptional dining experience, SEA is a must-visit. It's a place where culinary artistry meets impeccable service, resulting in a meal that is both unforgettable and a testament to the beauty of Southeast Asian cuisine.

Food is excellent at this new restaurant. So much flavor it was truly a great meal. I highly recommend

Note - this is in the 4 1/2 star range.Sea, the new restaurant from the chef of Jung Sik (one of the best Korean restaurants in the world) hits on many levels featuring Southeast Asian cuisine. Located a few blocks from K-town, Sea has a small front dining room and a larger one in the back. Reservation weren't hard to get, however you will probably need them as the space was filled. Pivoting from fine dining cuisine -Sea has many hearty dishes that are meant to be shared family style. The portions are bigger than we expected and were very full after splitting 2 smalls, 2 bigs, and 2 sides.We had;Chili Eggs - a fried egg similar to that of a scorched egg with chili jam and vegan fish sauce. I didn't think I'd like this but it was very good.Sriracha Ribs - flavorful, tender, filling = perfect. Definitely a plate to have on the table.Crab Fried Rice - favorite dish of the meal. Hearty place of fried rice with big chunks of crab and topped with an omelette. This is considered a side though easily could be an entree. Black Cod - served in a red curry sauce. The curry was delicious, however it did overpower the flavor of the fish. Crispy Pork - pre sliced thin pieces of crunchy delicious pork with ssam accompaniments. Razor Clams - we ordered too much and were full by the time the clams came out. These were good.Overall Sea is well worth the visit.

So the food is pretty solid - good but not next level - but the value is terrible.We were a bit extravagant and ordered the seafood platter - 4 pieces of yellowtail, 4 shrimp (and 2 heads), ~5 pieces of scallops with some salmon roe, and 5 oysters. The price? $74. This was the theme for the night - decent food (it especially appeals to those who like sour food). We got the crudo, the tartare, the crab fried rice, the Tom yum noodles, and the fried chicken.The raw foods were good but the portions were so small (6 pieces of yellowtail for $20, ~5 chips for the tartare).Fried rice was probably the highlight of the meal, very crisp and the crab was surprisingly good. But again, quite small for $29. Tom yum was solid too. It was one of the fushion dishes that really hits. Fried chicken was.. ok at best. I might just prefer karage.Overall, the chefs like acidity (sour tastes). I realize acidity is often used in southeast Asian food so I'm not criticizing here. I'm just warning that the food was more sour than I was expecting but some people at my table really enjoyed the sourness. 4 people paid around $400 (including 5 drinks). Maybe that's NYC prices but I went to Hojokban the previous day, paid $60 a person (no drinks) and had a way nicer experience. I really wanted to like this place because I've enjoyed other restaurants opened by Jungsik chefs but unfortunately didn't vibe with it