Address: | 444 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20004, USA |
Phone: | +1 202-783-7007 |
Site: | seirestaurant.com |
Rating: | 4.4 |
Working: | 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–10PM 11:30AM–12AM 11:30AM–12AM 11AM–9PM |
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Shawn Pham
The food was great, loved the atmosphere, very picturesque. I usually dont write reviews, but I want to commend the staff for their excellent service. I kept accidentally blowing out the candle and wanted it lit, so I could take a picture. They continued to light it every time I accidentally caused it to blow out. What really makes them really have great service is that in the middle of lunch, I got in a really dramatic fight with my date and we were arguing for quite some time. Not loud or anything that other people would notice, but our waiter obviously could tell there was tension at my table. Staff avoided our table until we calmed down, which is excellent because when we calmed down, they took the chance and asked how our food was and I faked a smile and said "its good, thank you!". I meant it though, the food was good. I applaud them for dealing with me and my date arguing. First time weve ever done that in a restaurant and luckily it hasnt happened ever again. But, thank you Sei staff for being such a great staff! Would definitely go back! Though one thing though, there was a small little bug flying around, especially near the soy sauce. But, I was a waiter before so I understand restaurants cant always be 100 percent bug free. It wasnt intolerable, just a bit annoying. I always recommend this place to people who go into DC and are looking for a nice restaurant.
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Jessica Rosenberg
We went to SEI for dinner without a reservation. Most other places had 45-minute waits. SEI sat us immediately, though it was in their lounge. The lounge is a cool atmosphere, but I suggest sitting on the booth side (versus the stool) to avoid back pain! There were lots of young professionals around us; felt very Sex and the City. The food here was INCREDIBLE. All the stars are for the food, basically. We tried six dishes total between the three of us, and this felt like a fine amount. Some were small (like the fish sliders), some were large (like the alligator ribs). My favorite was the salmon plate; this is a piece of salmon that is spiced. I ate a few bites and immediately wanted more. Sitting here now writing this, I want more. WOW. The kombocha was also delicious. I will dream about it. My fiancé was really put off by the bathrooms. There were two single-stall bathrooms; one was for women and one was multi-gender. He felt that there should have been two multi-gender bathrooms so as not to discriminate against men. Understandable. The waiter was helpful when he came over but didnt come over much. A single plate is maybe $12 on average. They recommend 1.5 plates a person, so $18 (before tax and tip). To me thats expensive, but the quality of the food made it worth it. A nice treat for every now and then.
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Theresa Tang
I had wanted to try SEI for a while now as I was always intrigued by the pretty interior everytime I walked by. However looks could be deceiving. Mediocre food, tiny potion, impersonal service - overall not impressed. The restaurant is located by the busy Verizon center Chinatown area, so it easily attracts a lot of the tourists crowd. I did not come in here and expect the food to be spectacular considering its a fusion restaurant that tries to do everything from sushi, guacamole, steak and burger. But I really expected more from the service. After we sat down for 15 mins, no server or waiter was to be found, no water offered or filled. We had to flag down our server couple of times during our entire dinner. He spared us no smile no attention and never bothered to check on how our food was. I believe the tables are assigned to different people as sections as other servers made zero eye contact with us every time they walked by when we were clearly looking for their attention. With plenty of restaurant in this area I would probably spare myself the disappointment and consider other options.
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Tina Jewette
Mixed review- I appreciated the flexibility in changing our table upon request. We thought the Wasabi Guacomlaa was superb, steak sushi a great twist and flavor, Salmon dish excellently prepared and flavor with its accompaniments of kale /edamame. Duck was overcooked but they gladly re cooked. Hubby was not as impressed, initially offended by being asked to remove his cap, ahead of opportunity to do so own his on, and seeing a seated guest with his hat still on. While I would return and try more of the sushi & small plates, Hubby doesnt plan to come again
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tae jin kim
한식당을 찾다가 들어간 퓨전식당입니다. 음식량이 너무 적었습니다. 가격을 상대적으로 비쌌습니다. 사시미는 양이 너무 적었고, 롤도 조금이었습니다. 비빔밥의 맛은 국적불명이었으나 김치볶음밥은 그나마 비슷했습니다. 가성비가 별로인 식당이었습니다. 그러나 현지인들의 사랑은 많이 받는 모양이었습니다.
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A Private User
I was very impressed with Sei. The ambience and the service were excellent. Our party of four was extremely pleased, no complaints from anyone. Well, we were split on the pork buns, 2 liked and 2 were so-so. I had sashimi, sampled the sushi, and can say that everything I tasted was superb. Not only was the sushi great, but the presentation was outstanding. The only disappointment was that they did not have fresh wasabi. My thanks to our DC friends who recommended and joined us for this dining experience.
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A Private User
Fantastic Sushi with great presentation, atmosphere, service as well as value. I have been to this restaurant couple of times and have loved it both times. The variety of menu and the creative fine cuisine are unparalled and I have not been to many places that I like so much. I loved the fish and chips roll and the Kobe Tataki roll. The sliders are excellent. The desserts were very unique. But what is also really nice is the value and atmosphere. This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in DC.
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Thurston Sexton
Its like a quirky snow-queen wonderland meets fresh sea-dock catches and wildly original refreshments. Think Frozen-meets-Kubo-meets-big trouble in little china. Freshest fish Ive yet had here in DC (though admittedly thats not much as a new transplant from out west). Phenomenal preparation by the chefs, and the cocktail originality and flavor balance was bar-none. Give this place a try, and even check out using OpenTable to reserve (and pay!). A seamless and beautiful experience.
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Brendan
People from DC dont know Sushi. Fancy atmosphere, friendly staff, mediocre at best sushi. Nothing had any big flavors. Very bland. Ordered pork buns, seared shrimp, spicy tuna, and salmon nigiri. Pork buns were americiniazed with peanuts? Nothing special. Seared shrimp is a mega disappointment. No flavor and overpriced. The vibe was good, the food wasnt. Dont waste your time. Also, we asked, "is it happy hour?" The response, "yes, its happy hour, but we dont have any deals."
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Dawn-Marie Vaughan
Tapas sized Asian delights and sushi, which is perfect to try a variety of things & share with dining mates. My two favorites were the Crispy Duck & the Korean Kalbe Tacos. Both are fantastic. Dessert: Order the chocolate fondant, though ask to have the ice cream swapped out for the sea salt option. This is not true fondant... its more like a dark chocolate lava cake. Paired with the sea salt ice cream is a heavenly treat! Youll want to order two helpings, trust me! Enjoy!
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Jennifer Lee Donaker
I love Oya which is their sister restaurant so had high hopes here but unfortunately, Im just not a fan. For the food, they were out of Fatty Tuna and Kobe Beef which is shocking to me given how prevalent they are on the menu. The Kobe beef tacos were dry which was upsetting. The sushi rolls and sashimi were fine but not anything special. Service was friendly but not very attentive. Decor is cute. Maybe it was overall a one off bad night but skip this place and go to Oya.