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SEI
Categories: Restaurants Sushi Bars Restaurants Asian Fusion Sushi Bars, Asian Fusion [Edit]
444 7th St NWWashington, DC 20004
Neighborhood: Penn Quarter
(202) 783-7007
- Nearest Transit:
-
Archives Metro Station (Green, Yellow)
Gallery Place Chinatown Metro Station (Green, Red, Yellow)
Judiciary Square Metro Station (Red)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 11:30 am - 11 pm
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Valet
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
Clifford D. said: "I first came to Redline for the beer tap on at your table. Then I realized it cost more money and was a bigger hassle than having a server bring you drinks. Still, it was something I had to try. Redline has good service, a decent…" read more »
265 reviews for SEI
Review Highlights
"I highly recommend the fish and chips roll."
(in 59 reviews)
"The Wasabi Guacamole is a true crowd-pleaser."
(in 47 reviews)
"The Pear Sangria is delicious but (and."
(in 34 reviews)
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265 reviews in English
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Review from Tara L.
2/5/2012 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
My dining experience at Sei was long overdue. A cocktail by the bar had been done before, but as a sushi fiend Sei had not left my radar.
If you're into trendy, minimalist decor they've got you covered. If you've been to Oya before you may pick up on a similar vibe.
Cocktails, sake and Asian-fusion small plates galore can be found here but the specialty rolls caught our eyes first. (Second if you count the cocktails.)
Surf N Turf Roll - Seriously though, Kobe and Lobster? Sounds like a no brainer, delicious combo and it is - but it's not packing the Mayweather one-two flavor punch.
Fish N Chips Roll - This was a winner, first and second round! (All be to Yelp recs!) Flounder, malt vinegar, potato crisps and wasabi tartar could have gone left if either of those ingredients dominated the roll, but somehow they all worked together well in a gloriously subtle way.
Sashimi Pizza - Don't do it. Reconsider. You will feel and look awkward chowing down on this dry dish. The seaweed salad will stick to the roof of your mouth and your tastebuds will wreak of bland. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.
Our waitress was a gem however, and managed to stay on top of our table's needs without hovering.
Definitely would return, but if I was just in a sushi mood I would go somewhere that had slightly more reasonable pricing. However, if I was in the mood for cocktails and a bite (perhaps in a slinky dress) this would be a great option. -
Review from A H.
Northern, VA
Very trendy sushi place with modernized decor. I came here for dinner for Restaurant Week with my girl friend. They had a pretty extensive $35 dinner fixed price menu.
-Liquid Wasabi: Disgusting. Stray away if you can. RUN! I decided to try this after observing that everyone on yelp was raving about it, but it just reconfirmed to me that things are usually hyped up. It tasted like an asian version of goldschlagger with a mix of lemon and pepper. I felt it burn my esophagus with every sip, so I ended up chugging the thing since I could not longer take the slow excruciating pain I was putting myself through. I'm not into sour and spicy drinks, but if you are, more power to you.
-Triple Tuna
spicy tuna | albacore | akami
This sushi was hands down the best tuna sushi I have ever consumed and very delicious. I have never had any sushi the melted in my mouth, but this did just that. I only would have hoped that it was a bit more spicy.
-Wasabi Guacamole with tofu and wonton chips
This was actually very good. The amount of wasabi in the guac was not overwhelming, it was a good hint that you could taste without being overbearing. However, they did not mix it well enough and you'd get a varying amount of wasabi in each bite. The wonton chips were also crispy and not too oily. It was a very creative and enjoyable appetizer, however I wished they had put onions in the guac to give it more of a flavor kick.
-Pan-seared Duck
madras curry | chili polenta | cherry tamarind glaze
This duck was very good. It was juicy, succulent and flavorful. One of the best duck dishes I have ever had. The chili polenta was interesting because it fused spanish and asian flavors, but it was actually a very good pairing.
-Short Ribs
wasabi potatoes | miso demi
The short ribs were very tender and soft, but not at all mushy. They also had a good amount of fat on them where you could enjoy the flavor and texture that it added to the dish, without feeling like you'd get a heart attack any minute. They were deliciously seasoned and enjoyable, although I wished that the portion size was a bit larger for what you were paying for.
Although the food was good, it did not justify the price and portion size. I probably won't ever become a regular here. It was a good experience though, besides the agonizing liquid wasabi. -
Review from Elina Y.
Washington, DC
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Reservations for Oya was completely booked for the night so we settled last minute on Sei. Although I made reservations in advance, they were running 30 minutes behind schedule for everyone on the list. That was the only drag of the night. That and our moderately cold Sapporo.
As for the food, I was not disappointed.
Wasabi guacomole: Wasn't bland but nothing "wasabi" about it.
Spicy tuna rolls: 6 pcs of alternating white and red tuna. Definitely had a spicy kick & flavorful in small doses.
Pan-seared duck: It had all the right components: Juicy, tender, small yet filling. It had a slight familiar hoisin sauce glaze, I could be wrong but that was both our first assumption upon consumption (Not that we're complaining). The green curry blanketed underneath the duck had a distinctly unique taste which surprisingly blended well with the duck.
NOW DESSERT.
HEAVEN ALMIGHTY---THIS WAS ECSTASY!
MISO ORANGE BREAD PUDDING w/ SOY ICE CREAM!
The intertwined concoction of sweet, warm, fluffy wholesomeness of the orange bread combined with the rich, cold dewiness of the ice cream is impossible to describe. Just take my word for it and order it. Your money will be well spent. Belieeeeeeeeeeeeeeve that! -
Review from Diedre C.
Washington, DC
2/9/2012
Fusion sushi lounge with an all white leather decor, with gold embossed wall paper in the entrance, this is a nice place to relax and catch up with friends in your best gear - great for taking out of town guests too.
Food recommendations:
- roll with strawberry (? forget the name)
- fish and chips roll -
Review from Elsa M.
Sometimes fusion goes too far. Chefs try too hard to be creative and wind up ruining a good thing. Not the case at SEI - well, for the most part. Fish and chips sushi roll and a glass of Pear Sangria: FAB! Toss in a could of surf n' turf rolls and I was pretty much in heaven! Walking into SEI is like walking into a really pristine kitchen - everything is white and crisp with soft lighting and super shiny surfaces from table to chairs to floors to walls. Our group of four also got the korean tacos, some sort of breaded fish slider, and the shishito pizza. The pizza was our least fav since the seaweed on top was super drying once it entered your mouth (sticking to teeth and tongue, respectively! lol!), plus it needed some sort of sauce or something. It really was just raw fish on bread with seaweed strewn on top. However, if we ordered half a dozen items off the menu and only one was poor, then I would say we were doing alright! Every other item was so daggone good, how do you complain.
SEI is a great place for meeting with friends or for date night in DC. Yeppers - I am definitely a fan! :) -
Review from Samantha G.
Washington, DC
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
After all the raving I heard about this place, I figured I needed to check it out. The Asian Pear Sangria definitely delivered - thanks Yelpers!
The space itself is on the small side. It's similar to Oya in decor (and not surprising since they are sister restaurants) - lots of white, dim lighting, modern minimalist.
The food was very good, but I wasn't exactly blown away by anything. The sushi rolls were interesting and tasty. I particularly liked the fish 'n' chips roll (thank again Yelpers!). The kalbe tacos were also great. The guac was good, but a bit of a let down after so many people saying it was supposedly so amazing. The dessert was a disappointment. Probably the most bland and texturely off flan I've ever had.
The service was great. Very on top of it all. All in all, a good dining spot and I look forward to trying some other menu items. -
Review from Rose N.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Very cool, hip place for Asian cuisine. Absolutely loved the decor, the splashes of red looked great against the white walls and tables. Everyone was dressed appropriately, business casual and here I came in with my velour sweat pants and sneakers because I really wasn't expecting to go anywhere nice. With that said, one none gawked at me, the service staff or the diners. My server was great and thorough with explaining the menu.
We order a few specialty rolls and shrimp dumpling. Rolls: fish and chips were a delight in your mouth. They retained a great crunch regardless of the creamy tartar and malt. Nice take on the traditional fish and chips but I felt that the flounder was lost in the crunch and sauce. Would like more fish in my sushi. Tandoori chicken roll was horrendous. Probably one of the worst sushi rolls I've ever tried. I would never order an tandoori roll, but my bf loves that stuff so he tried. We both agreed it was not our favorite and was really mushy. Kobe tataki was simple and delicious. Shrimp dumplings were good, not great. The cilantro sesame
sauce was quite tasty, just didn't think it paired well with the dumplings. (would have been great on tacos perhaps). -
Review from Kara D.
Washington, DC
12/30/2011
This used to be our favorite "go to" place in the gallery place/china town area. Drinks are good, food is creative and delicious and service is generally good. We recently made reservations for New Years Eve hoping for a nice dinner with some friends to ring in the new year with out the huge hangover of our pasts. With our plans set we clearly made no other reservations (which are not easy to come by last minute for 4+ people on new years eve) we received a phone call at 8:30 pm Friday before NYE telling us that they had overbooked and our table is no longer available but we did had the option of sitting at the bar which is not conducive to interacting with our friends during dinner, so we said no thank you, not worth at all. None of this is ideal and now we are searching for a place to seat us for dinner for tomorrow night...no one is thrilled.
ambiance is decent
the mashed potatoes are not that good, either are the tots, nice ideas but are still just mashed potatoes and tots.
The fish and chips roll is very good.
The pear sangria is awesome, very sweet but awesome. -
Review from Brian B.
12/11/2011 2 Check-ins Here
WHY IS THE NAME OF YOUR RESTAURANT IN ALL CAPS? IT'S LIKE YOU'RE SCREAMING!
Speaking of screaming, the first time I came here, Gregg and Carol introduced me to Liquid Wasabi shots. While you might wince a little as it goes down, trust me when I say that you'll scream in pain as it comes up. God only knows what it must feel like as it comes out. Write that down.
The second time I came here, my Liquid Wasabi scars reminded me to avoid alcohol and stick to the menu. Some observations:
1. Beautiful atmosphere. The white walls, soft lights and simplistic, modern design make this a pleasantly calming and romantic space. I'd go through the pain of dropping $200 to create an eHarmony profile and spending six desperate months to work my way up to a fruitless first date just to have an excuse to come here and bask in the atmosphere, knowing the whole time that I'm going to come home alone to my glass unicorn collection. Still worth it.
2. Wasabi Guacamole with wonton chips. A delectable non-alcoholic alternative to a Liquid Wasabi shot, but a clear indication of what it must feel like as it comes out. Remember where you wrote that down.
3. Chicken Croquettes. Served in a spicy, savory curry with cilantro, the addition of mango chutney makes this dish a true "can't miss."
4. S.O.S. A salmon roll with miso orange sauce, strawberries and avocado. The naturally uniform yet delectable simplicity of salmon is justification enough to serve as sashimi, but SEI's choice of adding complexity with its complimentary ingredients rendered this one of the best sushi experiences I've experienced in a long while.
5. Spicy Yellowtail with jalapeño soy. I guess I hadn't permanently scorched my underpants yet, so I naively ordered this and even more naively mixed wasabi into the sauce. While the fish was pleasantly soft and sweet, this is still a digestive work in progress, but I do promise to write it down...Listed in: In The Mood, Chinatown/ Penn Quarter/…, Asian Eats
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Review from Muriel L.
Bethesda, MD
12/3/2011 Seated via OpenTable 1 Check-in Here
Cocktail=GREAT! Kobe Sliders and wasabi guacamole= DELISH! Ambiance=Gorgeous decor! Sushi=.......
Being a sushi feign, I usually know what good sushi is. This place has pretty sushi....not so good. For the prices that they have, you would think they would wow your socks off. Not the case. Everything was salty. We ordered almost $200 worth of sushi and were beyond saddened. I think the combinations that they had would be a plethora of amazing, exotic tastes.Not the case. Everything was salty. Stay away from the surf & turf roll, the fish & chips roll. The other ones that we ordered are a blur. The fish was not fresh. the rice was not the right texture..kind of hard. I will not be returning here. You pay for the ambiance, not the food. Great drinks though!
My fiance saved the night by taking me to Mccormick & Schmicks down the street for their late night happy hour and creme brulee...Thank God! -
Review from Briana M.
Ashburn, VA
12/4/2011
Ambiance, wonderful.
Pear sangria, delicious.
Wasabi guacamole, quite tasty.
So naturally I had great expectations and anxiously awaited for our sushi to arrive. HOWEVER, it was a great disappointment. It was the most horribly salty, chewy sushi I ever had. Ever. Didn't even finish the rolls because I was sure I would have a stroke from high blood pressure if I did. And the seaweed was like chewing thin slices of rubber. Will not be revisiting unless I want a cocktail and appetizer ONLY. -
Review from Claudia G.
McLean, VA
11/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Giving this establishment 1 star because they have a great drink selection. Would not consider going here again. All sushi is masked with a stronger ingredient which leads to assuming their quality is fairly poor. I appreciate ingredient-driven sushi restaurants.
My boyfriend and I Love seaweed salad...we ordered it And it was the fluorescent green artificial seaweed that is sold in the frozen section of Restaurant Depot. Web we brought to their attention they acknowledged it and brought us anther complimentary sushi dish the chef was testing... Salmon fish skin roll. Was not crispy and was quite chewy. Boyfriend didn't mind it...but that's most probably because he is from Alaska and crew up on Salmon. Not a fan unfortunately. -
Review from Elle L.
Washington, DC
Updated - 2/1/2012
Went back to SEI with my husband. This time the service was awesome and the food was great except for the korean tacos....they were too salty. We are definitely going to go again and hope to get the same server~
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/4/2010
I really need to cook more often. I think I have been to every freaken restaurant in DC multiple… Read more »
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Review from James Y.
Silver Spring, MD
11/29/2011
My take on two recommended dishes:
Pork buns: the brown sauce, which I'm guessing is a combination of hoisin sauce, sriracha, sugar and soysauce overwhelms the palate with confusing flavors. As with most asian dishes that use those steamed rolls, the filling should be light and simply.
Tuna tar-tare: the dish itself needs some renovation; the tartare needs some citrus element and the tortilla chips should not be fried beforehand.
As with the other restaurant under this management (OYA, SAX), SEI puts all its efforts into creating an atmosphere suitable for post-dinner drinks only. If you come into the restaurant knowing that the emphasis is not on food, SEI is a pretty nice place to unwind or keep the buzz going on a friday night out in Chinatown. -
Review from Napualokelani K.
Woodbridge, VA
11/27/2011
Ive been to this place 3-4 times. I like it. Its trendy with a nice ambiance. Normally when I arrive, its rather empty and then fills up nicely. At the end of the meal, when I go to the bathroom, the bar seems to be rather lively. I then make a mental note to myself to come here for happy hour, but Ive never done it as its not a very convenient location for me as my office is about 8-9 blocks away and I have a preferred spot right by my building.
My two favorite things from SEI are the LIQUID WASABI drink (OMG, LOVE LOVE LOVE this) and the DRUNKEN SHRIMP!!! Other dishes of note: crunchy toro tartare, wasabi guacamole, tuna poke and the kobe sliders. Enjoy! -
Review from Pickles Z.
Washington, DC
10/22/2011
Um, this is really a two and half. I am rounding up for the promptness and honesty of the bartender.
Mind you, it was just for happy hour. I am sure dinner is another story.
Getting there at 5:30 on a Friday gave us just enough time to grab some bar real estate for friends on the way. We got some happy hour $5 wine and some nibbles of the happy hour menu at $6 each. When we ordered I asked the bartender where the salmon was from. He paused. I offered "Is it farmed or 'Atlantic' salmon or wild caught?" he hemmed, he hawed and said"wild" then he thought another second and said "no no, farmed" which is the honest answer I was looking for. I would have known when it came to the table with that weird coral glow. So c'mon SEI. Farmed? Really? I hope that is only for the happy hour menu.
We weren't really there for the food, really it was just a new place with bar real estate up for grabs and four ladies willing to meet there.
I loved the spicy tuna roll but the kobe slider cooked at medium were perfectly pink inside but still kind of dry. Kobe, dry? Huh.
But the decor. Oh no no no. It looks like they were so proud of what they did at Oya -which I think is lovely, though very Park City with the fire and all white. So here, they went with an off white theme and then totally off on everything else. For layout they wanted that familiar feeling for Penn Quarter with the lounge separated from the dining tables with a see through barrier. They took these two ideas and then went to a Michael's and maybe a couple of garage sales.
The piece behind the sushi chefs looks like they got it from a curb alert posting on craigslist. The two larger pictures are very gauche. The chic gleefully straddling the chair with the fishnets? Really? Below her wide leg spread people are eating fish? Really?
Then the divider. Oh no no no. The dyed red, dried plant installation? It looks like that filler used in bouquets you get at the grocery store flattened and spray painted and then arranged as a sort of lattice. Yup.
I do love the shells, the same columns they have at Oya. Nice. given the choice I'd go to Oya for bar time before I'd go back to Sei. I also don't remember Oya having the very loungey tunes-a little jazzy, a little sexy, and a lotta lame.
The service was great, the wine was fine, the nibbles were nice, the ambiance was balls.
Good luck Sei, I'm sure I'll be back due to your convenient location and lengthy happy hour but I will not be stared down by your laughing stripper on the wall. I will not. -
Review from Fatima K.
10/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Don't come here for the food.
I think they do sushi here. At least, that's what they're trying to do here. In general the food was underwhelming and kind of bland. The drinks were okay, if not strong even (good!). Service was okay. I was a little bored with the place, hell, I'm bored just writing the review for this place.
The decor is why you'd come here ... I guess. I'm not saying that the decor is so amazing but it's like they turned off every light in the place so they could then light candles. It's good date lighting and has that city lounge vibe. If that's what you're looking for this place could be it but if you're in this area there are so many other choices that offer that and have good food as well. I was excited to come here simply because I hadn't been here before (with good reason maybe) but it's nothing to get excited about.
It's better than it's sister restaurant OYA, but that doesn't say much. -
Review from Nicole L.
9/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
A trendy restaurant decorated in a minimalist design mostly white thrown over colored lighting. It pleasantly went well with the theme of Japanese food. We sat at the sushi bar which was the most interesting and didnt require a reservation. I started with a Pinot Blanc from Willamette Valley it was light and delicate perfect for the sashimi we planned to have. It was nice to know that the Chef was from Fukuoka. The list of fish on the a-la-carte menu is ones typically available we wanted a few items such as the Fatty Yellowtail and Uni but they did not have Uni that night. So what caught our eyes were the Chef's special list, he handpicked a variety of less common fish interesting enough we went for what was on that list instead. Anyhow we ordered some interesting items:
XO Scallop: Fresh scallops with XO sauce - a sauce of umami flavor made from dried scallops. The roll had a good flavor the scallops were very tasty I liked the unusual sauce used (I mean I use it but not everyone uses this sauce for cooking).
Hamachitoro Sashimi: The fatty yellowtail was cut thick it was firm but had a great fatty oily flavor. My friend expected a softer texture since it was suppose to be fatty but I liked it.
Madai Sashimi: Light texture fish it was sweet and soft very easy on the palate.
Hagatsuo Sashimi: Skipjack with the most buttery texture very sweet and round fatty flavor. It is also known as bonito which is usually used dried for stock. It was my favorite fish of the night.
Higesori Sashimi: Porgy fish - light texture very soft and tasty.
Mejina Sashimi: Snapper-like blackfish with a firm but good texture.
Himedai Sashimi: A variety of snapper with a firm texture it was not as fatty but it was so fresh and tasty in flavor.
Artic Char: Imagine salmon but softer, sweeter and oilier. It was that good. I love Sous Vide Char but the sashimi was amazing.
After all that tasty fish we ordered the dessert not knowing what to expect.
Chocolate fondant: a dark chocolate cake soft and deep flavor with a molten chocolate lava in the middle served along side was a black sesame ice cream and a cherry sauce. I was pleasantly surprised by the dessert. The two flavors Western (Chocolate) and Asian (Sesame) on one plate. It was just perfect.
I really enjoyed the variety of fish on the specials it was something new and exciting made the dinner so much more interesting!! -
Review from Tracy L.
Arlington, VA
ME LIKEY
#1 The interior is luscious and sexy. The dim and almost pink lighting also creates a candy-like ambiance.
#2 An obvious pretty people scene in the evenings. Lots of date nights. Lots of girls night out.
#3 Fish and Chips roll is very popular. It's quite fun to taste the tiny fried potatoes along with rice and flounder. Each bite melts on my palate nicely.
JUST OK
#1 It's located in a half-basement. Not a big fan of the arrangement.
#2 The ceiling is very low, making the space feel and look more crowded.
#3 All 7 types of rolls I've tried are, um, forgettable. You know it's not a good sign when you don't really remember what you ordered or what they tasted like.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO KNOW
#1 If SEI reminds you of Oya, don't be surprised. They are actually owned by the same people.
#2 The space is divided into two rooms; On one side is the lounge and the other the restaurant. You can drink while you wait for a table or just drop in for some cocktails.
#3 The decor is more charming than anything else. Sushi snobs won't call SEI a true sushi powerhouse. -
Review from Erin W.
Washington, DC
12/28/2011
Very impressive sushi restaurant with an affordable happy hour menu too! My friend and I started off at the bar with $7 pear sangrias and the wasabi guacamole (seriously amazing; I never would have thought to mix these two delicious flavors, and it was ridiculously delicious). For dinner I had two sushi rolls: the Snow White roll and the Spicy Salmon Cilantro roll, both super tasty. I think I paid a little over $40 for my drink, appetizer and meal, which is solid. Definitely will be back.
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Review from Kathleen S.
Washington, DC
11/3/2011
The wasabi guacamole is terrific, although serious wasabi lovers may not find the wasabi taste pungent enough. The fish and chips are novel; the crunchy texture never overwhelms the light balance of the other ingredients.
Sei is perfect for a date. Cool ambience with excellent and knowledge service staff. -
Review from Emily P.
Bethesda, MD
12/18/2011
Lounge-y, chic decor. White, modernistic. Lined with alligator skin walls. Wasabi guac had a nice kick to it. Unique sushi rolls! Loved fish and chips. Crunchy, oniony (not sure what the 'fish' was). S.O.S roll (salmon and strawberries in mango sauce :) ). Sushi tasted pretty fresh, not salty, as other reviewers have claimed.
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Review from Alex O.
9/20/2011
The first thing I'd like to say about Sei is how impressed I was with the interior. As I told my girlfriend after we left, I've eaten in enough places that try for the ultra-chic, trendy, fancy interior that it usually doesn't impress me very often. However, Sei really bowled me over. The lighting was perfect and the overall design left me feeling like it was pretty damn special just to be eating in the place. I was impressed and I'd be lying if I said it probably had no effect on the pleasure I took from the food.
Purists may scoff at the adventurous streak displayed by some of their rolls, but we found them to be delicious. The Fish and Chips roll was both clever and delicious, with just the right amount of malt vinegar. I was hoping for deeper flavor of roasted apple in the Snow White, but nonetheless found it to be excellent. The Miso Spicy Salmon roll was not as interesting, but nonetheless quite good.
My two letdowns were the wasabi guacamole and kalbe tacos. In truth, the guac was fine, but also a bit overhyped. The wasabi flavor was fairly subdued and overall it tasted like any other decently made, fresh guacamole. With so many other interesting things on the menu, it's a bit of a waste to order the guacamole IMO. The tacos were an outright letdown. Three small, white corn tortillas filled with barbecued short rib meat, kimchee and queso fresco. It's actually a great idea, and I imagined the neutral and slightly acidic queso fresco providing a delicious foil for the heat and pungency of the kimchee. Alas, the taco is mostly meat and lettuce, with little of the two more interesting ingredients. The kimchee flavor was virtually nonexistent, the meat bland and a bit dry, and the whole thing utterly unremarkable.
There have been a lot of negative comments about poor service, ranging from complaints of plain incompetence to outright snobbish and obnoxious behavior. We experienced none of that and at based solely on one experience, I found the service perfectly prompt, helpful, courteous and competent. There have also been some complaints regarding the noise level. It is perhaps a bit more than ideal, but certainly nothing that I found unacceptable.
Sei is not cheap, but it's also not exorbitant. It's an upscale sushi place with prices that reflect that but still manage to stay below truly expensive. Throw in a couple of glasses of wine and we ended up (with tip) shelling out about $45 each for a filling and enjoyable meal. While the cost means that my salary won't let me become a regular at Sei, I also don't feel like I was overcharged given the overall quality of food as well as the overall experience of the restaurant. -
Review from Gloria F.
New York, NY
8/24/2011
Good food. "flawful" service.
The food was tasty and quite beautifully presented. Now heres the bad part. I went to lunch with a colleague and everything for him was served correctly, while every dish of mine was incorrect. It became comical and i wasn't terribly annoyed until the dessert (I had a choice of sorbets). I ordered a coconut, green tea and cucumber. My dessert came with a scoop of strawberry instead of green tea. After flagging down our waiter for the 3rd time, he said "we ran out of green tea" and walked away.
While I enjoyed the food, I won't be coming back. -
Review from M K.
Washington, DC
8/12/2011
I've given this place several tries, because I WANT to love it but I've finally come to the realization that this place is all hype and menu, and the food is kinda blah.
It's a super trendy kind of place, with plenty of attitude from the staff. Which is fine if the food could deliver. The menu is fairly breathtaking. It's huge, diverse, and full of really interesting and creative rolls. Which would be really great if the flavors they've created were actually very good. They're not. And the sushi isn't all that wonderful either (i.e., the plain pieces). Oh it's all ok. And they have a great sake list. But this restaurant tries real hard to be something it's not. And as a patron, that's really annoying. Either drop the attitude or improve your game. Because I've had super-creative and wonderful sushi -- and Sei ain't in the same ballpark.
Which is why despite hyping themselves as super trendy this place is never full and I always see tons of tables free on Open Table even at the last minute on a Saturday. -
Review from R C.
Washington, DC
11/11/2011
For non-Asian people who want to pretend that they're eating Asian food (when they're really not), this is a nice place for a social gathering or a date night.
The food is unique (again, it's NOT real Asian food) and the drinks are strong! I like the ambiance, the chic decor, and most importantly, the 5-minute wait for a table on an otherwise busy Friday/Saturday evening in Penn Quarter.
On my most recent trip, the manager kindly asked my group to move to the bar area in exchange for free drinks. Since we finished our food and we were just taking up valuable space for impatient customers, we didn't mind leaving prematurely, especially since we got a round of their overpriced drinks.
...I repeat, this is NOT a real Asian restaurant. -
Review from Mattie C.
7/22/2011
Very nice place. Boyfriend and I went to have a massive "omakase" meal here and some drinks, and we were definitely not disappointed.
Drinks: Pear Sangria, which I read on yelp was pretty great, and the Seven Samurai. After sampling both, I would say Seven Samurai is better, though Pear Sangria was not bad.
Food:
Tuna Poke- INCREDIBLE. The waitress explained that this is actually a Hawaiin dish, and there is a pile of tuna that you scoop onto wonton chips. We were both stunned at how good this tasted. Just thinking about it makes me drool.
Salmon & Hamachi nigiri- amazing, as these fish always taste-not really unique to this restaurant. I do like how they put a little pile of green onions in the middle to give it a nice crunch.
"Other" nigiri- I don't remember what this one was called but it was one of those where the fish is already cooked. It was tasty though!
Fish & Chips roll- tasty and unique, nice crunch to it.
Kobe beef roll- YUM! This was my favorite roll on the plate.
Spicy Tuna rolls- boyfriend liked these, but me not so much. They were a little too spicy for me!
Ambiance: This restaurant had a very classy vibe to it with interesting layout and art. It was kind of dark and hard to see the menu but that did give it a romantic-ish vibe so it wasn't a huge deal. I like how their "cocktail hour" with discounted drinks lasts til 8, and I especially liked how their bathrooms had a women's room and a "both" room. That way I don't feel guilty going into the mens room if I'm waiting in line for slow woman in the bathroom. All restaurants that have single-only bathrooms should do this.
Only qualm about this place is of course the price. It was amazingly delicious and nice ambiance so of course it is expected, but still.. we won't be going back here for a while. I wish there were more sushi places that offered affordable options like Miyas up in New Haven. If it were more affordable I would be eating it all the time! So this place is solid but expensive. -
Review from Mer R.
Falls Church, VA
9/26/2011
OMG!
Best Asian place in DC. The ambiance is amazing and a great, quiet place to grab a drink with a few friends is in the lounge. The Wasabi Mojito is a must (there's not actually wasabi in it, but it has a lovely spice to it). The Wasabi Guacamole is super fresh, yummy and the chips are homemade leaving you wishing there were more. My friend had the pork buns and loved them. My sister ordered the Chicken Wings and this spicy dish was very popular with the group. I've heard their tater tots are good too. I've had their avocado rolls, which are also so delicious! Go here! -
Review from luc d.
Great Falls, VA
11/14/2011
A textbook case of a badly managed great restaurant. ...'great', because I've always found the food here tops. But man oh man, never known a place whose act falls apart so badly when it comes to wine and service.
When we finally got seated a half hour after our reserved time (ok, we were 13 px... ) and choose our white and red wine, it turns Sei has 1 or 2 bottles of every wine on their list (out of a mere 50 wine options in total). Every time, we had to recheck the winelist and reselect. And every time we are offered alternatives at double the cost (had to call in a manager to argue about cost). The whole ordeal made us loose the momentum of our dining experience and ruined my girlfriend's birthday dinner for which we were out there.
Would I go back ? Yes, for the food...but definitely in a party of 4 px max and BYO on the wine -
Review from Clark J.
Manhattan, NY
11/13/2011
I enjoyed a meal of fun drinks and tarted-up pseudo-Asian food here last year. But when I went back more recently, I was really disappointed. None of the food was worth the price--it just didn't seem to be made with quality ingredients.
And you don't want that in a restaurant in general, and certainly not for sushi. Even the non-sushi items didn't measure up to other restaurants in the area, though.
If you want some tasty sushi and tarted-up Asian-ish food, head up the road to Kushi.
My experience here was probably 2 to 3 stars, but I'm going to go ahead and give it 1 star since I wouldn't ever go back. -
Review from Natalie D.
Washington, DC
7/23/2011
OH, SEI CAN YOU SEAT?: A PLAY IN ONE ACT
Me: "Whatdya SAY we grab some lunch?"
Friend: "I SAY it sounds good to me. What do you have in mind?"
Me: "Hmmm, I could go for something light but filling, like SAY...sushi!"
Friend: "Sushi sounds delicious! Let's try that place SEI."
Me: "Where?! What'd you SAY?"
Friend: "SEI - it's an Asian fusion restaurant in Penn Quarter. A lot of people SAY it's pretty good."
Me: "Ok, whatever you SAY."
(Two hours, two wasabi guacamole appetizers, and four sushi rolls later . . .)
Me: "Wow! I have to SAY, that was pretty darn tasty."
Friend: "I'll SAY!"
Me: "I definitely see why people SAY such wonderful things about this place. The food is pretty good, and the ambiance/decor is absolutely incredible."
Friend: "Agreed. SEI has officially made my short list!"
Me: "You can SAY that again!"
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Disclaimer: The characters appearing in this work are fictitious. Any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, (or to a real conversation that may or may not have occurred while dining at SEI) is purely coincidental.Listed in: Quarter Penn-der with cheese
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Review from Jennifer P.
Washington, DC
7/15/2011
Went for lunch last week and it might be a new fav!! First things first....Fish and Chips Roll......seriously?!?!?!.....sooooo fun and tasty! I had to order this just because. Flounder, malt vinegar and potato chips with wasabi....really fun and tasty!
Okay now onto the review - The restaurant is clean, beautiful and cool decor! The prices are totally reasonable for sushi. And, they offer both standard and unique rolls. The service was amazing - fast, smiling faces and very helpful when we wanted to understand a roll better.
We also loved the Habanero Scallop Roll and the SOS (Salmon, Strawberries and some type of orange sauce).
I am very picky about sushi and Sei is on top of the list! -
Review from Kelly G.
Updated - 6/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
On this visit to Sei, I had the "guac", eel roll (again), spicy tuna roll (righteous!), and the salmon roll. All of these shared with Kim G. over happy hour drinks. I always get the Asian Pear Sangria. It is absolutely delicious. We were seated at the bar as we discussed various and sundry racy adult topics over our adult beverages.
Being seated at the bar was super awesome! Flanking us on both sides were Sei regulars who had run through and through the entire menu and had plenty of recommendations for us. Plus we had the opportunity to bask in their glory for a taste of this drink here and a taste of that drink there. Umm hmmmmmm.
Sei, you never let me down with those mood altering cocktails and palate pleasing sushi.Listed in: Affordable DC Happy Hours, I love Penn Quarter!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/13/2010
Excellent service. Spectacular sushi. Beautiful decor.
What more could a person ask for? Perhaps a… Read more »
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Review from Mikkela T.
6/26/2011
I liked it. Kobe beef hotdog with kimchi. Walter, our waiter, was fabulous! Menu is varied and Asian-ish. Interior is cooler than the food.
I'd go back. -
Review from E Y.
Gaithersburg, MD
7/26/2011
Sei is a great sushi restaurant. I love the decor and ambience inside, very intimate.
It's down the street from the verizon center, right next to the theater house. it's walking distance (2 blocks) to the gallery place/chinatown metro and a great area to walk around as well. They have valet parking or you can find parking in a nearby garage or street parking at the meters.
I came here for a friends birthday (party of 8) and we all got something different. We had chips and wasabi guacamole and edamame for appetizers and I had Kobe sushi for dinner while my friend had a kobe beef burger. Everything was amazing but my part of the bill came out to be $50 (helping to pay for the appetizer, a glass of wine, and sushi).
When I came here for a date, I think I enjoyed it better because it's so much less hectic with one person that it is with 7-8 others. He got the wasabi mojito? which was surprisingly really good while I got a pinot grigio wine.
Service is excellent, it's more of a mature crowd, I don't see a lot of young 20-something people here.
But i still love the environment. -
Review from Andrea M.
Updated - 7/27/2011
Well, I returned. Was not my choice, but when invited I'm not going to decline. I don't know if my palate is just becoming accustomed to the less exciting sushi rolls in this city, but the second time around I was much more impressed.
I ordered the roasted vegetable roll and the spicy scallop roll. Knowing what to expect - simple and to-the-point - I could better enjoy the flavors. Both were very good.
The service was also good, except I got the distinct impression that the waiter was very hesitant to interrupt the discussion I was having with my dinner companion. So it was kind of cute to watch him hover, unsure of when I might conclude my effusive explanation of something or other so he could inquire as to our order.
So I give it a solid 3 stars, which means it has risen to the point of a recommendation to someone who asks for a good sushi restaurant in Chinatown.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/3/2011
I am from Californian. Enough said. I did like the ambiance. This is about the sushi. Their… Read more »
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Review from Ellen W.
5/17/2011
Love the food and drinks were delicious! We had a group of 6 people. A few of them were running late so we couldn't get seated until everyone was present. By the time the last girl came, the restaurant had given our table away. We ended up sitting next to the bar in the lounge area which was just as nice.
Here was what we ordered:
Fish and chips roll
Habanero scallop roll
Spicy tuna roll
Seaweed salad
Tuna poke
Sea bass sliders
Kobe burgers
Kobi tataki sushi rolls
Orange bread pudding
Selections of ice cream
Everything was so so good. My favorite was the sea bass sliders. I really enjoyed the ice cream too. The ice creams were quite exotic including flavors like ginger, black sesame and taro. The portions were small so even with all this food, we were not really full. Full enough but not stuffed.
The only thing that was disappointing was that we didn't get to taste anything with toro because the restaurant ran out of it. We were there on a Saturday night around 8pm. That really sucked! Overall, the food was amazing and I'm going back to try the toro. -
Review from Nina B.
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wow! I must say, this is probably some of the best sushi I've ever had.
I can't think of generalities to describe what I loved about this, so I'll just go into the specifics.
Fish & Chips Specialty Roll - it was highly recommended by the waiter, and I saw a series of tips for this on Foursquare. It definitely met those expectations and then some.
Surf 'n Turf Specialty Roll - I've never experienced beef on a sushi roll, and while this beet overwhelmed the taste of the lobster, it was still incredibly well done and delish.
Habanero Scallop Roll - I loved the textures here. The smoothness of the scallops mixed with the crunchy ramen and the kick of habanero made my mouth explode with happiness.
Zen Collins - This is a beautifully refreshing summer cocktail. Cucumber citrus soda with cucumber infused vodka!
Not much else to say. But, I'm definitely coming back here again for the drinks and the sushi. -
Review from Vanilla Nugget X.
Annandale, VA
7/31/2011
Overall, I like the place. Stopped in, got a table, good service, decent food.
Way to loud...I couldn't even hear the waitress, I just nodded and smiled everytime she stopped by. This almost made me drop it another star, but I'm not sure if this was a localized phenomena in my seating section or not...but, it you want to have a nice chat, this isn't the place for you.
Sea Bass Sliders...very good...like a classy filet-o-fish...which might not sound like a compliment, but they were good.
Chicken Croquettes weren't anything special.
I was excited to see tater tots and something about seven peppers as a menu option. The tots were good, but I have no idea what the pepper part was about, since this was basically a bowl of nicely fried tots only...and some side sauce. -
Review from Blaire R.
Loudoun County, VA
7/14/2011
The service is outstanding, I don't know how anyone could have had a bad experience. Not only was our waitress exceedingly knowledgeable, she was polite, friendly but professional, fast, and attentive. We were never without refills and she wiped the table clean every time she came over. The Pear Sangria is delicious but (and?) potent.
My husband ordered the Prix Fix meal; for $35 the portions were very generous. The Tuna Poke was mild and delicious, wonton chips were a great accompaniment. The Short Ribs were perfectly cooked, but could have benefited from some type of sauce or au jus. The Veggies and Wasabi Potatoes were delicious. The Chocolate wine was wonderful, sweet and chocolatey at the beginning but with the flavor of a deep and complex red.
I ordered the Miso soup, Triple Tuna roll, Zuke nigiri, and Spicy Yellowtail roll. I thought the portions were really good compared to the price (6 rolls, 2 nigiri). The sushi selection was very unique and creative, which I appreciate, and I wanted to try almost everything. I was certainly not disappointed with what I got and I ate every single piece.
The only issue we had was with the Chocolate Fondant, it was such a let down after such a delicious meal. The "Tahitian Vanilla" is flavorless and the tartness of the cherry jam was overpowering, even to the chocolate cake.
