seo

49th (2/3)

link to yelp

this is a fantastic find from CR. i love japanese food and japanese restaurants: everything is meticulously prepared, service is always awesome, and the atmosphere is usually extremely tranquil. i joined CR for dinner last friday at seo, which was the perfect place to unwind after a long week at work. we sat in the back room which overlooks the peaceful backyard garden. yelpers raved about the crab dumplings which are basically like japanese crab cakes. lots of good crab meat covered in fluffy rice noodle curls. i thought they were just okay, possibly because i was hoping for something closer to shanghai-style soup dumplings with crabmeat.

the stewed pork appetizer is an absolute must, though. tender juicy meat served with chewy rice cakes. pictured is my entree, udon with sliced duck (CR's recommendation). the duck is slightly seared, sliced paper thin, and served cold. chilled udon (linguine-like) noodles are served separately, as is a bowl of hot soup. dip the duck into the soup to warm the meat and cook it a little bit further - the meat melts in your mouth. similarly, dip the udon into the soup as a light contrast to the rich duck meat. the japanese know how to serve food - different textures, temperatures, flavors - all at once.