Seven Seas Restaurant

While much of Maryland is on spring break, I am busy working - my spring break was a few weeks ago.  Even though I had had big plans, eventually I just stayed home and traveled locally.  One of those days I got down to DC - which I do often, but this was some me-time in the museums and around the Tidal Basin to see the cherry blossoms.  However, I started out my day in Rockville, seeking out a restaurant I have been meaning to get to for about a year now.

The Seven Seas Restaurant was featured on WAMU's Kojo Nnamdi Show about a year ago.  Owner Corinna Shen tells Kojo that she wants to bring authentic Chinese cooking to DC area diners.  Ever since, I wanted a taste of that.

I arrived in the middle of a large bus of older people, maybe from a retirement community or something, and got ushered to a separate table.  Their lunch deal immediately drew me: two tapas-sized appetizers from a list of many (some "Americanized" Chinese, some more authentic), two tapas-sized entrées (same), a tea and a dessert - all for $13! Even though it was half an hour before the lunch deal began, they let me have that.

After bringing out my rose green tea, I rather quickly got my appetizers, some of which I chose were then recommended by the staff at the restaurant .  One was a cold shellfish in a hot chile sauce.  It wasn't really hot to me, but it had a nice tang to it and a lovely flavor.  The other was a fried turnip (daikon radish) cake.  One man from the restaurant talked to me about the food and gave me recommendations about sauces to eat - specifically, he brought me a hot chile sauce that he likes to eat some of these dishes with.  He also said he likes to put a little soy sauce into it for his turnip cake, a favorite of his.  I found myself doing that.

Next came the entrées.  One was a fried crispy squid on a bed of shredded lettuce, onion and red bell pepper bits - that is, fried calamari, which was part of the draw.  It was some of the best fried calamari I've had in a while.  The other, another recommendation, was the yam, wolfberry and chicken.  I had no idea what wolfberry was but they are supposed to be good for eyesight.  This was also very good.

Finally dessert: a little bit of red bean ice cream.  It wasn't a big heaping bowl, but was just enough to finish off a delicious lunch capped off with excellent service.  Plus, Seven Seas is very close to the Twinbrook Metro, so I just drove there and hopped on for a day in the District.  I left satisfied and full, but not belly-aching full.  The next time I'm in Rockville, I will be going back.