SEAM – Japanese Kappo Cuisine — Restaurant in Zurich

We had reserved a table for the bento lunch for 2 people today. First off, the staff are pleasant and the service is very efficient and attentive. However, the experience for the customer would be elevated if the customer was given the opportunity to choose which table for 2 they want to sit at. We were squeezed into a table for 2 between 2 other groups, although there were 3 other tables of 2 available - already cleaned and set. Tables of 2 who came in after us were given free choice, we found this disappointing.

As for the food, we ordered the pork belly and the chicken karaage bento options. The bentos are presented very aesthetically and were pleasing to the eye.

However, we felt there are some issues with the execution of the dishes which left us unfortunately a little bit underwhelmed.

Firstly, the tamago didn’t have any taste - we expected a traditional Japanese taste here but what we got was nicely presented Japanese omelette, bland and unseasoned in a sauce with no flavour. There was also no grated daikon served with the tamago. Overall no sweetness, no umami, no aromatic depth, no salt.

The pork belly was good but unfortunately reminded me more of Spanish torreznos, the sauce was also unfortunately quite bland and didn’t have any distinctive taste. The egg was a little overboiled for my personal taste, I would have preferred a slightly more jammy yolk.

The chicken kaarage was dry and there was a very very slight burnt taste in the batter - we wondered what cut of meat was used. It was also disappointing that there was no sauce served specifically for the chicken kaarage. Something like oroshi ponzu or yuzu-chili mayo might have offset the dryness better.

The hot appetiser was tasty (aubergine in an acidic vinegary tomato sauce) we enjoyed it.

The sashimi was also very good. However, it was served with julienned ginger that was over-mellowed, perhaps as a consequence of soaking it for too long or preparing it too far in advance. We would have preferred gari.

The sesame spinach side dish was excellent, we really appreciated the flavour and the ground sesame taste. This was the overall highlight of the meal.

We enjoyed the cheesecake and we really appreciated the cold brew green tea that was prepared for us. It would be even better if this was brewed in advance and available as a standard item on the drinks menu rather than prepared on the fly. This would enhance the depth and flavour of the tea.

We liked the experience and we will return someday, we are curious to see how the restaurant develops.

We saw that other guests have commented on the tiny bowls for the miso soup and can confirm that they are still tiny, even if the restaurant promised to take this into account in future.

Thank you for the meal.

Total 160CHF for two of us...

Seam is a real gem in Zurich. So glad to finally have such a Japanese culinary experience in Zurich! From the moment we walked in, the space felt beautiful and intentional, with a minimalist and polished design. The Japanese tableware added a unique character and made every dish feel special. The food was incredible. The Wagyu Shigureni Rice was rich and full of depth, the Negitoro temaki was amazing. The hospitality is what made the experience memorable. Abel, our young server, was outstanding. He was attentive, kind, and genuinely elevated the evening. Mayumi, the owner, welcomed us with such warmth and generosity, sharing her passion and story in a way that made us feel at home. If you love Japanese cuisine as much as I do, you MUST...

We have visited Seam a couple of times now for lunch and were delighted to see that the bento gets quite a bit of diversity over time. The food is the most authentic Japanese bento we have experienced, certainly in Zurich and maybe even outside of Japan. Food is delicious, healthy and packed with amazing veggies and pickles. Tea menu is also pretty extensive and served in the most beautiful ceramics. The only very annoying thing is the seating is far too cramped. This is not at all respecting the Japanese fine dining concept, where privacy is ultra valued. It’s more like a fast food experience in a corner ramen joint. It really is uncomfortable, especially if you go as a couple, and the one thing keeping us away for...