Sei Less — Restaurant in New York

My husband took me here for my 30th birthday, and I am so glad I finally got to try this place! It is easy to get reservations on opentable. I love the asian aesthetic with the wall art, graffiti, elegant wallpaper, flowers and chandeliers. I also love the Drake quote when you first walk in, picture worthy! The bar is beautiful, it can at least seat 25 people and has tons of top shelf liquors and unique cocktails like mexican mules. Carlos our server was super friendly and accommodating to my needs, he was able to get me a mocktail that tasted just like a Paloma with great presentation (love their copper mugs and custom Sei Less plates!). For starters we had chicken satay and pork fried dumplings, Carlos was very knowledgeable on the menu and can honestly handle serving the whole floor. He tells you every single ingredient in your dishes. I love the peanut sauce for the satay and you can tell the dumplings are hand made and not frozen. For entrees we got spicy kung pao chicken with cashews, sweet and sour chicken and vegetable fried rice. Id say that kung pao chicken is spicy for real, they have chili peppers, and it was a kick for sure. The sweet and sour chicken was so good, love the sauce and pineapple pepper mix. It does disappoint me that the rice has to be ordered seperately because it comes out rather dry as opposed to being able to mix the rice with the sauce that is on the chicken. I did opt to add soy sauce to the rice to give it some sort of sauce but I would change this part of the menu for sure. On a side note, you can easily share that rice with added protein for larger groups or even make it an entree. Believe it or not, the highlight of my night was the trio of ice cream. Besides the beautiful sparkler they gave for my bday, those ice cream flavors were top notch. I love the hazelnut and lychee with crispy chocolate on the bottom, even the vanilla bean goes well with either flavor. I would literally go back just to get that ice cream again. What holds me back from giving 5 stars is the photographers here, i know they take photos for promos and to sell nice frames to customers, but i probably got asked to take way more pictures then desired. I did actually buy a photo for $25 for memories but they do ruin the dining experience by coming up to customers so frequently who are trying to eat. They didn't even come take photos when the bday candle came out, that would've been a better shot worth purchasing.Another con about this place is the bathroom can be cleaner, i saw lots of empty toilet rolls not being replaced and rolls on the floor. I am surprised this place didnt have a bathroom attendant. Lastly, they add gratuity automatically to the bill. It confuses the customer because they dont know if that meant the tip is paid for , and you dont want to insult the waiter . Customers should be allowed to select percentage of tip on their own accord , I also think there is a credit card fee so we regret not...

After spending my 20s living in New York — where spots like Philippe and Mr. Chow were weekly go-tos — I wasn’t sure if I’d ever find another Asian restaurant that felt as sleek, elevated, and reliable. But Sei Less delivered.

Tucked into Midtown, this modern Asian fusion spot is a gem. The energy is upscale but not pretentious — just the kind of place that feels like a real night out without trying too hard. We arrived as a group of four around 5pm on a Wednesday, fresh from a long day of wedding dress shopping. The hostess greeted us warmly and seated us right away, and the timing was perfect — right before the dinner rush, while the kitchen was just warming up. The space was already glowing, but still quiet enough to take a breath and enjoy it.

Our server was incredibly helpful and easygoing. He offered suggestions from both the food and cocktail menus — and we gladly took his lead. We ordered the spicy tuna crispy rice, Shanghai spare ribs, salt and pepper shrimp, filet mignon with broccoli, chicken lo mein, Alaskan king crab fried rice, and bok choy with garlic.

Each dish arrived beautifully presented, and almost everything we tried was outstanding. The crispy rice had the perfect crunch — warm, fresh, and topped with just the right amount of spicy tuna. The filet was a standout: incredibly tender, well-seasoned, and honestly just melted in your mouth. I wasn’t expecting to love the lo mein as much as I did, but it was delicious — the kind of comfort dish that feels elevated and thoughtful. The bok choy was bright, garlicky, and perfectly cooked — no bitterness, no sogginess, just clean flavor. The spare ribs had great depth, and the shrimp had that classic salt-and-pepper crisp without being overly heavy.

If I had to pick a least favorite, it would be the fried rice. It wasn’t bad by any means, just not as flavorful or memorable as the rest. That said, everything else more than made up for it.

The vibe throughout dinner was relaxed but polished — a great mix of modern and moody. It felt like a place where you could celebrate something special or just enjoy a really good meal with friends who appreciate good taste.

The bartender and service staff deserve special mention — kind, attentive, and confident without hovering. We never felt rushed, and it was clear that hospitality is part of the culture here.

Whether you're a former NYC regular looking for something new or just in town for a night and want something stylish but grounded — Sei Less is absolutely worth a visit. It’s a restaurant that understands both flavor...

My mom was SO excited to get a reservation here for her birthday. She’s been talking about their 50th Anniversary Hip Hop Menu all week. I mean, like every single day. Even though the anniversary menu looked awesome, glancing at pictures online quickly revealed that the small serving sizes did not correlate with the whopping prices. First red flag. Nevertheless, we ventured to the times square area to celebrate and give this place a try! The ambiance in the restaurant is great and the location is super hip so when we got seated at our table we were still very excited. The staff who waited on us were kind and patient and even let us switch tables after our first table was a bit broken and wobbly which resulted in a spilled drink (second red flag). In terms of the food, I really have mixed if not negative opinions. The flavor parings on the chicken satay appetizer was confusing at best and remedial at worst. I ordered the popcorn shrimp appetizer which was PACKED with salt and little flavor other than MSG. The combination of insignificant presentation and lack of flavor simply didn’t make sense for the price point. We also ordered a house salad for the table which was also disappointing. The avocados were not ripe and the lettuce was barely pulled apart. In other words, the salad was a bit lazy. Only the delicious juicy tomatoes shined through. We ordered all three entrees which tasted the exact same: a large amount of sugar and salt with very inexpensive tasting meat and blah veggies. Every dish had basically the same sauce. It was no better than corner store chinese food. For almost 10 times the price. I was highly disappointed to say the LEAST but we all still had a good time, and again, the wait staff were darlings. Would not recommend this place at all, although I really want to considering the location, staff, and super fun menu. The cost did NOT correlate with the food quality, presentation, or quantity which was overall a...