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Seattlest has been craving dim sum for a few weeks now, so we headed to Sun Ya Seafood on 7th and Weller. We consider dim sum to be the supreme ruler of hangover food, which works out well because dim sum is usually served until 3pm. On this visit we managed to make it there before 11am and we're now convinced that the earlier you go, the better. They had all sorts of specials that Seattlest has never seen before since they tend to sell out quickly.
The downside of going early is that it's busier; this was the first time we've ever had to wait for a table. We amused ourselves by watching the tanks of live seafood: feisty lobsters, giant crabs and spiny prawns. Seattlest practically drooled with hunger as we watched the chef scoop out a handful of giant prawns.
After a five-minute wait (whew!), we were seated in a booth directly across from the kitchen entrance. It didn't take us long to figure out that this was the best seat in the house, as we had first choice of everything that came out of the kitchen.
Seattlest has many dim sum favorites, but today we made a concerted effort to try a few new things. The first dish to make it onto our table was "Shrimp Noodle"--a thick, white noodle filled with diced shrimp in a soy-based sauce. The noodle was soft and slippery and hard to eat with chopsticks, but delicious.
We also tried fried tofu with shrimp, which was heavenly. It was a thick slab of silken tofu topped with shrimp that was magically breaded and fried until very crisp. We say "magically" because we couldn't imagine how they managed to encase the soft, custard-like tofu in the breading without it falling to pieces. The crowning touch was a luscious, salty brown bean sauce that was drizzled on top.
A few bites into our meal, Seattlest spotted a waitress coming out of the kitchen with three small plates of fried prawns. We suspected that these were the same prawns we had seen in the tank just minutes earlier. We smiled at our good seating fortune as we nabbed the first plate. They were beautiful, whole shrimp that were lightly floured and then deep-fried until brilliant orange. We weren't sure how to eat them so we watched another table as they twisted off the head, removed the legs and popped them into their mouths with the shells still on. The prawns were delicious, but next time we'll remove the shells, which were a bit hard to swallow.
No matter where we go for dim sum, Seattlest always special orders a plate of garlic spare ribs. We suggest you do the same. The pork pieces are marinated in a garlicky mixture and then deep-fried until brown and crunchy. We always think we'll save some to take home, but we never do.
We ended our feast with the dim sum version of dessert; mini egg custards and sesame balls. The custards were a brilliant, egg-yoke orange surrounded by flaky, melt in your mouth pastry. The sesame balls were chewy, fried puffs of glutinous rice flour studded with sesame seeds. They are best when hot, so if you go, ask for that seat by the kitchen.
Sun Ya Seafood
605 7th Avenue S
206.623.1670
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I love your reviews Megan and I'm very happy to see that you're giving some ID joints a little spotlight here and there. More! Please. :)
Thanks so much! I appreciate the feedback. I was a little worried that my first two reviews were both in the ID, so I'm glad to know there are people out there that don't mind!