Seoul food

Traditional Korean and Japanese food give Main Street a sense of adventure

by Margaret LeRoux

Seoul Leecci 385 Main Street, Worcester 363-0891 Sat. - Fri. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Mastercard, Visa BYOB Handicap accessible

Seoul Leecci, a new Korean and Japanese restaurant and sushi bar, housed in the former P.T. Beanies, is poised to become a hot spot on Main Street, Worcester. Its neon lighting and bold purple and violet color scheme certainly make it a stand-out among the otherwise darkened storefronts come evening. The aim seems to be at a young, urban crowd. On recent Saturday night, stylish Asian couples headed for the back room where smoking is allowed. In the front room, our group of four was one of only a handful.

In contrast to the decor and music, service is warm, friendly, and very attentive. Our meal included a bounty of side dishes from spicy, garlicky daikon cubes; teriyaki-flavored potato wedges; bean sprouts; fried tofu; kim chee, a pickled, peppery cabbage; and a bright green mound of stir fried watercress drizzled with sesame oil. The watercress had such a fresh, sprightly taste, when our waitress asked if there were anything we'd like more of, we were unanimous: "More watercress, please." She obliged.

The Seoul's sushi chef created a beautiful and tasty assortment of raw fish and vegetables tucked into rolls of sticky rice and nori, paper-thin sheets of dried seaweed. We ordered the combination of three rolls: California, which contained crab meat and avocado; tuna; and salmon ($11.50). They were served on a miniature butcher block with a generous dab of wasabi and gossamer-thin slices of pickled ginger. Each of the three rolls was cut into bite-size pieces; this appetizer was more than enough to pique our appetites for dinner.

Seoul Leecci has an extensive menu of traditional Korean dishes, noodles with various toppings and chef's specialties. AhGoo MaeWoon Tang, for example, is "monkfish casserole with spicy sauce" ($12.95). But casserole, in this instance, means a heavy stone bowl full of hot bubbling liquid, pieces of monkfish, peppers, and tofu. We each received a bowl of sticky rice and once the casserole stopped bubbling, we spooned from it onto our rice bowls. I'd never eaten monkfish before; it seemed very mild in contrast to the fiery liquid it was poached in. Had we realized that casserole loosely translates as soup, we would have ordered from the assortment of chicken, salmon, beef, scallop, and tuna teriyaki (priced from $12.95 to $16.95) or followed the lead of our bold companion who smacked his lips as he read the list of broiled fish: seasoned eel, yellow corbina, king mackerel, and pike. (Priced from $8.95 for pike to $19.95 for eel.)

As it was, we ordered NaBaeYaki WooDong ($11.95) from the noodle offerings and received another stone cauldron, this one containing a mild broth, thick rice noodles, two huge, tempura battered shrimp, pieces of chicken, egg, peppers, watercress, and kelp.

"Don't you just love kelp?" one of our companions sighed happily. I knew then I'd chosen the right person for this exotic dining experience.

If you get the idea that Seoul Leecci appeals more to the adventurous eater, you're not entirely wrong. However, those with a timid palate won't be disappointed. There are several familiar dishes such as shrimp and vegetable tempura, fried rice, and steamed lobster. One traditional Korean dish, BulKoki, ($15.95), is a platter of thinly sliced beef that's been marinated in a teriyaki-based sauce -- easily the most familiar-tasting item we enjoyed.

We also liked HaeMool Pajeon ($12.95), described as seafood mixed with scallions in a Korean-style pancake. Served on a big round platter like a thin crust pizza with the seafood and scallions incorporated into the dough, it was crispy on the outside and creamy inside. One of our companions explained that rice flour gave it this distinct texture. A topping that includes fish sauce and seasonings was quite tangy.

Throughout our leisurely meal, a pair of waitresses cleared away empty dishes, and refilled our mugs with tea, a very different tea that I thought had the slightest undertones of soy. At the end of our meal, a final platter was brought to the table, this time containing a Fuji apple sliced into thick slices. The skin on each piece was scored in a feather pattern, turning the simple fruit into a worthy dessert. Our bill for four including tax but not tip was $80.57.