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We love a good word play. When we couldn’t decipher what SeaSee, the latest Asian fare entrant in Bandra, means, we dropped in. Owners Rinchen Angchuk and Saamir Chandnani, who go by the titles of Master Shifu and Fat Cat, solved the mystery. The 60-seater is designed to recreate the vibe of a bustling Asian street food market. The space is done up with neon lights with low seating, and yes, the name is the abbreviated version for South East Asian Street Eats Edit.

(From left) Founders Saamir Chandnani and Rinchen Angchuk at the new space in Bandra West. Pics/Ashish Raje

Angchuk started Kofuku, giving the city one of its first standalone Japanese experiences, followed by the Korean space, Hengbok. Last year, he set up Mirai with Chandani. SeaSee’s menu was developed from the food the duo had tasted on their travels across Vietnam, Malaysian, The Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia. Chef Rohit B translates this vision into the menu.

Jack-pot

We kick off in Vietnam, rekindling our yearning for hangover soup with Vietnamese Pho (Rs 350; vegetarian). The silky noodles are boiled in herby broth of veggies. The Hanoi feels are revived with Pork Banh Mi (Rs 680). The flaky coating sinks into a soft (in-house baked) bready bite holding a succulent sweet soy sauce coated belly cut.

Thai Basil Chicken aka Pad Krapow

Thailand offers a tangy welcome with a bold take on Som Tam (Rs 420). This Green Papaya Salad is a sour treat with a peanut crunch and spicy peanuts chilli lemon dressing.  We are happy to bite into Poh Pia Tod aka crispy Thai Spring Rolls (Rs 420/480) filled with vegetables and glass noodles. We pour in the honey chilli sauce and finish with a bite of pineapple. The minced chicken alongside the slender noodles make it a perfect snack. Thai Herb Handcrafted Steam Bites (Rs 420) are delish dim sum parcels with a fine vegetable mince; we can easily dunk it into the chilli oil, sweet chilli sauce and a fiery garlic chutney.

Pad Thai noodles are cooked on the wok at the restaurant

For the mains, we order Malaysian Asam Curry (Rs 780). The white fish is cooked in spices, and has a rustic curry base with a sharp tamarind kick. The Roti Canai (Rs 550), with its roots in Indonesia and Singapore, is a home-style version served with a hearty coconut-based stew and Malay laccha-like bread. Packed with ginger and lemon grass, it’s a fragrant, red-hot ode to Thailand. The street-style Pad Thai Noodles (Rs 520) cooked with flair at the open wok station, and offers the perfect jam of sweet, spice and tangy notes, with the crunch of nuts, chillis and fragrant herbs.  Thai Basil Chicken (Pad Krapow) (Rs 620) is an ode to Bangkok’s streets; we replay the dish on our palate with spicy stir-fried chicken, garlic, chilli, and fresh Thai basil, crowned with an egg.

7 Eleven

The drinks respect the restaurant’s concept. Jack-pot (Rs 750) is a vodka drink garnished with basil. It scores with notes of charred capsicum that dominate over the fruitiness of pineapple and the mildly pungent jackfruit. 7 Eleven (Rs 750) stirs the Asian mood; strong sake, lychee, lime and lemongrass is topped with ginger ale into a vodka highball. Grind on my Thai (Rs 850) is a playful twist with the classic Negroni, gently sweetened by cacao gin, and balanced with Thai spiced vermouth and Campari.

Among the desserts, Pandan Cheesecake (Rs 580) adds freshness to the Basque decadence, while the Vanilla Crumble Ice Cream ends the savoury fire on a calming note.

AT Seasee, 2nd Floor, Suburbia Building, behind Shopper’s Stop, Bandra West. 
TIME 12 pm to 3.30 pm; 6.30 pm to 11.30 pm (Monday to Thursday); 12 noon to 12.30 am (Friday to Sunday)
CALL 7715083688; 7715093688