Eva M.
Yelp
Full disclosure that I don't tend to be a fan of Asian Fusian, but I will give any place a try. We were looking for a dinner place near Seattle Center, when I spotted Woo Bar & Kitchen. The menu still said soft opening then (Sep 28). It was a limited menu, but enough caught our attention that we decided to stay. The place is super new and clean, a fancy sports bar with yippee, kitschy are-you-rich-enough vibe. (Bellevue much?) The hostess took us to our readily available table. A server was over to chat about menu soon after. Service was quick and attentive, addressing a question I raised later. (See below) Location is in Queen Anne - street parking only.
The Food:
Kraken Calamansi Ceviche, $18 - 2 Stars
Menu: Octopus, shrimp, pico de gallo, cucumber, sinigang rice paper
We liked the calamansi flavor. There were many more pieces of octopus than shrimp; we were staring at the bowl wondering where-is-it. The rice paper doesn't hold up well enough, especially after biting. This was a messy dish to eat; we opted to eat the ceviche separate from the rice paper. The concept of "sinigang" rice paper is odd. Sinigang is a Filipino sour and savory soup. The rice paper doesn't look like anything was done to it except fried. We will not order this dish again.
Grilled Steak and Watercress, $38 - 4 Stars
Menu: 8oz sliced ribeye, watercress, tomato vinaigrette, fried shallots, sambal soy, chimichurri
This was the best dish we ordered. The ribeye was cooked a bit above medium rare (we asked for medium rare, but it was still ok). The cut is thinner, not as thin as carne asada flank steak. It's a good keto meal of meat and veggies. The chimichurri added flavor to the steak; the steak itself is minimally seasoned. The watercress salad is good.
Yuzu Salmon, $28 - 3 Stars
Menu: Miso mashed potatoes, sweet onion cream, spinach, crispy shallots
I have a semi-rule that, if there is a significant protein, the protein should be the feature of the dish. At the very least, I should be able to see it. In the photo, you'll see the salmon is covered and flooded. I can't help but think - what are they hiding? Upon eating the salmon, it revealed itself to be a very paled color salmon without much taste. I waved for the server and asked if she knew what kind of salmon it is. She didn't and went to ask the kitchen. The reply was Alaskan wild sockeye salmon. My expressionless look probably gave her a hint that I either didn't believe her or I am dissatisfied with the salmon. (I was both.) In any case, she offered to swap for a different dish or something else. I don't believe in wasting food, so I just said I'll keep it. She later returned and offered a 20% discount on the dish. That was nice of her. If the salmon was better quality, this is a 4 Stars dish. As is, 2.5 stars. At 20% off, I upped it to 3.