There is a delightful, new restaurant in an old, familiar place. Right on US1 in Ft. Lauderdale, in the former Lemongrass location, SpiceSea Seafood and Thai is pumping out plates full of fresh, delicious seafood. An unlikely combination, traditional Thai and Louisiana seafood boil is brought to you by the owners of Sushi Rock. On a Wednesday evening recently, I was presented with a smorgasbord of food, by the friendly manager of SpiceSea.
As we walked through the lobby on the way to our table, we discovered a live singer playing guitar. Our host asked if we had any allergies and just a few minutes later the feast began. We arrived around 7pm and the restaurant was almost empty, but the other tables in the room began to fill steadily with the delivery of each sequential item. By the end of our meal, nearly every table indoors was full and the place was hopping with chic clientele.
SpiceSea prides themselves on serving only the freshest and the best seafood available. Some of the appetizers are the ones you would expect to see at any Asian restaurant: Spring Rolls, Edamame, Calamari and Chicken Satay, but be adventurous! They really make it easy for you with dishes like the Grilled Whole Squid, sliced and served on long plates served with a spicy seafood sauce made from garlic, lime, fresh chili and cilantro. The presentation is definitely a feast for the eyes and not for the gastro-squeamish! We also got the chance to sample the Crispy Papaya Salad. A heaping pile of green papaya is tempura-battered and deep-fried and served alongside of a dish of tomato, greens beans and steamed shrimp tossed in a tantalizing Thai-lime dressing.
Next up: the seafood boil! There are four combinations to choose from, all featuring 2-3 pounds of succulent seafood or create your own. Choose head-on shrimp, black mussels, New Zealand mussels, clams, crawfish (available seasonally), Snow or King crab legs or Lobster tails with Cajun, lemon pepper or garlic sauce and pick your heat…mild, medium, hot or Thai spicy! No matter what you decide, count on red potatoes, sausage and corn on the cob making an appearance at this party in a bowl! Share one as an appetizer or make it a meal by adding one of many sides.
I believe my most favorite menu item we sampled was the Sukiyaki Seafood Soup. Mussels, shrimp, clams and calamari swim in unison in a delicious, spicy broth with Napa cabbage, cellophane noodles, scallion and cilantro. Under special entrees, we dined on Grilled King Prawns, split open and fanned out on a platter served with that unique seafood sauce and a side of rice. A slew of other options are available…Thai curries and stir fry, wok noodles and fried rice’s round out an extensive menu.
We capped off the evening with fired banana “egg rolls” topped with caramel, whipped cream and a side of vanilla ice cream. Thai donuts and chocolate lava cake looked tempting but I can’t wait to go back and try the coconut ice cream shell!
SeaSpice is open daily for lunch and dinner from 11:30am to 11pm, 2am on Friday and Saturday for your late-night cravings. Happy Hour appetizers and salads from $3-$6 and $3 beer and $4 wine are served from 3-6pm daily. Tuesdays, bottles of wine are 50% off all day. Catch a late-night Happy Hour with half off drinks on Friday and Saturdays from 10pm to 2am. Keep an eye out for Sunday brunch with unlimited mimosa coming soon!
SeaSpice Seafood and Thai is located at 3811 N. Federal Highway in Ft. Lauderdale, next to LA Fitness. Reservations are accepted at 954-564-4422 or at spiceseafl.com or enjoy in your pajamas at home with delivery through UberEats, Delivery Dudes, Grubhub or Postmates.
