.Sea Pearl, Gallows Road in Merrifield - Chef Sly Liao's Upscale Pan-Asian in Merrifield - Closed

[ScotteeM]

ol_ironstomach said:

And ends with a plug for the Sea Pearl Restaurant in Merrifield, a contemporary American place owned by the eldest of the sisters. Anybody been?

They've been open for about 10 days, according to a sign in the parking garage. Someone who works in another business in the building told me that the owner originally wanted to call the restaurant "Black Pearl," but there were issues with using that name.

I was hoping it would be a good alternative for lunch as I work nearby, but the menu seems a little too steep for my budget.

[DonRocks]

Their e-mail newsletter today indicates a late September opening, due to unavoidable construction delays.

And ends with a plug for the Sea Pearl Restaurant in Merrifield, a contemporary American place owned by the eldest of the sisters. Anybody been?

To The Investors Of Sea Pearl, the 10,000 square foot, 250-seat restaurant that just opened in Merrifield Town Center:

My condolences on being five years too late to the speculative real estate party.

--

I came home this evening, after having a rather unimpressive dinner at Sea Pearl, and was going to write what I just wrote, and then I saw ol_ironstomach's post about Sea Pearl being owned by one of the Four Sisters.

That puts a lot into perspective. The two anchors of "Merrifield Town Center" (which is nothing more than the ground floor of two condominium buildings built near the Dunn Loring Metro) are Sea Pearl and the new Four Sisters.

As a standalone entity, I view Sea Pearl as a financial disaster, not unlike Alto Plaza in Centerville. But taken in tandem with Four Sisters, it comes across as more of a Proctor and Gamble situation - where a single company owns Dove, Palmolive, Cascade, Downy, Wisk, Arm and Hammer, etc., and tries to sell everything to everyone, creating a behind-the-scenes monopoly.

Which brings me to my next point: If I owned the 4,000-seat Multiplex Cinemas at Merrifield - one block away - I would extort money from both of these restaurants, basically saying, "We'll stay open and continue to show movies in our 14 theatres, but only if you pay us $50,000 a month." Without this cinema, how on earth would either of these restaurants survive?

Cheers,

Rocks.

[chef4cook]

Ditto on both posts above!

[joycek]

Ditto again. My fiance works at the Vantage Condos/Apartments right above Sea Pearl. We were excited to try Sea Pearl, so I went there after work last week to meet him for dinner. He got caught at work, so I went ahead in and decided to have a drink at the bar. The very moment I walked into this place I had the same feeling as Don: extremely manufactured, trying to be Manhattan-in-Staten-Island feel. No warmth or local feel - not to mention entirely empty at 5:45 and a full waitstaff of 8 sitting at the bar with me. I had a Grey Goose martini (billed at $2 off for happy hour) - and still rang up at $8.50 with the discount. After perusing the menu and suffering significant sticker shock - in tandem with the feeling that given everything I'd seen the execution would not match the prices - my fiance and I hightailed it over to Sweetwater. Once open, I think we'll stick with the tried and true Four Sisters in that area.

[chef4cook]

The Executive Chef/Owner/Partner had worked for Ark Restaurants(owners of Sequoia+three other restaurants in DC) for the past 15+ years with a lot of that time spent in NYC so I am told. Ark is a big "corporate" hospitality company. They open "Big" restaurants. That pretty much removes any comfy feeling from the equation. The prices are way too high for that strip of gallows road to begin with, But trying to fill those 300 seats with those menu prices is going to be next to impossible. I believe they are banking on new construction that will supposedly do away with the multi-plex theater to be replaced with more condos I'm told.

The food is supposed to be "California" cuisine which, as almost anybody that has lived in DC for any length of time will tell you, doesn't fly in this town.

The kitchen is decked out like a noahs ark. Front and back line. Dedicated walk-ins for dairy/produce, meat, seafood with corresponding sinks and work stations in front of each walk-in. There are no ticket machines online for orders. Orders are viewed on touch screens. brand new everything! 60 qt vari-mixer, combi-oven etc.etc,etc. This place cost somebody a lot of dollars. Not to mention a couple years of planning.

Even in great economic times I think this place would face a monumental task trying to fill those seats. Imho!

[bhlo]

I personally disagree and think Sea Pearl is amazing. They have a wide variety of options for menu items and prices. The lunch prices are competitive and the portion size was way more than I could eat alone. The happy hour prices are very reasonable. Grey Goose for $8.50..thats a steal! For a 3oz. pour of Grey Goose anywhere in DC is $13+...and I know its not DC but its also not a dive bar! I think its about time Falls Church or N. Va has a place like Sea Pearl! I loved it and will definatly be a regular!

[Billy DeLion]

Welcome bhlo, interesting first post. You didn't really describe that competively priced lunch dish which was more than you could finish alone. Specifics are generally appreciated.

Billy

[Sthitch]

I personally disagree and think Sea Pearl is amazing. They have a wide variety of options for menu items and prices. The lunch prices are competitive and the portion size was way more than I could eat alone. The happy hour prices are very reasonable. Grey Goose for $8.50..thats a steal! For a 3oz. pour of Grey Goose anywhere in DC is $13+...and I know its not DC but its also not a dive bar! I think its about time Falls Church or N. Va has a place like Sea Pearl! I loved it and will definatly be a regular!

Before I jump to the conclusion that you are a shill, would you please let us know some of the dishes that you have had and those that you have found particularly good and anything that might be less than spectacular (not saying bad just not as good as everything else)?

[Kibbee Nayee]

OK, stopped by tonight after a great meal at Four Sisters. I was shocked. Four Sisters was packed on a Sunday night with a line going out the door, and Sea Pearl was practically empty. The eldest "sister" showed me around -- and I agree, this place is opulent to the extreme -- and I thanked her and grabbed a menu on the way out. While I might someday want to try a Rack of Colorado Lamb for $29 or a Szechwan Style Flat Iron Steak for $25, I can walk half a block to Four Sisters and have 3 courses for the same amount. Pass.

[ScotteeM]

We finally went to Sea Pearl this morning for Sunday brunch, and I'm sorry it took us so long to get around to it!

The space is quite large, and I think it is beautiful. My only objection is that all of the surfaces are hard, so if the place were full to capacity, it could be quite noisy.

It wasn't full this morning, but there were a few family groups there when we arrived at about 11:00. More groups came in while we were there, and I would say they were decently busy in the dining room. The tables are spaced well apart, and the banquettes and chairs are comfortable. Secure-looking "booster seats" seem custom-made for the chairs, offering the small-fry diners a safe way to sit up at the table. Actually, for such a sleek, modern-looking space, it seems very family friendly. The tots' beverages were served in colorful plastic cups with lids and straws.

I started with the Ocean Bisque, a seafood and tomato broth full of pieces of fish and shellfish, nicely seasoned with thyme, and topped with a squiggle of creme fraiche and chopped chives. The bread basket, containing pieces of onion focaccia, kept my husband busy and satisfied.

My entree was the fritatta with asparagus, Maytag blue cheese, and applewood smoked bacon. It was rich and delicious. The bacon was in sizable cubes, which I thought were more satisfying that little bits. The asparagus was quite thick, and I might have preferred thinner stalks, but they were nicely cooked, neither too crisp nor too limp. I loved it, and ended up bringing half of it home for tomorrow's breakfast.

My husband ordered the fish and chips, and found it very enjoyable. The fish was perfectly cooked, with a crisp coating that held together and was not at all greasy. The fries were cut small and fried crisp and not oily. The small side of pureed peas had a minty zing, and were a nice nod to "mushy peas", although I have no idea how authentic they were.

Service was efficient and friendly without being overbearing.

I can't wait to go back for lunch, and maybe try their burger!

[kustomerkritic]

Hey everyone,

I had a really bad experience with Sea Pearl this pst Valentine's Day. We had reservations for 7:30 and arrived ontime. Unfortunately the hostess was practically running and i struggled to catch up with her and she than seated us and gave us a drink menu-mind you-she didnt give us the dinner menu. We looked around and tried to see around the room if we could find a special menu anyone hada t their table and found nothing. Finally after 15 minutes the waitress came by and asked what we wanted-and we ordered to cocktails. After 10 more minutes she brought it back and came and asked what we wanted to order-At this point we were still looking around and waiting to get a mneu-we thought maybe they do things different. Than we responded saying the hostess never gave us a menu-she looked around the table and walked away. She than brought us the menu. We ordered our entrees after she gave us more time to pick what we wanted. We could never get her attention nor could we find her in the restaurant for a glass of wine. Finally we had our meal after 45 minutes. We were waiting to get our check and finally got our check by waving and making it obvious we needed our check. She said she would bring it-but -at this point we just gave her the carda nd told her to run it. She was gone for 50 MINUTES!!! We looked around the room and several others were also waiting to leave and were waiting for their receipt. She finally came back and said the cc machines are down and to wait til it works again. My fiance ended up askign her in the meantime for an atm-she had no clue where to go and he ended up leaving for over 20 minutes-at this point we were furious-we spoke to the waitress and said we had to leave by now she brought the hostess-and the hostess yelled at us and i asked for the manager at this time-she finally came out and said nothing other than she couldnt do anythign about ti-we told her we had to leave this was aweful service. She offered nothign to us and let us go. We never got billed 1 week later -or 2 weeks later. Finally!!!! AFTER A MONTH HAD PASSED- Sea Pearl finally charged us and we HATED our experience and the lack of customer service-we told plenty of people about this and they also will never go there for food

[hapatite]

I don't know if we're all going to the same Sea Pearl, but I loved my experience there.

I hate sea bass, but I ordered it begrudgingly at the waiter's recommendation and it is seriously one of the best fish dishes I have ever had.

The restaurant isn't overpriced at all, it just depends what you order. I think the quality of food is just right for the price point--similar prices and food can be had at a Great American Restaurant

The space is very nice, especially the lounge area, but the main dining room is a little big and awkwardly laid out.

I really like the decor by where we sat, it reminds me somehow of 2941

[Kibbee Nayee]

Sea Pearl continues to struggle. Had dinner there tonight with three others. As we walked in the back door through the lounge area, we asked if we could sit in the lounge -- it was empty at 4:30 -- and we were told the lounge was booked tonight. Oh well....

OK, so we took a corner table in the opulently over-decorated main dining room. Waitress took our drink order, but it seemed unaccommodating to our Mormon guest who does not imbibe. First he asked for lemonade, then he asked for root beer, and the waitress ended up telling him that about all she could offer was ginger ale. Next we ordered appetizers, and I asked for the pacu ribs -- from a fish, not bad but overly sauced -- as well as the chicken wing lollipops, and my friend asked if the spring rolls with shrimp and crab can be made without crab because he was allergic. She informed him that the rolls are pre-made, so there was no ability to remove the crab from the recipe. Two other appetizer orders were the shrimp cocktail and the lamb skewers, both of which were nice. But she did come out of the kitchen to inform me that the kitchen had run out of the wings. Hmmm....shouldn't the waitress at a mostly empty restaurant be all on top of the kitchen's provisions?

On to the main courses, and I went with the sea bass, which was oversauced, but served with an interesting "block" of room temperature rice with a slaw-like relish over top -- the slaw appeared all over the appetizers and the main courses -- and companions had the salmon, the rib eye and the filet. Incredibly, and for roughly the same price, the sea bass and the salmon came in roughly 3.5 oz. portions, while the steak dishes came in roughly 8 oz. portions. Again, roughly the same price for each entree.

Cutting to the chase, which in this case is an evaluation, this place is still going through massive growing pains well beyond its first anniversary. It's expense does not justify its lack of quality, the service is a bit shoddy, the kitchen is extremely uneven and it will not likely rise to a destination restaurant. At least not anytime soon.

So....by 7:00pm or so, the dining room was almost empty, the bar area was half-full and the lounge area had a function going on. Not that I'm an expert, but that's not a sustainable business model....

My only consolation is that I did not pick up the bill tonight.

[RaisaB]

Never underestimate the power of the written word. I live near Sea Pearl and I have been tempted to go, but I read these reviews and I stay away. How can something so average be run by the same family who runs 4 Sisters?

[DonRocks]

How can something so average be run by the same family who runs 4 Sisters?

Ask Hank Williams, Jr.

I actually drove by Sea Pearl today, and although I can't remember specifics, I noticed work being done on Gallows Road, and remember thinking how unbeckoning "Merrifield Town Center" (*) is to the passing vehicle.

(*) I say that in quotes, because I still think the name is somewhat grandiose for what it actually is.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Never underestimate the power of the written word. I live near Sea Pearl and I have been tempted to go, but I read these reviews and I stay away. How can something so average be run by the same family who runs 4 Sisters?

Your consolation is that Four Sisters is only half a block away!

[Ericandblueboy]

Had lunch there yesterday. Nice space, and big too. The menu is large, containing both western and Asian items. I had a lobster roll for $20, which came with fries and a small salad. There's plenty of lobster, but not as much as Passionfish's sandwich, nor did it taste as good (still pretty good though). The fries, seasoned with fresh garlic and rosemary, are crispy and tasty, but I can live without fries. I'd have to go back and try other menu items because 7 others all said their dishes were very good (including fish and chips, chilean sea bass, braised root veggies, mac 'n cheese with shrimp, bbq salmon salad and tandoori shrimp wrap).

[lmnop]

Sea Pearl is a consistently enjoyable experience for us, although we do tend to order almost the same thing every time we go. My husband loves the preparation of their mussel appetizer and I could eat the broth with a spoon. I usually stick with the sea bass and my husband really likes the baked Alaskan cod. Service is always gracious and helpful and it's a visually pleasing space to dine.There seems to be some sort of private party almost every time we go. Sea Pearl and Passionfish are our two "destination spots" in Virginia.

[Ericandblueboy]

Had the fire and ice ceviche yesterday, tried some pumpkin pakora that someone else ordered, and then had a yellowfin tuna wrap. The ceviche tasted good but it was really spicy - in fact, too damn spicy for me. I like a little bit of chili flakes on my crudo/ceviche but not freshly sliced red hot peppers. I had to eat some foccacia to remove the heat. The pumpkin pakora was quite nice - a huge plate too that several of us were able to share. I also liked my tuna, cooked medium. Definitely a good place for business lunches, but the place wasn't very crowded at all on a Monday.

[MsDiPesto]

Went there for the first time to a friend's birthday celebration last night. They are in the process of switching to a summer menu, so some things such as the hand-pulled noodles with the lamb rago were unavailable, as was the pumpkin pakora. Met another friend early at the bar, and got a ginger limeade, which was delish (but could use a touch more ginger). Service was very cordial throughout.

Our table ordered a variety of entrees, and I got the one dud, a tough pork chop. Everyone else was fine with their short ribs, mac & cheese, lamb shank, szcheuan tenderloin, salmon, etc.

However, I loved the tuna tartare starter, and its presentation was gorgeous. We left the choice of wines up to a couple of people in our group whose taste we respect, and ended up with the restaurant's last two bottles of the Frogs Leap Cab, followed by a Graham Beck Syrah, both of which complimented our wide variety of flavors.

As for dessert, those who had the coconut cake enjoyed it, as did those who ordered the pear/cranberry crumble. I really liked the salty/sweet brittle that came with my bitter dark chocolate ice creme, although it was too salty for some. I'd go again just for the tuna tartare and that brittle.

[Pete]

Paula and I had a terrific lunch at Sea Pearl back in July. I forgot that I didn't post about it. This was my first time at the restaurant, and I could not believe how large a space it is. To start, we split the PEI Mussels with white wine, jalapeno, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce. There were a couple of mussels that did not open; however, this was an extremely generous portion and would make a very nice lunch on its own. The jalapeno provided just enough eat to compliment rather than overpower. Any leftover sauce was mopped up with the remaing bread. For our mains, paula had the "Pork Belly Tiger Bites", which was served in a steamed chinese bun. The pork belly was very tender and flavorful. I had the Grilled Yellow Fin Tuna Tortilla, which is basically a tuna burrito (props to the server for asking me how I wanted the tuna cooked). I really enjoyed this dish, as the tuna was properly cooked and was not overwhelmed by the other ingredients. This was served with garlic fries, which were delicious.

Service was attentive but not overwhelming. The lunch portions are ample and the prices are reasonable, especially given the quality of the food and ambiance of the restaurant. This is a great lunch option for those who want a relaxing atmosphere and can spare more than 30 minutes for a lunch break.

[lion]

Still haven't gone after many years of going to Four Sisters in Merrifield. Wonder if night time and weekend business will increase now that Mosaic District is open.

[KMango]

I walked by today and saw a banner hanging prominently above the door exclaiming "Weekend Brunch $1 Oysters". Has anyone tried this?

(advertisement or epitaph?)

(i wonder when i see)

("discount seafood")

[DonRocks]

I walked by today and saw a banner hanging prominently above the door exclaiming "Weekend Brunch $1 Oysters". Has anyone tried this?

(advertisement or epitaph?)

(i wonder when i see)

("discount seafood")

I hate to see a question, even a rhetorical one, dangling, so all I'll say is Matt's mom and stepdad went there for mother's day, and Matt's mom loved it; Matt didn't. The evening he told me, we were at Trummer's (which we both agree is terrific right now), and the conversation went something like, 'Dad, it's just as expensive as *this* is.' Matt lacks a studied perspective, but his palate is as good as mine, and he sees things I sometimes don't.

My last meal there was maybe a year ago, and it just wasn't noteworthy. Not bad, mind you, but not justifying the relatively high prices (kissing $30 for fish entrees). If it was a small space, I could see it, but this is a fairly large restaurant with competition sprouting up all around it. I believe the restaurant has too many square feet to survive - The Mosaic District is not Tysons Corner Mall.

Don't get me started on Four Sisters. Have you noticed how certain other critics are saying 'it's not what it used to be?' Well, it's *exactly* what it used to be.

[Kibbee Nayee]

Don't get me started on Four Sisters. Have you noticed how certain other critics are saying 'it's not what it used to be?' Well, it's *exactly* what it used to be.

At some point a few years ago, the "Sisters" were made aware of the development plans in this area and grabbed some fine locations. That one of them decided to break off from the franchise and start her own thing on the high end was ill-advised IMHO. The bar area is quite nice, but the back of the house needs a "name" upgrade if it's going to succeed there. Otherwise, she's probably going to end up back with her Sisters and turn the space over to a reboot, like Andres or Tunks (I could see a Jaleo or a Ten Penh there.).

[DrXmus]

At some point a few years ago, the "Sisters" were made aware of the development plans in this area and grabbed some fine locations. That one of them decided to break off from the franchise and start her own thing on the high end was ill-advised IMHO. The bar area is quite nice, but the back of the house needs a "name" upgrade if it's going to succeed there. Otherwise, she's probably going to end up back with her Sisters and turn the space over to a reboot, like Andres or Tunks (I could see a Jaleo or a Ten Penh there.).

In the back of my cobwebby mind I think I remember that it's a brother, not a sister, who owns Sea Pearl. Just to add my 2 cents, I went maybe 5 months ago, but none of us in the group thought we'd go back. Good food but not worth the money. I can spend less for more elsewhere.

[Kibbee Nayee]

I can spend less for more elsewhere.

In fact, just a few steps away, two people can eat quite well at Four Sisters for the price of one entree at Sea Pearl.

[hoosiereph]

Although Sea Pearl's website lists a weekend closing time of 10:30, on several occasions I have noticed a high-energy, party-like atmosphere there at least as late as 10 p.m., with throngs of Asian faces, dance music, merriment, and revelry. I suspect that this is a missing part of the story of how a place like this can survive for nearly 5 years with rarely a dinnertime crowd.

For what it's worth, Sea Pearl has been a big success with some of my visiting family, thanks to high-quality fish and a willingness on the part of the chef to accommodate complex dietary restrictions.

[RWBooneJr]

... the back of the house needs a "name" upgrade if it's going to succeed there ...

Not going to happen -- the "sister" in question (Ly Lai) is married to the chef (Sly Liao) and they opened the place together.

[Kibbee Nayee]

About three years since the last post?

Lunch today at Sea Pearl was quite good. I had the stack of spicy tuna tartare with avocado, and it was lovely. Companion had the grilled salmon salad, which actually looked better than most. I didn't taste it, but she declared worthy of a repeat order.

Lunch was decidedly uncrowded. Actually, for me that's a good thing, because I could have gone to another place with deafening noise levels and not had the business conversation I had today. Thumbs up.

Also noticed that a sushi bar is in place, and sushi and sashimi are on the lunch menu. That's a change from the last time I was here a few years ago.

My guess is that the revenue is from happy hour, dinner and weekend brunch buffet. I assume that drives a pretty good top line for them. I will certainly keep this place on my list for business meals in the Fairfax area.

 

[Kibbee Nayee]

Drove by Sea Pearl a week ago after another wonderful meal at Four Sisters and noticed that Sea Pearl is deader than a doornail. Neon signs removed. Closed.

[Kibbee Nayee]

The Dining Guide still lists Sea Pearl #2 in Merrifield, which brings up two issues....

#1 Sea Pearl is closed. Has been for a while.

#2 Wow, is the Dining Guide in need of a Merrifield refresh or what?