Seiryū – A New Asian Spot in Solec

The brand-new Seiryū restaurant on Solec is something of a dark horse – until very recently, practically nothing was known about it. Well, apart from the fact that it was opening and would have an Asian culinary focus.

There was no proper description of the concept, no menu, not even the most basic attempt to warm up the audience ahead of the opening – absolutely nothing. Quite a remarkable thing in 2026. The owners simply finished the renovation and decided to open quietly. So, in order to understand what the new place is actually about, I had no choice but to be one of its first guests.

Inside, everything looks great – especially if you don’t look too closely. Japanese minimalism rules the space in all its forms. There’s a separate koagari area where you can sit without your shoes next to an improvised ikebana arrangement, a huge textile-and-bamboo wall panel, and a Japanese garden with sand and a miniature tree built into the table. Add a ton of beige and plenty of natural light coming through the windows, and you get a space that is genuinely comfortable to spend time in.

But let me say this straight away: although everything here is done with taste, this is not the kind of expensive, ultra-trendy interior you’ll find at places like Happa to Mame or Oromatcha.

The owners and staff are from Japan and Vietnam, but the menu goes far beyond those two countries. At Seiryū, you’ll find tom yum and tom kha, kaarage chicken, udon, a section dedicated to Hawaiian poke, Teishoku sets, sushi and sashimi rolls, and even tartares and tataki.

Interestingly enough, this mix of cuisines is reflected in the soundtrack, too – the speakers might be playing traditional Japanese music, followed by a guitar cover of American pop, and then another cover, this time Joe Dassin on the piano. Asian fusion in all its wonderfully chaotic glory.

The prawn Tom Yum (29 PLN) is surprisingly good for the price. An authentic, fairly powerful broth – right on the edge of acidity and heat, and just a little more salt would have pushed it over the line – forms the foundation. Inside, there are three huge prawns, cherry tomatoes, finely chopped coriander, plus shimeji mushrooms and seaweed, which are somewhat unusual for this format.

I wouldn’t call it the best recipe in town, but for 29 PLN in the city centre, you’re unlikely to find anything better.

Instead of the salmon tataki, I was served a tartare (47 PLN). No cutlery came with it, so the choice was simple – either eat it with chopsticks or clean the spoon left over from the soup with a napkin and use that.

The tartare predictably falls into the “fine, but nothing more” category: a bed of diced avocado and decent salmon in a neat dressing make for a perfectly understandable base, while everything else seems to have been added not for the sake of flavour, but for the sake of the “we serve Asian food here” format. Two types of tobiko, rice chips, a teriyaki sauce decoration on the side, and a garnish of shredded daikon with a little bunch of salad don’t really do much: they’re here more for decoration. The fish itself, though, is perfectly good.

The tuna poke (50 PLN) is absolutely gigantic and comes with a ton of extras. Ginger, daikon, two types of salad, avocado, edamame, corn, cucumber, a very lively dressing, a little teriyaki sauce, punchy tuna, and very decent rice – this is one of those cases where healthy eating is not only good for you, but also pretty well put together.

The portions of the main dishes, such as the udon, are huge; and as for the Teishoku, which comes with a main dish, miso soup, and three mini starters, I won’t even get started. The prices are quite pleasant, too, and there seem to be some opening discounts – for example, a 10% discount somehow appeared on my bill.

So, for now, Seiryū feels like a place that is stylish visually, but pleasantly old-school in its approach to food – with generous portions and a moderately authentic take on the cuisine. Yes, it’s still a little rough around the edges in places – but come on, what else would you expect? It’s the owners’ first restaurant and only the first few days of operation. At the same time, the restaurant feels remarkably honest and genuine. And these days, that in itself is becoming increasingly rare.

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