A Vietnamese street food restaurant opening a Louisiana-inspired ‘seafood boil’ in Birmingham might read like a word salad. But it’s not as crazy as it first reads. For those in the know, Viet-Cajun cuisine has long been a delicacy in the melting pot of the USA’s Deep South. Now one of Birmingham’s favourite restaurants is bringing this traditional cooking method across the pond.
Vietnamese Street Kitchen – the family-run restaurant in Birmingham’s Bullring – will open Seafood City in the Arcadian on Monday, July 1. This new ‘get down and dirty’ concept takes direct inspiration from the original southern ‘seafood boil’ made famous in Louisiana. Think of it as having barbecue-vibes but for shellfish and seafood instead of pork, chicken and beef.
“It’s all about diving right in, putting your bib aprons on and getting your hands messy so that you can enjoy seafood in an unpretentious way,” said General Manager, Oliver Ngo. “The idea is to bring friends, families and seafood lovers together to enjoy the riches of the sea in the simplest way possible.”
This family-style,cook-out has long been adopted by the Vietnamese community, but it’s now starting to take over all of London and TikTok too. Seafood City hopes to inspire a similar hunger for seafood boil in the Midlands this summer… as you tuck into lobsters, crab, shrimps, oysters, mussels, clams and crawfish.
So how will Seafood City work? Just boil your choice of seafood and pair it with a signature sauce of either garlic butter or XXL sauce (for those who like it hot!) You can also mix it up by grilling/frying your favourite seafood too. Plus, tuck into everything from lobster rolls to crab and prawn burgers, with a side of seasoned fries of course. Plus, options for those who aren’t big on seafood too.
The restaurant’s classic ‘City Boil’ includes five king prawns, five fresh mussels, red roast potatoes, garlic bread, corn on the cob and a sauce of your choice (garlic butter, cajun or hot and spicy) for £15.95. Other dishes include the signature combo ‘Don’t Be Shellfish’ with lobster tail, 10 king prawns, and 10 fresh mussels – which, at £39.90, can be shared between two or devoured alone; and ‘The Feast’, with snow crab cluster, for four people to share at £115.
Seafood City is taking over a 1700 sq ft space, previously occupied by Rozu, inside of The Arcadian. Expect bright lights and neon colour – with the design pulling from ‘retro-futurism’ and Japanese typography – and a hidden mascot, Larry the Lobster. It will seat up to 99 people, while a cocktail bar sits in the middle as the centrepiece, plus there’ll be outdoor seating for summer days.
You’ll find Seafood City at Arcadian Centre, 70 Hurst Street, Birmingham B5 4TD. If you’d like to learn more here here.