monsoonmartin

Saying there’s a great seafood restaurant to be found in Lancaster County is a bit like suggesting that it’s feasible to get an authentic cheesesteak in Mississippi, or that a white person can look good with dreadlocks.  Well, Topher, let your natty dreads fly and get your cracker ass down to Biloxi to order “one, widout,” because there is a great seafood restaurant in Lancaster County.

It’s called Kyma Seafood Grill (pronounced KEY-muh, from the Greek word for wave), and it opened on June 30^th, 2009.  Locale is 1640 North Reading Road (Route 272) in Denver at the former site of the Silk City Diner, in the same building as Johnny’s Steakhouse, which is located downstairs and is accessed at the rear of the building.

Brothers Nick and George Barakos, who own both Johnny’s and Kyma, basically gutted both the drab, pedestrian interior and the mediocre, family-restaurant menu of the Silk City Diner, leaving only the footprint of the former eatery.  The result is a sleek, modern décor with upscale touches: neon blue and red strip lights lining the top edge of the main dining room, wave murals and a dynamic, wave-inspired logo, and lots of dark wood.  The brightly-lit bar area is contrasted by more moderately lighted seating areas—booths and tables—accommodating about 160 patrons.

But it’s the fresh, masterfully prepared food at Kyma that will make us go back for more.  Kyma’s single-page, oversized menu includes both cold and hot appetizers, all in the $10 price range, as well as a variety of salads (in the $10-$15 range).  Kyma offers specialty drinks as well as more traditional fare, both alcoholic and non-alcoholic.  (Mrs. Monsoon recommends the Fallen Mermaid martini—and making sure you have a ride home.)  Most impressive to me is the fact that they use Pepsi fountain products; most restaurants, to their detriment, use Coca-Cola or concoct their own, vaguely cola-like travesties.

The entrées include seafood and steaks—most of which are in the $15-$20 range, with some $25 or a bit more, depending on market price.  Check the menu for details, but entrée offerings include ahi tuna, halibut, tilapia, steak & lobster tail, and various shrimp and crab dishes.  Kyma is particularly known for its Colossal Crab Cake, if online reviews are to be believed.  The steaks are the same that are served at Johnny’s Steakhouse downstairs, so the quality and preparation are outstanding.  In addition, entrées come with choice of soup or salad and one side; sides include fries, roasted garlic mashed potato, steam veggies, rice pilaf, and more.

We visited Kyma on Saturday night, arriving at about 5:15.  We were greeted immediately and seated in a small side room that offered privacy but did not leave us feeling “cut off” from the rest of the patrons.  (We did not have to wait, but the place got crowded pretty quickly.  On our way out, we noticed several parties waiting to be seated.)  Our waitress, Madeline, was exceptional, offering drink and entrée ideas, answering questions, and chatting amiably about her own background and preferences.  The timing of salad and soup, then entrée, was exquisite.  She was also snappy with a Pepsi refill, bringing a replacement before I even had to ask.  The ambiance and professionalism of the staff left the impression of a popular dining spot in the city rather than a restaurant along a mostly industrial stretch of 272.

After the obligatory bread and butter, Mrs. Monsoon and I settled in and made our choices: I would have the Snow Crab Legs (1 ½ lbs. steamed, with butter, $22), with a cup of the Chesapeake Crab soup and a side of fries; she would have the Chilean Sea Bass ($25) with the roasted garlic mashed potato and a side salad.

Friends, yum.  The house vinaigrette on the side salad was very good; the thick-cut sea bass was grilled lightly and cooked to perfection.  The crab soup had a bit of “bite” to it, but I have a lightweight palate for hot n’ spicy fare, and I was just fine. 

The crab legs were freaking delicious.  They’d been “scored” and steamed flawlessly, so the shells cracked easily and yielded large chunks of succulent meat.  There was a little side of melted butter, too, but the sweet crab scarcely needed it.  The fries were out of this world—batter-dipped, crispy, and flavorful.

The food at Kyma is prepared just the way the menu indicates, with no unnecessary ingredients or culinary-school flourishes.  It is not fussy or pretentious, and the cook had not smeared old bay seasoning over everything.  Those who know me can vouch for my persnickety-hood, and have probably seen a minor hissy-fit or two when an otherwise palatable food is unexpectedly slathered with a Hollandaise mushroom gravy.  No such histrionics were needed at Kyma.

The food is well worth the money, but prices at Kyma are not cheap, so it’s not a place we’ll be able to afford on a regular basis.  (A couple should expect a check in the $60-$70 range, before gratuity.)  But I would highly recommend a visit for its delectable seafood and excellent service.

Kyma is open Tuesday through Tuesday from 4 to 10pm; Friday and Saturday from 4 to 10:30pm; and Sunday from 4 to 9pm; it is closed Mondays.  Reservations are only accepted during the week and may be made by calling 717-335-3833.

Directions can be MapQuested from their website, but here are the basics…

From Reading, take 222 South to the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Denver exit.  Make a right at the light at the end of the ramp.  At the next light, turn left onto 272 South.  Kyma will be on your right after about a mile.

From Lancaster, take 222 North to the Pennsylvania Turnpike/Denver exit.  Make a left at the light at the end of the ramp.  At the second light, turn left onto 272 South.  Kyma will be on your right after about a mile.

From Philadelphia and suburban points, take the Pennsylvania Turnpike west to exit 286.  After the toll plaza, continue straight for about a mile to the third traffic light.  Turn left onto 272 South.  Kyma will be on your right after about a mile.

Monsoon