Essex Pearl

"Seafood spot Essex Pearl is one of the few sit-down restaurants in the market. And their Southeast Asian menu, featuring basically everything from the ocean, is a good move for a weeknight catch-up with a friend. Sit at the long winding bar, and go for dishes like prawn or Cambodian pork belly skewers, a generous portion of little neck clams bathing in nuoc cham, and a fried dorade that’s one of the best whole fishes we’ve had recently. Despite being in a glorified food hall, the dining area still feels busy but also slightly secluded—which makes it ideal for a date at the bar or a small group dinner where you can pick out a whole lobster or Dungeness crab from the tank and have a lively seafood feast." - Carlo Mantuano

"The crown jewel of the menu is a whole roast dorade in a tamarind chile sauce that lights up the plate, with a mint salad on top adding pungency." - Eater Staff

"This seafood restaurant with a Southeast Asian menu is one of the great sit-down spots that are sprinkled in among the typical food court-style vendors at The Market Line on the LES. For a long hang, come here early for Happy Hour (4-7pm) when you can get things like cumin lamb skewers and a gin/shochu martini for $10 each. The dining room never feels dead, but it also doesn’t get annoyingly packed, so it’s fine to sample their many small plates (deep-fried baby octopus in spicy lemongrass curry, for example) over a period of several hours. You can always move your get-together to one of the many other surrounding places if the mood for something else strikes." - Team Infatuation

"We can’t help but feel like Stefon when we tell people that the downstairs at Essex Market (also known as The Market Line) is NYC’s hottest restaurant destination. With options like Gouie and Banchan By Sunny at People’s Wine, there are finally as many great sit-down places as there are typical food court-style vendors. The latest addition, seafood spot Essex Pearl, recently reopened with a Southeast Asian menu featuring basically everything from the ocean—and all of the food is well executed. Sit at the long winding bar, and go for dishes like deep-fried, whole baby octopus in a spicy lemongrass curry, a generous portion of salmon sashimi bathing in nuoc cham, and a fried dorade that’s one of the best whole fishes we’ve had recently. It’s covered in herbs and a deeply savory and slightly spicy tamarind chile sauce, and it comes out super juicy with a ton of meat on the bones. Despite being in a glorified food hall, the dining area still feels busy but also slightly secluded—which makes it ideal for a date at the bar or a small group dinner where you can pick out a whole lobster or Dungeness crab from the tank and have a lively seafood feast." - Carlo Mantuano

"After temporarily closing in December, Essex Pearl, the seafood restaurant located in subterranean Market Line food hall inside Essex Crossing, reopens today with a new chef and a menu overhaul. According to a representative, Essex Pearl is now led by chef Daniel Le, an alum of sceney Soho spot the Tyger and acclaimed Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi House. The new Southeast Asian-leaning menu features surf and turf, Cambodian grilled pork jowl, crispy octopus, and offerings from its live fish tank. Essex Pearl is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5 to 10 p.m." - Emma Orlow