Essex Pearl
Seafood restaurant · Chelsea
25 11th Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA
Highlights
Southeast Asian seafood featuring lobster rolls & whole fried dorade
Southeast Asian seafood featuring lobster rolls & whole fried dorade
"A Southeast Asian seafood-forward concept from a longtime NYC seafood supplier relaunching inside James Beard’s Market 57 on Pier 57; the operator previously ran a Market Line location and is returning to a food-hall adjacent, waterfront setting." - Nadia Chaudhury
"A Southeast Asian concept from New York City seafood supplier Aqua Best will debut inside James Beard’s Market 57 on Pier 57 at 25 11th Avenue on Friday, March 21. Aqua Best originally opened the concept as part of the Market Line food hall in the Lower East Side in 2019; it closed down completely in March 2024." - Nadia Chaudhury
"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
"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
