Essex Pearl — Restaurant in New York

What could of been a terrible experience turned into the best ever.

I booked tickets for my daughter and i to see a movie at Regal. The night before i was digging into which places are around to eat at. Of course i knew Essex Market and The Market Line are right next door so there are so many options.

I ran across Essex Pearl and instantly decided to wanted to try it. I assumed the vibe would be similar to "The Delancey" which is on the opposite end. Its a bar/restaurant vibe. Essex Pearl is not that. There is a beautiful bar thats attached on the right but it wasn't opened.

There was one gentleman by the register. He seemed really busy but stopped immediately when i gained his attention.

I asked for 12 oysters. They were all priced at $2 each. There was one that was $3. I opted to get 12 of the $2, ones. There was 4 types so i got three of each. The gentleman at the counter was nice but i was slowly losing my patience because everything was moving so slow. He bagged the Oysters and didnt ask if I wanted them shucked or anything. Weird right? Either way, i asked if they could be opened. He said "yes" but with some hesitancy. He also looked a little annoyed about it. I was worried that he didnt know how to open them or something. Thankfully that wasn't the case. It took a little while but he got them all opened and quite perfectly too.

Things got weird when it was time to ring me up. I was charged $30, i guess he decided to charge me more then he had to open the oysters. I didn't complain. He did ask me if i wanted cocktail sauce, i said yes. It took him about 5mins of running around and he never came back with it. He gave me lemon slices and napkins. Still forgot the cocktail sauce. He ran around some more looking for it and eventually told me that they ran out. I was annoyed because i really wanted it. He did offer to get me some if i was okay waiting. I had to still get my daughter some food and we were on a short time frame since the movie was starting soon. I told him not to worry and left. I was a little annoyed and knew the experience wouldnt be the same. I was expecting a specific taste while i was craving the oysters.

After about 7mins, he found me sitting on the other side. Not only did he have my cocktail sauce but he also had three more oysters for me. He completely turned my frown upside down. I appreciate the effort he put into doing that. He truly didnt have to and could of left me with that mediocre service. I love when people take ownership of a situation and attempt to change the experience. He knew i was a little unhappy and made the effort to track me down. I loved it.

I know not everyday is a 100% day for some businesses. In their defense it was a thursday at 3:45ish and he did seem busy and heck when i arrived. Maybe they were getting ready for dinner rush or shutting down for the day.

The oysters were so absolutely delicious. I cannot complain at all. No grit, no sand. Just fresh, silky, tastey oysters. My daughter whose 10yrs old even had some with me. They were really that good.

After he tracked me down and gave me the cocktail sauce, TWO people came up to me and ask where i had gotten the oysters from. They really did look great. Anyone could see how fresh they were.

Either way, i cant wait to experience this place when the Raw Bar is completely open. I will be back. I want more oysters, i want to try the stone crab claw and shrimp. Thank you to the kind man behind the counter, i believe his...

Wow! We had a fantastic dinner from start to finish. New year’s resolution is to return. I apologize for the length of this review but thought the details are worth sharing. The dining starts with great suggestions and insights on the wine selection. Several wines were suggested that would pair well with the seafood we were about to order. It was great to have detailed knowledge of the origins of the wine as we considered our many choices. We ended up with a great Greek wine which was perfect for the raw seafood tower. Oysters were beautiful and reasonably priced. I highly recommend the creative frozen Pickling gratinee to accompany. The stone crabs were every bit as good as those we get in Miami and better than any we find in Washington. Great aioli dip and I appreciated the medicine drop hot sauce table side to add a kick. Loved the urchins which our server helpfully explained were from Maine and therefore different from west coast ones we’re familiar with. Large shrimp were fresh and delectable. Every dish that followed we superb. The HamachI was spectacular. Lobster Bao is a must try and had a nice spicy hit. Shrimp fritters were amazing. We tried two fish dishes-the whole branzino and the Fluke. Both were very different preparations and showed off the freshness of the fish and creativity and skills of the chef. Speaking of the chef we had the pleasure to meet him. His range of tastes and the combinations he creates are amazing. Every dish sung. We were a table of 9 and everyone commented on how amazing the range of tastes we experienced were and how consistently well prepared was each dish. Get the biscuits! Try to octopus tin. Even the fingerlings are special with a nice salt finish. Other sides are excellent as well. Though seafood is the story don’t miss the pork chop. Locally sourced, cooked perfectly and sliced for serving, it is delicious. And be sure to enjoy the bone if you’re so lucky as to nab it. If you could not tell, we loved this meal and this restaurant. Service was exceptional. And arrive a bit early to enjoy the surroundings. The Essex market is worth the visit alone. So many food shops and variety of offerings. Window shop to get your appetite ready for one great meal at...

UPDATED 2023: In 2020, when I first ate a Essex Pearl in the Essex Street Market I have 3 stars here. Nothing that wowed me. All I recall is we had tinned fish as part of our meal which was odd to be eating in restaurant.

Last night, we went back.

We wound up being seated at the very generously sized bar next to the chef Daniel Le and the slide where he was expediting. He was very nice and especially chilll, kind and respectful to his staff as they efficiently got the food out.

He told me he came in post pandemic and changed the concept to a coastal South East Asian seafood theme. Essex Pearl is owned by the people who also run Aquabest seafood market on Grand Street so they

It was happy hour and they had DOLLAR OYSTERS which are rare in this town since the price of posts has skyrocketed like everything else. They were not the Bluepoints that you often find on cheap oyster deals, but tasty "Bad Boys" from Nova Scotia. I had six but a couple near us polished off seven dozen of them!

The rest of the food was very good! I loved the Australian grilled tiger prawns. They reminded me how much I miss fermented shrimp paste. Finger licking good for sure! The clams were in divine coconut sauce and served with the fried crullers that are traditionally served with congee. The wings were the BOMB! Tender, spicy, sweet and crunchy!

We didn't get the skate tempura special because we were stuffed! But I do love skate.

I realized we can hop on the subway from my house and be there in ten minutes. That makes it even faster than walking to some restaurants in my own neighborhood.

We'll be back! +++++++++

Old Review from 2020 This is a good place to gorge on seafood that is not ridiculously expensive and where the seafood is very fresh because they don't buy from middleman. I especially loved the selection of oysters we had. The waiter was very well versed on the different ones they had to offer. I like the sauces that came with them especially the pickle ice. The standout dishes were the shrimp fritters and the lobster. Some of the prepared foods were under seasoned like the...