THE BEST: Chinatown Fish Market

[Daniel]

Ok.. So, I have already started my Christmas Eve Dinner plans.. I want to do a big seafood spread.. There are at this point 40 something people coming and more keep getting added.. I have been told that the best Seafood prices and ingredients are in Chinatown..

Anyone know any exceptional places?

[raji]

I pretty much always go to the Fish markets on 9th avenue below 42nd...

However, I've heard from many ABCs, and from what I've seen, that the markets on Grand east of Broadway are the better ones...

While you're down there, don't forget to hit that huge meat market, i think it's on Elizabeth?. It's the one so large that it cuts through to the the next avenue over...

Edited September 6, 2006 by raji (log)

[Dryden]

Deluxe food is indeed on Elizabeth. For some fish, but more for seafood, try Centre Seafood on, um, Centre.

[AzianBrewer]

The fish markets on Grand are better than (price wise) the ones on Canal. I have noticed a lot locals shop on that street. Canal is just too crowded.

[weinoo]

There are two fish markets with great prices directly across the street from one another. They're both on Grand just west of Christie Street.

Caveat emptor.

[ned]

You can go up to the Hunt's Point Market the night before your party. They say it opens at 12:00 am but nobody is ready to sell anything until about 2:00am. Costs four bucks to get in. As an example of the pricing, this summer I bought two headless wild chinook for 7 bucks a pound. At that time the same fish were selling in the markets for 14 to 19 bucks a pound.

[Live It Up]

I buy often seafood in chinatown, but usually whatever strikes my fancy. However, I NEED 18 soft shell crabs this saturday. I already have the phone numbers of every fish market I can think of that might have them, but I was wondering if I should bother checking any of the fish markets in chinatown? Are there any places that generally have them in season? I live near chinatown, so I could take a quick stroll through if it's worth my time. Any other leads for the elusive soft shells?

Edited April 12, 2007 by Live It Up (log)

[elastic22]

Are there any places that generally have them in season? I live near chinatown, so I could take a quick stroll through if it's worth my time. Any other leads for the elusive soft shells?

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there are 2 places on grand close to chrystie that had bushels full of them last friday. They're across the street from one another- about 1 storefront in from chrystie.

[Eatmywords]

Just about all the C-Town spots have them (when in season). I usually hit one of the two within a block of e/other on Canal near Elizabeth. (There are several others close by but proximity to the subways for these two makes them attractive esp when you're hands are turning blue from 8 bags of fruits, vegs, herbs, scs and 99cent crap : )~

[Live It Up]

Are there any places that generally have them in season? I live near chinatown, so I could take a quick stroll through if it's worth my time. Any other leads for the elusive soft shells?

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there are 2 places on grand close to chrystie that had bushels full of them last friday. They're across the street from one another- about 1 storefront in from chrystie.

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Thanks! Do you happen to remember the price? I'm assuming I'll need to bring cash. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever asked if any of them take credit cards. Do they?

[weinoo]

Bring cash - and I'm pretty sure the bushel baskets are live blue crabs, but not soft-shell, which are usually packed much more carefully.

In addition to the two seafood stores across the street from each other on Grand just west of Chrystie St. (and right upstairs from the B and D trains), there is another seafood shop on the north side of Grand St. just east of Forsythe - looks a little cleaner and a bit more upmarket than the other two, but I haven't bought anything there yet. Might be a source for soft-shells, though.

[weinoo]

As an update, I took a walk through Chinatown yesterday (E. Broadway side) and didn't see any soft-shells in the fish stalls on and around E. Broadway...lots of bushel baskets of blue crabs, however, which I'm pretty sure all come from se Asia.

As an alternative, you might call Wild Edibles, Citarella's, or any of the other higher-end fish sellers, who generally get the good stuff as soon as the season starts.

[adrman]

As an alternative, you might call Wild Edibles, Citarella's, or any of the other higher-end fish sellers, who generally get the good stuff as soon as the season starts.

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Wild Edibles in the GC Market has them........ @$9.99 each!

[tupac17616]

As an alternative, you might call Wild Edibles, Citarella's, or any of the other higher-end fish sellers, who generally get the good stuff as soon as the season starts.

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Wild Edibles in the GC Market has them........ @$9.99 each!

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So does Dean & Deluca - $5

[weinoo]

Wild Edibles in the GC Market has them........ @$9.99 each! 

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Yikes - considering that the blue crabs are $11 - $15 a dozen in Chinatown, that's scary!

But then again, "local" lobsters are over $15 a pound lately, when they can be found. The Lobster Market/distributor on Allen St. had absolutely no lobsters in their tanks the other day. Is something going on with lobsters and crabs this season?

[MichaelZ]

As an update, I took a walk through Chinatown yesterday (E. Broadway side) and didn't see any soft-shells in the fish stalls on and around E. Broadway...lots of bushel baskets of blue crabs, however, which I'm pretty sure all come from se Asia. 

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We were in Chinatown yesterday, and I saw some healthy looking softshells in several markets on the south side of Canal St, just west of Mott/ east of Lafayette.

[weinoo]

As an update, I took a walk through Chinatown yesterday (E. Broadway side) and didn't see any soft-shells in the fish stalls on and around E. Broadway...lots of bushel baskets of blue crabs, however, which I'm pretty sure all come from se Asia. 

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We were in Chinatown yesterday, and I saw some healthy looking softshells in several markets on the south side of Canal St, just west of Mott/ east of Lafayette.

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Ahhh, western Chinatown! How much were they going for?

[Live It Up]

Thanks for all the help! I actually wound up getting my soft shells from freshdirect ($4.33 each). Before I posted my request I had called around to some of the better fish markets in the city and was told that they were getting soft shells already but that they were sold out or whatever. Of course, they were getting more in, I just didn't wan to to risk not being able to get them. I think it's still really early in the season, so the supply is limited. Anyway, I got lucky and I didn't have to search the city for them, so I'm happy.