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From home kitchens to Michelin counters, Aqua Best’s seafood is available to all

By Christal Young
Published  April 2, 2023 3:43pm EDT
Things to do NYC
FOX 5 NY

A look inside Aqua Best NYC

FOX 5’s Christal Young takes us inside Aqua Best, a premiere seafood shop on the Lower East Side.

The seafood supply – and knowledge – of second generation seafood specialist Steven Wong was once reserved for only the top chefs in the city. But now it’s available for anyone to shop. 

Steven Wong has been surrounded by seafood all his life. His mom ran a New York City fish shop for nearly 40 years and by the age of eight he was right by her side.

"She actually taught me how to look at seafood, how to decipher what's good and what's bad, and she's always told me about being a seafood from colder waters is usually sweeter, and it takes a long time to grow. But you don't get the best results from that," he shared.

Owner Steven Young lays a fish out at Aqua Best.

He now owns Aqua Best, a beloved neighborhood seafood purveyor on the Lower East Side. He also owns the restaurant Essex Pearl. 

Before the pandemic, Wong worked primarily with restaurants and is a favorite of many of the city's Michelin-starred chefs. But once COVID hit, he switched things up and now sells seafood to anyone who wants fresh fish and great advice.

"This way I can tell the regular home cook what our chefs are looking for and how to tell about good seafood, ‘Where is the best seafood from?’ and give you a little bit of the tidbits that makes everyone happy."

And Wong is indeed full of tips. The first one – make sure what you’re buying is fresh. Here’s how. 

"One of the key elements is to look at the eyes," he said. "You want to make sure the eyes are nice and clear and plump. The next thing you want to do is kind of like touch the fish; it should be a little bit firm. Mushy fish is not good."

"One other thing you want to look at is if the gills are nice and red."

Aqua Best has seafood from around the world, from Greece to North Carolina to Long Island. Get an up-close look at the unique finds you can get at the shop in the video player above. 

Aqua Best also ships locally and nationwide.

Aqua Best is located at 276 Grand Street on the Lower East Side. Get more information here.