If only AbuQir was open back when I lived in Astoria, I would have given them all my money.
I used to live in this residential part of Queens for many years and I frequented both seafood markets and Egyptian restaurants around this street, but at that time (as far as I know), no business on Steinway Street was doing what AbuQir is doing so well.
There was a cool Greek restaurant called Elias Corner that let you check out your fish on display before you picked which one you wanted to devour. And then much later came Astoria Seafood which took the fresh fish game to a whole new level.
AbuQir is not new by any means, but it is for me and I’m so upset I didn’t discover it earlier.
This is a full on seafood market where you can come in and purchase some fish to cook at home, but what seems to be even more popular is to dine in and let them simply grill or fry the fish of your choice for you.
I also read about the baba ganoush as a must try (and it is) to get your tastebuds ready for the beautiful fish ahead.
Since I couldn’t decide between fried and grilled, I got a little bit of both. My fried, crispy anchovies were dusted with flour and some surprising sweet-spicy Egyptian spice blend (dukkah)? They were endlessly addicting.
Even better were the grilled black tiger shrimp. Plump as could be, these beauts were slicked with olive oil, mild spices, and lots of garlic. Each bite was meaty and sweet with just a whisper of smoke. They are some of the best shrimp I’ve had in a long time.
Maybe I’m going to look into moving back to Astoria! Price: $19.95 per pound
| ABUQIR SEAFOOD |
| 24-19 Steinway Street (between 25th Avenue and Astoria Boulevard), Astoria, Queens (718) 274-3474 |
