Where to Buy Sea Urchin/Uni (as ingredient, not @ restaurants)??

[Puppimus]

I am looking for a source of sea urchin for home cooking. I don't know how other markets sell it, but at Sunrise Mart and Mitsuwa (Japanese groceries) it comes on a little wooden slab covered in plastic. Problem is, Mistuwa is too far and Sunrise doesn't have it reliably.

Please help, hounds!

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Sunrise Mart
4 Stuyvesant St, New York, NY 10003

[loratliff]

I know this is an older topic, but for anyone still looking, Lobster Place at Chelsea Market has had both fresh (in-shell) and prepared urchin every time I've been in for the past few weeks.

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The Lobster Place
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

[singlegirldin]

You could also try Han Ah Reum Supermarket in Koreatown, on W. 32nd Street between 5th Avenue and Broadway. And, yes, as the other Chowhounders mentioned, I've also seen it at Eataly. Also, perhaps check m2m in the East Village?

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Han Ah Reum
25 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001

M2M
55 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10003

Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[yakkity]

I got two trays of the freshest and sweetest sea urchin from Seabreeze Fish Market (Ninth Avenue at 40th Street) yesterday. You have to place the order a day or two in advance, as Seabreeze doesn't carry uni routinely, but the price was right and, as I wrote, the flavor incredible.

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Sea Breeze Fish Market
541 9th Ave, New York, NY 10018

[Puppimus]

Reporting back: So last Saturday, I hit up both Eataly and the Lobster Place at the Chelsea Market. I struck out at both places.

At Eataly, the fish guy (monger?) told me they get sea urchin in usually twice a week but that it sells out quickly. He said if you call ahead and they have some, they'll hold it for you until the end of the day. Pretty nice. They have both Maine and CA -- I'm pretty sure he said that it was the CA was $22 for the tray, not the Maine.

It might be for the best that Lobster Place also was out of urchin trays, because I tried their urchin at the sushi bar in the form of a piece of uni nigiri, and the urchin was on the bitter side and just not very good. I would have been disappointed to wind up with a whole tray of it.

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The Lobster Place
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[penthouse pup]

Posted on another thread: Citarella in the Village has fresh sea urchins now.

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Citarella
424 6th Ave, New York, NY 10011

[loratliff]

California urchin is at Lobster Place (Chelsea Market location) as of today.

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The Lobster Place
75 9th Ave, New York, NY 10011

[luckiestduck]

I saw it in the shell at Eataly!

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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[G3B]

do you remember the price or approximate price. i have been there and found everything over the top in price and bought nothing when i went.

[Yaxpac]

I think it was $5.80/lb at Eataly. They are the Maine sea urchins though.

I bought a tray of uni (Maine) at Eataly for $22 and I thought it was pretty good.

I want to find a tray of Santa Barbara uni though.

From what I have been told...fresh out of the ocean = good to eat right away. Out of the ocean for a few hours and you need to soak it for a while in ocean/salt water. Out of the ocean longer than that and it must have alum in it for preservative.

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Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010

[bigmackdaddy]

I remember buying them whole and alive from Citerella some years back. You might want to call D&D on Prince and Broadway as well for the shelled.How about the Korean Supermarket on W32nd bet Ave. of Americas & 5th Ave?

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Citarella
2135 Broadway, New York, NY 10023

Han Ah Reum
25 W 32nd St, New York, NY 10001

[small h]

Search is your friend.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/748966

[Puppimus]

Egg on my face...thanks for the heads up!

[small h]

No problem. Good luck in your search, and please report back.

[Breezychow]

You can buy it online ("Catalina" in California is supposed to be an excellent & reliable source), but of course the shipping will be pricey.

[Miss Needle]

I've only ordered from them once, but my experience was pretty negative. I probably will not be ordering from them again.