Dining Review: Prawn Shop Is Succulent, Sophisticated, And Down-Home

A beauty of a seafood jewel has just opened up shop — and it’s serving up luscious prawns and a lot of other victuals from the sea with culinary acumen.

Co-owners Alison McNamara and Evan Franca may still be in soft opening mode — the first weekend in March is when it becomes official — however the place already has a nice rhythm. Franca co-owns Wang’s Fried Chicken next door (671 Union Street), a relatively easy commute between the two restaurants.

One of the first tips is to arrive there early for the Happy Hour (5pm-7pm). Yes, you have some great specials on wine, beer, and cocktails, but your early entrance will also serve as an inexpensive and pleasurable introduction to the quality of their seafood and preparation.

So for that Happy Hour, Oysters and Prawn Cocktails are $1 per piece. All of the seafood is sourced from the Gulf of Mexico, off of New York and New England, near Ecuador, and other areas where safety and health regulations really count.

The taste of their seafood — mixed with responsible ethics — drives home the point that this is well worth it, and not simply just a trend.

Chef Kimberly Plafke is a rock star when it comes to preparing and flavoring these dishes (side note: she kind of looks like a cool rock star, too). She comes with an impressive amount experience, having previously worked at Cannibal, Resto, and Fishtail.

The space has been a sticky wicket for other restaurants in the past. The taqueria Taco Santo closed up in September 2015 after being in the space for about a year’s time (although brownstone delight Palo Santo expanded its taco offerings right across the street). BBQ joint Fort Reno closed up shop there a few years back.

Just as there’s a fantastic mix of sophistication and down-home quality to the food, the design and usage of the space works very well. The woods are natural and there’s more than a wink at all things nautical. And humor  as well (including an illustrated prawn which — à la Kim Kardashian — “breaks the shrimpernet.” This continues to give us great pleasure).

Fans of deviled eggs are in for a treat. Their new devilish dish will join the menu beginning tonight, with a soft butter-poached lobster which perfectly compliments the texture of the egg that serves as a base for the dish.

For a main course, we opted for the seafood boils. Options include prawn, crab, mussels, and “The Works” (a combo of the three).

The prawns (1/2 lb dish is $16; full pound is $29) are plump, luscious, and complimented by a decadent charred herb bread. You can choose one of four sauces (East Coast, Far East, West Coast, and South). The East Coast consists of Old Bay, beer, butter, and potato. Best to wear your bib — don’t be shy.

The Far East sauce (coconut, green curry, and sweet potato) is just as good. The sauces give the seafood excellent variations — and the Mussel Boil ($14) was just right. With four boil options and four sauces, you’ll need to come back at least 16 times for the purposes of due diligence, seafood-style.

The prawns are also served in a variety of other ways besides the boil. And small fare options include a prawn and mussel chowder ($9) and Maryland Style Crabcake with charred scallions ($14).

The local market fish choice was a Grilled Whole Porgy with salsa verde and charred lemon ($23). The salsa and lemon highlighted the light flavor of the fish without overwhelming it.

Don’t forget the sides ($6 each). The healthy serving of sauteed greens is seasoned with chile and cider, and the charred flavor with a hint of sweetness works very well. And the mascarpone polenta — once again — had just the right balance.

If in fact you’re not a seafood person, you have your options. The Shop Burger ($14) has cheddar, pickles, grilled onions, and is served with fries. Co-owner Alison McNamara tells us it’s a huge hit with the already brisk delivery service the restaurant is doing. The Braised Vegan Meatballs ($18) with greens and sweet potato hummus is another option.

And yes you have your desserts ($7 each). Choose a S’Mores Pie with torched marshmallow or a Lime Pana Cotta with wafer crumble.

It’s easy to envision the restaurant working in a variety of seasons. McNamara tells us she’s looking forward to having boils during the warmer months on the picnic benches outside. The New England seafood fans will enjoy the atmosphere, as will the New Orleans folk who crave their boils.

Prawn Shop will surely be welcomed to the neighborhood with open shells (we always get one). But expect the rest of the borough — and the city for that matter — to learn about this place fast.

And as for King Neptune? He’d be prouder than proud.

The Dining Rundown: Prawn Shop
Where: 669 Union Street (near 4th Avenue)
Hours: Mondays-Thursdays, 4pm-10:30pm; Fridays, 4pm-12am; Saturdays, 11am-12am; Sundays, 11am-10pm. Brunch menu available Saturdays and Sundays at 11am.
Phone: 347-599-0296
Reservations: You can call 347-599-0296 to make one.
Kid Friendly? It’s an intimate space. This may not be the best option for the super young ones, or toddlers that like to take over the place.

There is a no tipping policy. An 18% administration fee is added to your bill.