I conducted a little informal survey the other day with some random friends through an e-mail blast: "What food do you most associate with New York?" From a friend in California who'd never been to the Big Apple to a born-and-bred Upper West Sider, I got replies of bagels, pizzas, "any pasta dish from Little Italy" and street vendor pretzels (note to self: don't ask this friend for a restaurant recommendation). For an island flanked by the Hudson River on one side and the East River on the other, I thought it was a little funny that seafood failed to make the list. So often we associate the East Coast with seafood - Maine owns lobsters and Maryland's crab fests are legendary. What about New York City?

For starters, enter Ed Brown and Jeffrey Chodorow. Brown knows fish (he's the chef behind the book, "The Modern Seafood Cook," and the Michelin-rated Eighty One on the Upper East Side), and Chodorow is experienced at opening splashy, successful mega-restaurants (China Grill, Asia de Cuba). The two teamed up to open Ed's Chowder House in the Empire Hotel late last year, replacing Chodorow's Center Cut. The space is casual but refined. Wood paneling surrounds the rooms, there's a floor-to-ceiling glass case of wine, photos of boats and quintessential seaside life dot the room, the generous white banquets are comfortable and tall ceilings give it an airy feel.

Whether you're sitting in the more casual space by the bar or the main dining room of the restaurant, the hardest decision may be where to start ordering. Before you even start thinking about an entrée, the raw bar, appetizers and chowders serve as distractions.

While sampling as much food as possible is part of the assignment, I often eat more with my eyes than mouth. I couldn't pass up on starting with some East Coast oysters ($2.75 each). Some St. Simon oysters were neither too big nor small and struck a good balance between salty, briny and creamy. After slurping down some Blue Island and Beau Soleil oysters, a friend and I worked our way through a shellfish platter (medium, $49; large, $79; royal, $119). The clams, mussels and shrimp were all plump and generous and their shells quickly found new homes in a metal bucket. I would have been happy to stay here but a perfectly composed spicy chopped vegetable salad ($10) with carrots, cucumber, mango, cabbage, scallions and crispy calamari (add $5) caught my attention. We couldn't pass on sampling the smoked Chatham cod cakes ($11) - while a little sloppy on presentation (wilted sprigs of watercress) packed a good deal of flavor between the generous chunks of fish and a roasted tomato-chili jam.

But if you're looking to save your appetite for the main dishes or want to keep it simple, I say go for the chowder sampler ($12). It is Ed's Chowder House, after all. The New England clam chowder is textbook and delicious, thick and creamy and stocked with fresh clams. The winter squash chowder was drizzled with an anise-flavored cream and sprinkled with fried shallots. Then there's the Manhattan-style blue crab chowder with bits of bacon, corn and shreds of crabmeat that had a nice kick to it. By this point, my friend and I felt like we should be sitting near a beach drinking cold beers.

As much as I would have liked to blame Ed Brown for reminding me half way through the meal that I should've worn pants with more stretch, much of it goes to Executive Chef Jamie Knott (Brown is the chef-collaborator here). He's kept the entrée options between "composed" and "simple" mains. Many of the dishes were prepared simply and well executed. Again, I didn't know where to begin.

I'm glad the peppered tuna steak frites and herbed butter ($28) popped out. The tuna was seared a golden brown on the outside, and the inside was rare like it should be. We could have gone for the lobster roll ($24) or a potato-crusted Chatham cod ($24), but we opted for the New Bedford sea scallops a la plancha atop some butter beans, bacon and escarole ($26). The scallops were rich with flavor and the bean mix made it hearty as any meat-centric dish you'd want in the middle of winter.

Our server forgot to bring out the order of cod but maybe that was a good thing. I was full and nursing my glass of fruity, dry Sauvignon Blanc. But dessert was still waiting. Most of my experiences at seafood themed restaurants are that desserts are an after thought. You might get some ice cream or a flourless chocolate torte. Instead, we couldn't stop devouring the chocolate beignets ($8) with a Kahlua and vanilla bean with hazelnut cream and chocolate sauce.

I started dinner wondering why none of my friends connected seafood as the "it" food in New York. Maybe it's because we have so many options. If you think about it, Brown did create a following with Sea Grill years ago. Today we have Le Bernardin and Oceana on the fancy end to more homey eateries like Pearl Oyster Bar and sushi temples galore. Ed's Chowder House reminded me that whether it's fish or not, that tasting good matters most and that's why we love dining in New York.

Ed's Chowder House is located at 44 W. 63^rd St. (at Broadway), 212-596-1288, http://www.chinagrillmgt.com/restaurants-and-bars/eds-chowder-house.

- Bao Ong

Andrea Strong