Once regarded as a food for the less privileged, sardines have now become a trend, thanks to TikTok. The hashtag #Sardine and #Sardines have garnered a combined 831 million views as canned food enthusiasts indulge in their love for these slippery creatures. And now, a renowned sardine monger from Portugal has arrived in NYC to cater to the growing demand for canned fish, offering boutique seafood options including sardines adorned with gold. The Fantastic World of the Portuguese Sardine, located on the corner of Broadway and 48th Street, is the flagship US store of a Portuguese chain with 20 outlets. We had the opportunity to visit the store, which opened last Friday, and see if it truly lived up to the sardine gold standard.
Joana Quaresma, the project manager and native of Lisbon, shared that their mission in the US is to introduce Americans to their fresh food. She also expressed her desire to bring the native delicacy of sardines in olive oil to the bustling Times Square, where tourists are always tightly packed, much like sardines.
Walking into the venue, which is still in its soft opening stage, feels like stepping into a timeless epicurean toybox. The store features painted figurines, staff dressed in old-timey sailor’s outfits, and two stories of shelves filled with an array of sardine cans. To access the cans on the upper tier, there are sliding library ladders, creating a Fort Knox of fish. The cans, priced at $15 for four ounces, are arranged chronologically from 1916 to the present, featuring events and famous birthdays from each year. However, Quaresma assures us that these are not the actual years the sardines were canned. The aim is to catch people’s attention.
Most of the canned sardines have an expiration date of around seven years, so it’s not a long-term survival option. The store offers delectable sardine fillets bathed in copious amounts of olive oil, prepared and packed by hand at a factory in Alvaro, which has been operating since 1952. The goal is to change the perception of sardines in the US, where they have long been associated with cheap eating.
The arrival of the Fantastic World couldn’t have been timed better with the sardine frenzy on social media. Influencers like Danielle Matzon have amassed millions of views by indulging in this trendy eat-on-camera. The demand for this so-called “hot girl food” caused a national shortage of canned seafood in January. Tinned fish has been a staple in Europe for a while now, but it seems like Zoomers have just discovered it. The obsession with seafood has even influenced fashion, with Bottega Veneta launching a Sardine handbag and celebrities like Ana de Armas and Lily Allen sporting nautical-themed attire.
Fantastic World offers a special treat called “Ouro Portugues,” priced at $44. This gold ingot-shaped tin contains three ounces of sardines with edible gold flakes, reminiscent of Willy Wonka’s golden ticket bars but for fish lovers. Quaresma suggests saving this for a special occasion to create a memorable experience.
Despite the novelty and deliciousness of the goldfish can, it doesn’t taste significantly different from the standard date-labeled versions. It’s a stylish addition, but the destination remains the same.
Alongside sardines, the Fantastic World also offers Bacalhau, a dried and salted cod that is a staple in Portuguese cuisine. They will soon have all 18 varieties of tinned fish, including sole, salmon, octopus, whelk, mussels, and Mediterranean sea bass. They even have a cookbook with sardine pairing recipes for various cuisines.
One drawback is the steep prices at Fantastic World, considering their lease is only for ten years. Nonetheless, the store stands out as a boutique gem in the touristy chaos of Times Square, amidst Elmo impersonators and “I Love NY” T-shirt vendors.
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